Is EVERYONE on the Salmon River Fishing ILLEGALLY?!

Is everyone on New York's famous Salmon River actually fishing... or are they just snagging salmon and calling it "flossing"? ????

I headed up to Pulaski, New York, to investigate one of the most controversial topics in salmon fishing: **FLOSSING vs. SNAGGING.** And what I discovered left me with more questions than answers.

Every fall, thousands of massive King Salmon make their way out of Lake Ontario and into the Salmon River to spawn. Fishermen travel from all over the country to battle these giant fish, but there's something very unusual about the way many people catch them.

Instead of getting the salmon to actually bite, some fishermen use a technique called "flossing," where the fishing line passes through a salmon's open mouth and the hook catches it as the fish moves through the river.

But here's where things get controversial...

**Is that really fishing? Is flossing legal? And what's the difference between flossing a salmon and simply snagging one?**

To get to the bottom of it, I decided to investigate for myself.

I started by looking into New York's salmon fishing regulations and asking ChatGPT to explain the difference between flossing, snagging, and legitimate fishing. Then I visited a local bait shop, talked to fishermen along the river, and started asking questions about the techniques everyone seemed to be using.

The answers were fascinating. Some people openly discussed flossing, others acknowledged the legal controversy, and many seemed to have their own interpretations of what was acceptable.

The deeper I got into the culture of the Salmon River, the more confusing it became.

Just because a fish is hooked inside its mouth, does that automatically mean it bit your bait? Can you deliberately floss a salmon and still call it fishing? Does using a piece of foam, an artificial bead, or a particular leader length make a difference?

And if a technique is prohibited, why does it seem so common?

But this adventure wasn't just about asking questions.

**I wanted to see if I could actually catch these massive fish myself without deliberately flossing or snagging them.**

Armed with a fly rod, an artificial bead, and a drifting setup, I headed into the river to see what would happen.

And things got absolutely ridiculous.

I hooked into giant fish that seemed almost impossible to control. These salmon and steelhead were using every bit of the river's current against me, peeling line, racing downstream, and dragging me through some seriously sketchy water.

At one point, I hooked a monster fish that took me on an absolutely insane chase down the river. I was scrambling over slippery rocks, trying to keep my balance, and somehow managed to lose my boot in the middle of the fight!

And that wasn't the only time.

Between hooking huge fish, nearly falling into the river, losing equipment, spotting giant brown trout and steelhead, and eventually dealing with a broken fishing rod, this turned into one of the most chaotic fishing experiences I've ever had.

But the craziest part wasn't even the fishing.

It was realizing how strange the entire culture surrounding this river really is.

There are so many giant fish packed into certain stretches that distinguishing between a legitimate bite and a fish being accidentally or deliberately hooked can become surprisingly difficult.

And that brings us back to the biggest question of the entire video:

**When does fishing stop being fishing and start becoming snagging?**

I'm not making this video to attack anybody or accuse every fisherman on the Salmon River of breaking the law. I wanted to experience this place, understand the techniques, hear what the locals had to say, and figure out what I personally think about it all.

Because at the end of the day, fishing means something different to different people. For me, there's something special about convincing a wild fish to actually take your bait.

And after experiencing the Salmon River firsthand, I'm still left wondering where some of these techniques fall.

So now I want to hear from YOU.


Whether you're an experienced Salmon River fisherman, a steelhead angler, or someone who's never heard of flossing before, I want to hear your perspective.

This is one of the most unique fisheries I've ever experienced, and there's clearly a lot more to this story than meets the eye.

**Fishing regulations:** Rules vary by waterbody, season, tackle, and fishing zone. The regulations and interpretations discussed in this video should not replace current official New York State DEC guidance. Anglers are responsible for following applicable regulations, including rules concerning intentionally snagging fish and releasing improperly hooked fish.

#SalmonRiver #SalmonFishing #Snagging #Flossing #KingSalmon #PulaskiNY #Steelhead #FishingAdventure #TheSkyeLife