PULASKI, N.Y. - For those who have wanted to test their skills against a world-class sportfish with a rod and reel, now is the time to accept the challenge.

This year the annual spawning run of king salmon from Lake Ontario into the tributaries of Oswego County, New York, is one of the best and latest in years. As a result, according to veteran outdoors writer Spider Rybaak, bank and driftboat fishing for these giants is still productive."When it comes to world-class fisheries, you'd be hard pressed to find one that isn't chopped up into special-interest sections," Rybaak said. "Oswego County's Salmon River is a pioneer in this process, offering a place for every fishing taste."Its most famous section is at its headwaters a short distance from the Lower Reservoir's dam. Restricted to fly-fishing, catch-and-release only, this mystique is more than purist anglers can resist, but there's more to the place than just image."The main river runs just above and below the mouth of Beaverdam Brook, the recipient of the Salmon River hatchery's tailrace and off-limits to angling. Hence, the special area's two sections allow angling as close to the hatchery as is legally permitted."Split into upper and lower stretches, these special areas of the Salmon River run less than a mile combined, but their close proximity to the dam draws and holds the river's greatest number of Lake Ontario's migrating salmonids: brown trout, king and coho salmon in the fall and steelhead year-round. In the fall so many salmon can be seen migrating above the Altmar bridge that anglers joke they raise the water level a couple feet or more.Some salmon make it into the relative safety of Beaverdam Brook, climb the ladder and enter the hatchery. Those that remain in the river are fair game for fly-fishermen, considered the gentlest, most patient segment of the fishing fraternity."Self-professed purists, fly-fishers use lures made of feathers, tinsel, maybe a little yarn for body, all held together on a single hook by thread," Rybaak said. "Unlike lures in your average tackle box, these delicate creations are practically weightless, requiring long rods and heavy lines to propel them to the target."Anglers need lots of room to whip the line through the air, slowly playing it out, generating enough force to go the distance. This technique requires good timing and coordination, and when done properly, looks like a dance where man, physical forces and the fly are in perfect motion."This tackle is of the most elementary design, modern improvements notwithstanding, and what's more, the heavy main line doesn't help with fighting the fish. It's too thick to thread through the fly's eye, and makes too much noise when it hits the water, so a monofilament leader at least 8-feet long, averaging 10-pound test, is used as a remedy."What is gained in stealth with this rig is lost in strength, however, so when hooked, a large salmon or trout does everything in the book to break free. Tactics include, but are not limited to, hiding behind boulders, diving into root balls, undercut banks and sunken timber and even going over waterfalls, all of which maked the leader feel about as useful as sewing thread.Fly-fishing's poetic moves and unique challenges have hooked the imaginations of the uninitiated, convincing them it is highly specialized and difficult to master. Anglers ranging from bank fishermen to deep water trollers admire its choreography, so when fly-fishers asked for a special section complete with environmentally friendly stairs down a steep cliff and improved banks for solid footing everyone went along.Altmar marks the start of the special zone, with the lower area extending from the County Route 52 bridge upstream for a quarter mile to the marker just below the mouth of Beaverdam Brook. The upper section runs from a marked boundary above the hatchery upstream for 0.6 mile to the marked boundary at the lower reservoir's tailrace.These special sections have their own seasons in an effort to allow salmonids, primarily steelhead and brown trout, to spawn naturally without harassment. The lower section is open from September 15 through May 15 and the upper section is open from April 1 to November 30.For information on fishing the Salmon River and other location in Oswego County access the website at www.visitoswegocounty. com.