December 22, 2025

My Fall Chasing Trespassers, Counterfeiters, and Chromers: A Campfire Segment By Field And Stream

15 minutes

Join us for another Campfire short this week, where we crack open a modern Field and Stream classic as senior editor Ryan Chelius revisits his unforgettable season patrolling the famed Salmon River in Pulaski, New York. What begins as a broke college kid’s workaround to access the best steelhead fishing water quickly spirals into confrontations with trespassers, counterfeit pass-holders, and the kind of hardened characters you only meet during a full-blown salmon run.

Ryan shares what it’s really like to enforce regulations on two miles of private river during peak season, navigating angry anglers, heated riverbank standoffs, and the creative “walkie-talkie bluff” that saved him more than once. Along the way, you’ll hear insider stories about the daily grind of river patrol, the chaos of the fall steelhead migration, and the camaraderie that forms among young anglers chasing fresh chrome before and after their shifts.

Beyond the drama, this story offers a rare look at pressured water, angler behavior, and how hard-earned lessons from the river translate into better steelhead tactics, smarter reading of crowded water, and a deeper appreciation for the fish that drive us nuts, and keep us coming back.

If you love stories from the riverbank, gritty seasonal work, or hard-earned wisdom from public and private water alike, this one’s for you.

Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations.

Read the original story: https://www.fieldandstream.com/stories/fishing/freshwater-fishing/chasing-steelhead-and-fish-poachers

Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/

Get to know the author, Ryan Chelius: https://www.fieldandstream.com/authors/ryan-chelius

Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/

Sound effects and sound design for Campfire provided by:

Editing and sound design by ⁠Trout Stream Studios⁠

Truck Door Open and Close by Jofae -- https://freesound.org/s/361823/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

A000051_5.flac by WaveAdventurer -- https://freesound.org/s/254555/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

OPEN TRUCK DOOR & START.mp3 by tubbers -- https://freesound.org/s/184326/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Walking0_gravel.wav by tec_studio -- https://freesound.org/s/98490/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

River Walk by silentseason -- https://freesound.org/s/407528/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Fly Fishing Reel Running_1.wav by paulprit -- https://freesound.org/s/507098/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

4 guys having a laugh.wav by tlabrant1 -- https://freesound.org/s/670243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Kayaking in calm weather by AugustSandberg -- https://freesound.org/s/509323/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

water near the boat 02.wav by jazbavac -- https://freesound.org/s/198524/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0

2021-08-30-boat-003.wav by ilmari_freesound -- https://freesound.org/s/620290/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...more

View all episodes

By Field And Stream | Colin Kearns

4.2

1515 ratings