Oswego is a popular tourist attraction when it comes to fishing, with its ample water ways and the infamous salmon run through the rivers of Oswego.
While salmon may begin showing up as early as the first of June, the main season runs from July through September, with king salmon running first, followed by cohos and atlantic. The major arrival of salmon brings fishermen from all over to Oswego to participate in the season.
Both locals and tourists take pleasure in the fishing opportunities and chartering services Oswego has to offer. Joe Orson, the captain of TSI Charters, has worked with a wide variety of recreational fishermen.
“I have a lot of people that are local, from Oswego, Fulton, Syracuse area and Albany area,” Orson said. “And then I have a lot of out-of-staters.”
Orson has also had customers from Quebec, Canada, as well as travelers from overseas who stopped to fish in Oswego.
“I had one charter with two gentlemen from England that were going to Kenya to fish for trout after they left us,” Orson said. “We have other people going to different parts of Africa for fish, too.”
Not every salmon fisherman uses a chartering service, however, as Donnie Filkins and his family from the Albany area have been coming to Oswego County for years to take advantage of the salmon runs.
“I read about the Salmon River and Oswego River in a magazine and saw the pictures of guys hoisting large fish,” Filkins said. “I then begged my father to take me, and the size of the fish I saw being caught floored me.”
Now that he has a family of his own, Filkins continues the tradition with his wife and daughters.
“Now that my wife and kids are into it, it really has me thinking about buying my own little place up there to be closer to it,” Filkins said. “Thankfully for me, it’s only a 2.5-hour drive there, so day trips work out pretty well. I also have access to a friend’s camp in Mexico I can use.”
Oswego State senior Wyatt DeMarre is a commuter from Pulaski and veteran salmon fisher. He said he likes to fish in the salmon run often.
“I try to fish there about once a week after classes just to go have fun,” DeMarre said. “I prefer to fish what’s called the High Wall. It’s down off of West First Street, right before the dam.”
DeMarre said he was glad he lived in the area because it is very difficult to get a hotel room anywhere from Oswego to Pulaski due to their popularity as a fishing destination.
“Pulaski is one of the top international fisheries, and out-of-staters come and stay for days on end,” DeMarre said.
While tourists staying for days may not help anyone trying to get a hotel room, it is great news for local businesses and the economy of Oswego overall, Orson said. He said he gets to know his customers fairly well, as they spend the day together fishing and talking.
“One young lady brings her friends with her and fishes for a few days,” Orson said. “They will stay at the Best Western captain’s quarters there, have dinner and use the spa and all that stuff and fish for eight hours a day for two days.”
Orson loves to see his customers share his love for fishing and enjoy a day on the water.
“I fished Lake Ontario since the 1970s,” Orson said. “And then, when I retired, my son bought a bigger boat and he said, ‘Dad, you’re retired. Let’s go get our captain’s license, and why don’t we charter?’ And we started that in 2005.”
Since then, TSI Charters has grown, and Orson is now completing 90 to 100 Charters per season that are comprised of long days that span from 12 to 14 hours each.
“I enjoy my time out,” Orson said. “What I do is make videos of each charter and I edit those videos and I send them to the customers. They are complementary videos of your charter.”
Orson has a wide variety of customers, from professional fishermen to families just out to fish and spend time together.
“With families, it’s ‘catch everything they can’ because they like to see their children, daughters as well as sons, catch fish,” Orson said.
For more seasoned fishermen, they may only be interested in king salmon, but while their preference in what they fish may differ, everyone is out on the water for the same reason.
“It’s something they [do to] put the work behind them. Whatever problems they are having go behind them,” Orson said. “They are working on the fishing for that day and enjoying their special beverage and enjoying the company of their friends and family.”
