The lower limit seems to have improved fishing slightly on the river already, and not merely by recycling the occasional trout that would otherwise have been filleted. Many anglers have been prompted by the one-fish rule to take the next step and become catch-and-release steelheaders. That spirit bodes well for the river's future.

Meanwhile, if catch rates on the Salmon aren't what they were in the river's late 1980s hey-day, the total catch, numbering several thousand fish per annum, remains impressive. There is no better place in the East to catch a 20-pounder, and few rivers are more picturesque, either.

Salmon River flows are governed by agreements among the DEC, federal regulatory agencies and Branscan Corporation, the company that operates the hydroelectric generating reservoirs on the river upstream from Altmar. In December, flows of 350 to 750 cubic feet per second are common, and either wading or drift-boating is practical at such levels. If air temperatures are extremely cold and flows are on the low side, slush ice may form in the river from Pulaski (exit 36 off Interstate 81) as far upstream as Pineville, but even during sub-freezing weather the water from there up through Altmar should be slush-free and fishable.

Although steelhead may be scattered throughout the river in December, the largest concentrations of fish will usually be in the Schoolhouse Pool and the flies-only section in Altmar or, if a fresh run is underway, at the Douglaston Salmon Run in Pulaski. The latter is a privately held section of the river that charges a daily rod fee (last winter's price was $20) for access from a Lake Street parking lot. It has some of the prettiest pools on the river and is well worth the money. The Douglaston fishing hot line, (315) 298-3531, offers a free, reliable report on the previous day's action.

No matter which of the above streams you fish this month, your odds for success will improve dramatically if you use light tackle. Not too light, however. Many steelheaders needlessly handicap themselves by pairing noodle rods or wispy fly rods with leader tippets that have a rated breaking strength of 4 pounds or less. When the user of such fine tackle connects with a fresh-run steelie, the fish either takes him to the cleaners in a hurry or is played so gingerly that it succumbs to exhaustion after it finally breaks free.

Instead of using ultralight terminal tackle to fool pressured, wary rainbows, why not match your pet noodle or fly rod with a 6- or even 8-pound tippet made from fluorocarbon? Because fluorocarbon absorbs light, rather than reflecting it, there is no glare and when immersed in water is essentially invisible. Friends of mine who fish the extraordinarily crowded lower fly-fishing section on the Salmon River two or three times a week during the winter never go lighter than 8-pound fluorocarbon, yet often catch more steelhead than all of their pool-mates, combined.

Even more than sensible tippets, anglers who frequent New York's Great Lakes tributaries in the winter months need clothing that will keep them warm and dry. Without proper dress, you'll spend more time on the bank, recovering circulation in numb toes, than you will drifting your fly or bait through the strike zone. Neoprene waders with boot feet are an ideal choice for the steelheader, but stocking-foot waders are OK, too, as long as they are sufficiently loose fitting to allow you to wiggle your toes inside a pair of heavy socks. Above your feet, the rule is the same as your mother enforced when you were a child. Namely, dress in insulating layers, starting with a quality set of synthetic underwear and ending with a roomy, wind-breaking jacket.