It’s that time of year when fly anglers head to the river in search of the big hex flies and the bigger trout that come out looking to eat them. The big bugs have just started on most rivers, with some rivers that have backwaters and ponds nearby in full swing.
Yesterday’s storm dumped a lot of water in the river in a short period of time, but it has already peaked and is starting to fall. You will find the water up and stained a bit, but mostly fishable with a little more care when wading. The biggest concern is water temperatures.
This hot weather has the rivers heating up and it is strongly encouraged that you give the fish a break if water temperatures hit the 68 degree mark and take the night off. Most of our rivers rely solely on natural reproduction and stressing fish in the warm water results in mortality which significantly affects the fishery for years to come.
You can monitor temperatures here:
Manistee
Boardman
Au Sable and other Rivers in Michigan
Cooler weather is in the forecast and while that can disrupt the hex hatch, you will want to have some isonychias in your box as well as bat flies and brown drakes as they can be the alternative hatch in these conditions.
For those of you who like to fish in the daylight, smallmouth bass offer head-lamp free fishing. Fishing for these brutes on the lower Manistee can put a bend in the rod when they eat your streamer. Fishing has been good with some challenging days thrown in the mix. Most days these fish are eager to please but once in a while they can be picky and have us going though a few fly patterns before we determine what they want. Either way, it’s visual when they show up and eat, and a little less maddening than trout.
Good luck.
Ted
Trout, Tricos & Terrestrials – Start the day off on the upper Manistee fishing dry flies for Brown and Brook Trout.
Smallmouth Bass – Through Mid-August, come fish this rod bending species in the river as an alternative to trout.
Fall Steelhead – After a strong Spring Season we are looking forward to Fall – just a few dates remain available.