Northern Michigan Fly Fishing Report

Fall Steelhead

Posted by Ted Kraimer - November 4, 2019

November greeted us with full-on fall weather – a mix of snow and rain and some wind making for classic fall steelhead weather.

Water temps have settled into the lower to mid 40’s on the lower Manistee below Tippy Dam and Betsie Rivers which are running higher than normal for this time of year, but they aren’t considered high. Clarity is mostly ideal except for the lower ends of rivers which collect run off and tributaries which affects visibility. There are good numbers of steelhead in the river however they are spread out throughout the systems – you have fresh fish moving up stream, others that have taken position behind the last of the spawning salmon and those that have been in the system a while and after being caught have become weary and are sitting in the wood/structure.

Egg patterns remain the most effective flies right now along with some beads in natural and yellowish colors. No two days have been the same so mix up size and color to find what they are looking for each day. The nymph bite is starting to pick up with caddis and steelhead buggers continuing to prove effective. The swing bite is also ideal right now for those capable of working a two-handed rod and presenting big streamers with lots of flash on sink-tip lines.

The forecast weather should help stabilize the fishing as the past week was inconsistent with the abrupt changes in weather. Going forward, it appears to be more of the same so dress accordingly, think fondly about seeing the sun shine all summer, and keep your flies where the fish should be.

Good luck.

Ted

Fall Steelhead – Good November and December dates remain open for these prized sport-fish.
2020 Fishing Season – We are booking dates through October of 2020 – don’t miss the prime times.
Gift Certificates – As we approach the holiday season, consider asking or giving the gift of time on the water.

Mid-October Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 16, 2019

Mid-October finds the weather and fisheries in-line with the calendar.

The river banks are popping with color as the leaves and salmon change color while some chrome steelhead show up. The salmon run is past the peak however a fresh one shows up occasionally. With the erratic weather patterns since late August, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few fresh fish trickle in for the next month on the Betsie and Manistee Rivers.

The steelhead – like the salmon – are running larger this year. Combine their size with warmer than normal water temperatures (upper 50’s) and folks have found them to be more than a handful when hooked; I have never witnessed steelhead behavior like this before. With the recent and forecast cooler overnights, the water temps are dropping, and this should help “tame” the fish a little.

As the salmon continue to spawn in the river, the steelhead are on a heavy diet of salmon eggs. The runs below spawning salmon have the steelhead below them taking full advantage of the protein drip. As such, egg patterns and beads have been the go-to, however some green caddis and steelhead buggers are an honorable mention and worth having in your box.

<<More info on fishing egg patterns can be found here>>

The ardent steelhead angler will still find the salmon angler and the accompanying trash on the river bank so be prepared to share the water for a few more weeks. Beer cans are lighter when empty but sadly they still don’t make it back to the parking lot once consumed – let their behavior of littering and questionable angling techniques inspire you to be a sportsman rather than assimilate and be a slob.

Good luck.

Ted

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October is Here and so is Fall Weather

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 2, 2019

A few trees are starting to change colors as we head to the river but they remain pretty green along the river bank. Water temps are just starting to drop below the 60 degree mark after some cooler temps and more of the same in the forecast. Another batch of rain has sent another batch of salmon upstream on the local rivers including the Platte, Betsie and Manistee. Fish continue to run big this year so bring you’re A-game and eat your spinach the night before. With a little color to the fish, lately we are finding them a little easier to move to the net, but not easy. With yesterday’s rain, look for the river to be a little higher after just dropping and also a little stained. Eggs and Caddis have been the best producers.

Trout fishing continues as we approach that time of year when the Brook Trout begin their spawning. Browns are still in a pre-spawn mode on the upper Manistee and will chase a streamer. With all the vegetation, leaves and pine needles floating downstream and decreasing water temperatures, look for the dry fly bite to basically non-exist unless a BWO hatch presents itself. Smaller streamers on smaller sink-tip lines are a great approach this time of year.

Just a reminder that trout fishing is now closed on a lot of trout streams but much of the Manistee and Au Sable are open all year round.

Good luck.

Ted

Fall Steelhead – Good November and December dates remain open for these prized sport-fish.
2020 Fishing Season – We are booking dates through September of 2020 – don’t miss the prime times.

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Late September Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 23, 2019

With Fall officially starting today it sure feels like we were in the middle of summer just last week with the 80-degree days. With a little color in some trees, it appears that fall is imminent.

The warm weather paused the migration of salmon on the local rivers, but the significant rains over the weekend and winds on Lake Michigan should restart the migration of King and Coho salmon as they feel comfortable moving up that increased river flow. Wading anglers will find the rivers higher and smaller rivers like the Betsie also dirty as some areas received over 4 inches of rain.

The warmer temperatures sure extended out terrestrial fishing on the trout rivers like the upper Manistee. Water temps are still around 60 degrees and the fish still looking up. Some BWOs and great olives are worth having in your box should a hatch occur, but tie on the bigger foam and rubber attractor and terrestrial patterns for what could be your last fix of dry fly fishing. The water had been too clear but with the rain there is some color to it. This is also the time that streamer fishing can be ideal for those looking to cover some water looking for the pre-spawn browns that have started to come out from cover after a long season of getting fished to.

Good luck.

Ted

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September Salmon and Trout Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 9, 2019

With September well underway, anglers are finding salmon in a number of the local rivers. These fish are migratory and with the inconsistent weather (think shifting winds) the run has been truncated and some days are better than others as these fish work their way upstream.

The Betsie has been really busy as this natural reproducing fishery gets started before most others – thankfully a recent increase in DNR patrolling is just starting to have its effect and keeping some “anglers” away. Or maybe fishing in the dark hours. They are fish, not status symbols, folks, and yes they are big, but respect the resource and try to show a hint of sportsmanship including courtesy when on the water. And pick up your trash.

With salmon drawing a lot of attention, the trout rivers have pretty much been abandoned. September is a nice time to be on the water as summer and terrestrial fishing winds down. Brook trout are starting to show the most vibrant colors as they approach spawning. Fishing wets and small streamers for the bigger brown trout are regaining their effectiveness as the fishing pressure has been light for a few weeks. Always have some small brown flying ants this time of year as when they show up on the water, fish go nuts for them. Also have some BWO’s as you never know when you might have some match the hatch fishing.

Good luck.

Ted

Salmon/September – No salmon or trout dates are available this September, sorry.
Fall Steelhead – Good November and December dates remain open for these prized sport-fish.
2020 Fishing Season – We are booking dates through September of 2020 – don’t miss the prime times.

Betsie, fishing guide, manistee river fishing, salmon, streamer fishing trout, trout fishing traverse city

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