Northern Michigan Fly Fishing Report

Early November Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - November 4, 2016

With November now here, we are still experiencing early October-like weather with warmer temperatures and some really hot fish.

Steelhead fishing on the Manistee has been decent with some nice steelhead playing along. But they often aren’t playing nice – that is, once hooked, they are really testing our skills with their ability to put space between you and them. The fish are scattered throughout the river system – in holes, tail-outs, seams and on the rare sunny day – in woody structure.

Majority of the fish are eating egg patterns with no one pattern, size or color outperforming another – mix it up. If fishing near the dam, go small as the fish are really keying in on eating the natural eggs left by the salmon. Just a few chinook and coho salmon remain directly below Tippy, spawning in the upper mile of water. Fishing nymphs in the past ten days is proving effective with smaller nymphs used near the dam and larger patterns like ice/steelhead buggers, hex nymphs and caddis working in the lower sections. This is the time to use that two-handed rod with streamers swung on a sink-tip.

Water temps are hovering around 50 degrees which is adding to the fish’s feistiness. Water clarity is a little too good, nudging us to use lighter lines which makes landing the fish more difficult. It appears that about half of the fish in the river had been eating really well out in the lake and they have some shoulders and girth to prove it.

The trout are continuing to appease their appetite after a heavy egg diet and are chasing a streamer when not scavenging on any remaining salmon eggs. On rivers like the Upper Manistee and Au Sable system, the streamer fishing has been decent for those looking to feed a post-spawn brown trout. Mid-sized streamers like the Autumn Offender and Ted’s Brook Trout fished on sink-tips is your best approach.

Good luck,

Ted

Trout – Target post-spawn browns with streamers on the upper Manistee or Below Tippy Dam.
Fall Steelhead – Warm weather is making for comfortable steelhead fishing. Oxymoron, isn’t it?
Late Fall Trout – After gorging on salmon eggs, streamer fishing below Tippy Dam can be outstanding.

Au Sable system, brown trout, caddis, fall steelhead, fall steelhead fishing, manistee, post-spawn streamer fishing, salmon, streamer fishing, tippy dam, upper-manistee

Late October Steelhead Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 23, 2016

As we get deeper into October we are finding that the salmon are mostly done on the local rivers. A few fresh fish slip in but for the most part the salmon are dark, beat up and trying to get through their spawning ritual. In review, this year’s run of salmon was far better than the previous two years which was welcomed. It’s hoped that with natural reproduction, a limited number of stocked King/Chinook salmon, and a slight recovery in alewife/baitfish populations – Lake Michigan and its tributaries will return to a healthy, sustainable fishery going forward.

With all of the salmon in the river spawning, their eggs help convince fall steelhead to swim upstream, proving opportunity at what some consider the best freshwater species we get to pursue. The water temperatures are warmer than normal for this time of year so fish numbers are a little behind but there is typically no mistaking when a steelhead is on – most of the hooked steelhead have been rambunctious this fall making them hard to land. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

With fall steelhead fishing, key in on gravel beds with salmon still spawning and fish tandem egg patterns behind them in the darker holes and runs for fish eating their eggs. With all of the leaves in the water (the leaf drop, too, is behind this year) I prefer to fish a large egg pattern with a very realistic size and color egg below it. Water clarity on both the Betsie and Big Manistee below Tippy Dam is running clear so fluorocarbon is recommended. Although we have received some periodic rains, we could use some more of them to keep pushes of fish moving upstream – with the weather this fall, look for an extended fall run of fish

On water still open to trout fishing, anglers are finding most of the brown trout done spawning and in a post-spawn mode. If you come across beds of spawning fish, please leave them alone as most of the rivers rely solely on natural reproduction. This is the time of year to put the dry fly rods away and cover some water with sink-tips and streamers. As salmon numbers decline below Tippy Dam, so do salmon anglers, making it a good place to target trout that become aggressive after a month of a steady salmon egg diet.

Good luck.

Ted

betsie river, egg patterns, fall steelhead fishing, fall steelhead with egg flies, post-spawn trout fishing with streamers, spawning salmon, Streamer fishing for trout, tippy dam steelhead fishing

Mid-October Salmon, Steelhead and Trout Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 12, 2016

As we approach mid-October it feels closer to the beginning of the month based on conditions and temperatures.

We finally received our first nights of mid-30 degree temperatures and the water temps have dipped into the 50s which is needed for the the salmon to continue to enter the rivers. And, today we have received some very much needed rain; as water levels increase, look for the remaining salmon waiting to migrate upstream to their spawning areas and bring a few steelhead along with them.

The Betsie continues to have spawning salmon working the gravel sections as does the Manistee – primarily in the water directly below Tippy Dam. A few steelhead are around but well below what we expect for this time of year. As the weather realizes the time of year and begins to feel fall-like, look for more fish. Over the next few weeks It’s time to match the hatch and fish egg patterns that are realistic as both trout and steelhead key in on the “protein drip” – that is, the eggs from spawning salmon.

Those looking for trout will find some of bigger browns just starting to get busy on gravel – please leave those fish alone as they are future of our trout fishing – especially those rivers that are solely reliable on natural reproduction. Streamer fishing for pre-spawn and post-spawn fish on sink tips can make for some of the year’s best fishing as they are ornery and hungry. Cover water and respect the resource.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – Have the Upper Manistee to yourself fishing wets, dries/terrestrials and streamers.
Fall Steelhead – Starting in October, extending into December. Fall Color Tour includes Chrome!
Late Fall Trout – After gorging on salmon eggs, streamer fishing below Tippy Dam can be outstanding.

Betsie, egg patterns, fall steelhead, manistee, manistee river tippy dam, salmon, steelhead, Streamer fishing for trout, tippy dam

Early October Salmon, Steelhead and Trout Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 1, 2016

October is here and it’s starting to look and feel a little more like fall. Despite much warmer than normal temperatures, some leaves are starting to turn, the nights are a little cooler and some big fish are showing up in rivers.

The Betsie continues to receive some salmon, especially after favorable weather like wind and rain. Many of the fish are hitting the gravel and doing their annual spawning duties, but fresh fish are still making their way up stream. Look for fish to be running through the slots as they move towards gravel upstream. The darker holding and pocket water near worked-over gravel sections are holding staging fish, too.

The Manistee this past week has seen some of the first fish hit the spawning gravel in the upper sections and more fish stage. Water temps below Tippy Dam are about 10 degrees warmer than they should be for this time of year. Once the water temperature drops – along with some rain – the river is likely to get a big push of fish, until then it will likely be a reduced migration of fish. Word from the boats leaving out of Manistee is there are still a lot of adult fish in Lake Michigan. I think a few years of early runs have us impatiently waiting for the big push when they are just a little behind. Regardless, the number of fish this year is significantly greater than the last two years with more to come.

A lot of trout rivers and streams closed September 30th, but portions of others – like the Manistee and Au Sable – are still open to fishing. As the brookies are spawning and the browns are getting ready to do the same, the pre-spawn bite can be decent for those fishing streamers on smaller sink tips and even floating lines. Have some Blue Winged Olives and Caddis in your box just in case of an emergence. On the warmer days ahead it isn’t unusual to witness some flying ants and other terrestrial patterns on the water so make sure you have some in your fly box.

Good luck!

Ted

Available Dates in October: 19, 23 and 3oth.

betsie river, blue winged olives, caddis, manistee river, salmon eggs, steelhead, tippy dam

Late September Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 19, 2016

As we approach the Fall Equinox it still feels like summer with warmer than normal temps and without those cool nights that say it’s fall.

Despite the warm weather some salmon have been moving into the local rivers, just not in the numbers we have come to expect after a few early runs in recent years. After the two previous year’s runs, some anglers are skeptical as to what this year will offer. So far the number of fish in rivers this year exceeds what we saw last year and once we get the cooler weather, N.W. winds, and some rain – the run should kick into high gear. The success of the charter boats on the lake help support our optimism.

The Platte has had decent Coho salmon move through it despite the water being so warm. The Betsie has had a consistent trickle of fish moving through it and the Manistee system is slowly building in numbers. Fish are often holding in the deep holes and waiting, too, for the weather to change before they hit the gravel.

The extended summer has given trout anglers a longer terrestrial season than ever expected on the upper Manistee and Boardman. From flying ants to grasshoppers, activity on the dry flies has been decent. Twitching big wet flies and small streamers on a floating line helps get the attention of those brook and brown trout that are feeling skeptical this far into the season of foam and rubber flies twitched on the surface. Have some large BWO patterns for any matching of the hatch opportunities and enjoy having the river pretty much all to yourself.

Good luck.

Ted

Salmon – A few dates remain for Salmon fishing on the Betsie River throughout September.
Late Summer Trout – Have the river to yourself fishing wets, dries, terrestrials and streamers.
Fall Steelhead – Starting in October, extending into December. Fall Color Tour includes Chrome!

betsie river salmon, blue wing olives, boardman river, charter boats, coho, lake michigan, Platte River, platte river coho salmon, salmon, salmon run, upper-manistee

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