Posts tagged "Betsie"

Late August Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 24, 2016

Trout fishing on the Manistee and Boardman Rivers remains a good place to spend the first part of the day. The Trico hatch is over, but the brookies and smaller brown trout are still looking up and taking dries as well as small streamers (1.5 – 2″ in length). With the warm summer the terrestrial/”foam and rubber” fishing has been a little better than normal especially on overcast or cloudy days.

The region finally received some much needed rain and water levels came up a little but have returned to pretty much normal levels since the ground was so dry. Large BWO and some #14 tan caddis are around but more in the evenings than mornings as well as some Light Cahills. Cooler evenings are ensuring ideal water temps as we approach September.

Bass fishing on lakes has slowed a bit with the fish moving deeper until evening when they are out on the prowl and working break lines and lily pads. Bluegill – like the largemouth bass – have also gone a little deep when the sun gets high making earlier and later in the day the ideal time to be out there. Beginners are still finding learning on bluegill/panfish are a blast and way to make the introduction to the sport fun and positive.

Smallmouth fishing on the lower Manistee has remained a little tougher than we have come to expect but they are still around and eating mid-sized streamers. Just a few big silver things are swimming around too, but more will come with time and ideal conditions.

In addition to the cool nights we have started to receive some winds from the North and Northwest which will help move some water and salmon closer to shore and river mouths. While a few fish have trickled into some Lake Michigan tributaries, we are still in need of cool weather/winds and some rain to build those numbers up. So far the reports for the Lake Michigan boats have been encouraging with much better fish numbers than the previous two years.

The latest Newsletter just went out – click here to read and/or subscribe.

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

bass, Betsie, boardman, fishing report, lower manistee, salmon, upper-manistee

March Steelhead Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 7, 2016

With the arrival of March, so came the warmer temperatures and sunshine. After months of weekly snow and thaw cycles we are starting the spring steelhead season with a lot less snow on the ground than normal. Water levels are up a bit from where they typically are this time of year and water temps are still in the mid 30s on the Manistee below Tippy Dam and upper 30s on the Betsie river. As the sun comes out, look for the water to warm as the day progresses and the fish to become more active.

The fall steelhead were late making their way upstream, but when they did in late Nov. and into December, they weren’t overly pressured. Look for those fish that wintered over to be hanging out in the deeper holes and just off the bubble lines/seams in the slack water. With longer days and sunlight, more fish should start to congregate at river mouths and with increasing frequency and start their migration. Any warm rain along the way will only intensify the migration. I am guessing that because of the lack of snow pack, the spring steelhead season will be long and drawn out, unless we get substantial rainfall which often creates a burst of fish in the resulting high water.

With the sunshine, keep an eye on any remaining snow along the riverbank for little black stoneflies crawling around. As one of the first aquatic insects to get active, these little stones are important to the steelhead angler. Other key fly patterns this time of year include green caddis, hex nymphs and larger egg patterns. As the water get’s dirtier through the season, increase the size of your pattern.

Good luck!

Ted

Spring Steelhead – Good dates for March Steelhead fishing are still available.
May Fishing – It’s not far away and it’s a great month for streamer and dry fly fishing for Trout.
2016 Dates – Now booking for the entire fishing season: trout, carp, bass, salmon and fall Steelhead.

Betsie, black stoneflies, caddis, hex nymphs, manistee, march steelhead fishing, tippy dam steelhead

New Years – January 2016 Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - January 6, 2016

Happy New Year!

With a bunch of white stuff on the ground and a thermometer spending more time below the freezing mark than above, opportunities to fish have been limited. Still, when conditions are comfortable (think no or little wind) steelhead are playing along with our game plan of bending the rod. Steelhead numbers are decent for winter thanks to some timely rains late in the fall – these fish should “winter-over” until spring, with more trickling in all winter long.

Look for fish in the Manistee to be spread throughout the system from Tippy Dam to the mouth and with a tendency to lurk in the deeper, slower water in and around structure. Now is a good time to fish indicators/floats to suspend flies above wood but drift fishing and evening swinging a fly is working with water temps in the mid to upper 30’s – a rare occurrence for January. This time of year I like to fish a relatively large egg pattern (#6) in tandem with a hex nymph that has lots of motion to it. The Betsie and even the Boardman has had some fish in them for those looking to fish a smaller river and/or have limited time and need to fish close to home/work.

Trout fishing remains a possibility on the Manistee with the streamer bite continuing to produce, however you want to slow that strip down and fish some of the slower moving water rather than the fast stuff. It’s not a bad idea to shorten that fly’s size a little bit, too – fish are getting lethargic.

Keep cabin fever at bay by looking at the forecast and get out when those breaks in the weather offer an opportunity to spend it on the water rather than at the fly tying bench.

Good luck.

Ted

Click here to read the December / Winter 2016 Newsletter.

Trout – Browns below Tippy Dam continues despite the weather – look for warm-ups and get out.
Steelhead – Fish numbers are decent and should provide opportunity throughout the mild forecast winter.
Spring Steelhead – Typically starting late March and extending through April – got your dates secured?

Betsie, boardman, fishing, fly fishing, hex nymph, manistee, rivers, steelhead, swinging flies, tippy damn, trout

Early November Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - November 3, 2015

We finally received a decent amount of rain and ideal winds late last week and with it came some much needed color to the water including some chrome. A few new steelhead moved through the system and are scattered throughout the Manistee as well a few in the Betsie River. It had been a while since the weather cooperated so it was good to see things go as planned, albeit late.

The forecast is calling for some odd weather – this week which should make the fishing comfortable which isn’t always the case in November. 70 degrees? It looks like the run will be very prolonged as fall progresses and water temperatures remain higher than normal. As it has been all season, the steelhead have been hard to land with the water temps hovering in the low 50’s so hang on tight.

Successful fly patterns have been varied, always with an egg pattern (orange and chartreuse variations), and sometimes two when fishing near the last of the salmon spawning on gravel. With a nymph bite starting to come on strong – caddis, buggers and big black stones have been fished well in conjunction with an egg pattern, also – especially when fishing the larger runs and deeper holes. With less eggs in the water this year due to low salmon numbers, look for the swing and streamer bite to be a little stronger, earlier this year.

Good luck!

Ted

Late Trout – Brown trout fishing into late December can be some of the best streamer fishing of the year.
Fall Steelhead – Look for the good fishing continuing in Nov. & into December for steelhead on the Manistee.
Gift Certificates – With the holidays just around the corner consider giving or asking for some time on the water.

Betsie, Betsie river salmon fishing, caddis, egg pattern, fly fishing, fly patterns, manistee, steelhead, traverse city

Mid October Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 12, 2015

Even though we are approaching the mid-point of October, the weather feels far from it and the fish have been acting accordingly; migratory salmon continue to trickle into local rivers like the Manistee and Betsie. Most fish are moving in and hitting the spawning gravel immediately rather than staging in deep holes in the lower river systems so look for fish in the pocket water near gravel for your best salmon fishing right now. Color change on the trees is just starting in some areas – which is also later than normal, so look for color season to be prolonged also.

The water levels are low and clear and are running warm for this time of year – the Manistee is just below 60 degrees and when things change – that is, we receive some significant rainfall and water temps drop – a good push of fish should move in. Last week’s rain mostly went into the ground and didn’t increase levels much but the forecast is calling for more rain and favorable North and Northwest winds which should only help get more fish to move upstream. Some steelhead are around but like the salmon, not in the numbers we typically expect this time of year. Those who keep their flies moving and keep at it are typically the ones rewarded with chrome and a lot of fin-attitude. Then again, the steelhead have been hard to land with the temps beings so warm but that’s one of the reasons we like to fish for them so much.

The trout fishing has been a little slower than normal for this time of year – also because of the weather. The water is low and clear so stealth is paramount. Streamer fishing the bigger sections of rivers with some meaty looking fly patterns are getting some pre-spawn browns to play, but like anytime of the year – keep the flies moving and stay positive – you are only one cast away. Terrestrial fishing continues thanks to the warm weather but mix it up and when there are a lot of leaves and other debris floating down the river, the surface fishing really slows and it’s time to tie on a streamer.

Good luck,

Ted

The Fall 2015 Newsletter just went out – Click here to read.

Late Trout – Brown trout fishing into late December can be some of the best streamer fishing of the year.
Salmon/Steelhead Combo – Late September & early October offers a mixed bag of both species with fall colors.
Fall Steelhead – October, November & into December is the time for steelhead on the Manistee.

Betsie, manistee, rivers, salmon, steelhead, streamer

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