Posts tagged "Betsie"

“Fall” Fly Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 23, 2015

It’s officially “Fall”, but it sure feels like summer with the past three weeks being unseasonably warm making things feel more like August rather than the end of September. As a result the migratory salmon fishing on Lake Michigan’s rivers is off. The lack of cool weather and north/northwest winds are keeping the water at the river mouths too warm and therefore not concentrating the fish in ideal numbers to encourage a trip upstream. There are some fish in the Betsie and Manistee rivers, but they are scattered and simply not in the density/numbers we are used to for this time of year. Look for this year’s migration of salmon to be prolonged well into October with steelhead mixed in. Until then, fish the water thoroughly for those few fish around.

With the weather being nicer than normal, water conditions are still ideal for some dry fly fishing on the upper Manistee and Boardman rivers. The terrestrial bite is still going and some mid-sized streamers fishing on floating lines are providing some action. Look for the dries with rubber legs twitched near and in the wood to get some of those vibrant colored brookies to play as well as the occasional nice brown trout. Keep in mind regular trout season ends Sept. 30th on certain rivers and sections of rivers – consult the MI-DNR regulations to determine what closes and what remains open.

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, Boarman, fishing, lake michigan, manistee, salmon, streamers, trout fishing

Summer-Like Fishing Conditions and Salmon

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 15, 2015

It seems that summer’s weather is sticking around with warm days and less than favorable wind directions impacting the salmon and not getting them headed up area rivers like the Betsie, Manistee, and Platte. There are some fish in the Lake Michigan tributaries, but not in the numbers that there should be for this time of year. Look for the fish to be spread out throughout river systems and after some North or North-West winds, things should change and the fish should show up in better numbers. Put some rain in the mix and fishing should be outstanding.

With the warm weather comes an extension of trout season. The terrestrials continue to bring up some fish to the surface as the foam and rubber patterns twitched seem to be a great place to start. The fish are pretty smart this time of year so when you get refusals (bumps) change up the pattern slightly and possibly go to a lighter leader. Sometimes a little more twitch helps activate these flies eliciting a bite. The brookies are really vibrant right now and prefer the smaller patterns and attractors since much isn’t emerging this time of year. It can be an ideal time to fish the Boardman for those looking for fishing close to town. If it’s a cloudy day, pull out some mid-sized streamers as the bigger browns have hit the reset button on pattern recognition after a summer of anglers fishing dries.

Good luck.

Ted

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 – Late September, October, November & into December is the time for steelhead on the Manistee.

Betsie, boardman, manistee, river, salmon, terrestrials, trout

Trout Fishing and Spring Just Starting

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 6, 2015

It’s really feeling like spring around northwest Michigan – warm temps, blue skies and green showing up fast on both the ground and on trees. The transition from steelhead fishing to trout fishing has been kind of stuck with neither fishing extremely well right now but one gets the sense that it’s going to change in the blink of an eye.

With the lack of rain, no fresh steelhead have moved into the river. Anglers fishing the Betsie and Manistee will find a few spawning fish but they are well aware of angler’s intent and disperse with some fishing pressure. The dark water (holes and slots) around the gravel are offering better angling for both steelhead and trout right now and most drop-back fish have done just that – made it back to the lake after spawning. The long-term forecast is calling for rain over the weekend and into next week which should bring up any remaining fish, but expect them to come and go as water temps are warm and is running clear.

The warm rain would be a good thing for the trout rivers as well. Most of the trout water – the Boardman, Upper Manistee, AuSable are also running clear – especially for this time of year. With water temps in the mid to upper 50s look for Hendricksons to be emerging in better numbers rather than the trickle of bugs which has been more common. “Henies” love warm overcast days so if you can pick your day accordingly, do so. A few black stoneflies and even a black caddis or two have been around so have some of those patterns with you as well.

Until the dry fly fishing gets going, cover some water with streamers – this is the ideal time to cover lots of water for that really big brown trout. With what seems like everyone fishing the biggest, double and triple articulated and over-accessorized streamer patterns right now, consider down-sizing things a bit and fish something a little more natural. Like usual, though, mix it up to see what might be working better that day.

The coldwater found in local lakes has kept the bluegill/panfish in the depths but this too should change overnight as fish move into fly-friendly shallow water and provide some great fishing for big gills over the next month.

Good luck,

Ted

Trout Season – Streamer & Dry Fly fishing is ideal throughout May on the Upper Manistee & AuSable Rivers.
September Salmon – Dates are limited for fishing the Betsie River in early Sept. and later on the Manistee.
2015 Fishing – It isn’t too early to get your fishing trips planned for the year. Booking all species/seasons.

ausable, Betsie, black stoneflies, bluegill, boardman, fly fishing, hendricksons, henies, manistee, northwest michigan, steelhead, streamers, upper-manistee

Steelhead Season Continues as Trout Season Begins

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 21, 2015

Fishing pretty much has remained the same – it’s been inconsistent. One day we find a bunch of fish, the next – a few, then fewer and back to a bunch again – you just don’t know. On both the Manistee and Betsie the steelhead have been coming and going pretty quickly. A few drop backs have been caught as the females head back to the lake after their deed is complete and those same, big, deep holes that have been holding them have also been holding some fresh fish waiting to hit the gravel. Fish are spawning on both river systems but not in the numbers we are used to.

Because of the lack or run-off this winter and little rain, look for more fish to show up through mid-May – especially after ideal conditions in which rain fall is key. I guess you could say the “run” has been spread out over a long period of time. Good flies recently have been clown rag eggs, mottled orange variation eggs, green caddis, steelhead buggers, and small black stones.

It’s finally here! This Saturday marks the annual Trout (Pike, Muskie, pre-Season Bass, too) season on rivers. Much of the water that we guide on is open all year round, but this date is significant to the small stream angler or those that follow tradition. The Upper Manistee and Boardman river levels are higher from summer levels but is lower than normal for this time of year. Some black stones have been on the water but good dry fly fishing is looking to begin closer and into May with sustained warmer temps – I saw snow today and more is in the forecast tomorrow – this tends to fluctuate water temperatures, bug emergences and the trout’s demeanor. Streamer fishing is a great approach right now with medium speed retrieves and flies with lots of action.

Good luck!

Ted

Spring Steelhead – Through mid-May on the Manistee including steelhead/trout combos. Few dates available.
Trout Season – Streamer & Dry Fly fishing is ideal throughout May on the Upper Manistee & AuSable Rivers.
September Salmon – Dates are limited for fishing the Betsie River in early Sept. and later on the Manistee.
2015 Fishing – It isn’t too early to get your fishing trips planned for the year. Booking all species/seasons.

au sable, Betsie, boardman, boardman river, manistee, steelhead, streamer fishing, trout opener, upper-manistee

Steelhead Fishing – April Fools?

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 1, 2015

There is no fooling that the steelhead run is behind schedule. Typically the run-off and rains have increased river flows encouraging fish to migrate upstream by now. With the cold winter, drawn-out thaw of snow (and not much of it) and cold nights, the water has been running lower, clearer, and colder than normal for this time of year – it’s been right about 40 degrees. Conditions are good for the wading angler as the water is easy to read with decent clarity and its levels, but the fish just don’t seem to be around partly because the number of fall fish that wintered over was lower than normal.

After some rain look for things to change as water flow increases. Tippy Dam pond above the dam on the Manistee river has melted quite a bit in the past week and should be ice-free by the end of the week which should help warm up the river. While there isn’t a significant amount of rain in the forecast, there is some and it should really kick things into gear and get those fish moving.

Good fly patterns lately have been green caddis, hex nymphs and egg patterns in shades of Oregon cheese and steelhead orange. On bright, sunny days look for fish to be in the deeper water and around wood and other structure. As fish begin to think about spawning look for fish to stage in the holes close to spawning gravel. It appears that this year’s run should extend a while and into May since it is slow to get going.

Just a reminder – a new fishing license is required April 1 and certain rivers/sections are now open. Some new rules exist too, check out the new MI-DNR regulation book.

Good luck.
Ted

Open April Dates: 24 & 26th

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

Spring Steelhead – From mid-March through early May on the Manistee and Betsie. Few dates available.
September Salmon – Dates are limited for fishing the Betsie River in early Sept. and later on the Manistee.
2015 Fishing – It isn’t too early to get your fishing trips planned for the year. Booking all species/seasons.

april steelhead fishing. hex nymphs, Betsie, egg patterns, manistee, oregon cheese, steelhead, tippy dam fishing

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