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Posts tagged "black caddis"

Memorial Day Mayflies and More to Choose From

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 21, 2015

As we approach late May the Mayflies are starting to become more prolific and varied on the upper Manistee, Boardman and Au Sauble Rivers. The next month offers our best match-the-hatch dry fly fishing of the year – make sure your boxes are filled and varied and your fly casting accurate – those selective risers only give you so many chances.

Most of the dark Hendricksons have come and gone but you will want some dark spinner patterns for when they hit the water. With the cool evenings, the spinner fall has been more of a tease – look for the next warm evening to provide a good fall of bugs but don’t overlook late mornings. Light Hendricksons are more common and a few Sulphurs are emerging more commonly in the evenings which should continue to be one of the key bugs over the next two weeks. It’s also time to have March Browns and Black Quills in your fly box as this is the time of year they make their annual appearance.  The Medium Brown Stoneflies have been around and when fished blind with a skitter- and-twitch, some nice fish are playing along. Don’t forget that Black Caddis will remain prolific most evenings right at dark for the next couple of weeks.

Streamer fishing has remained inconsistent. As the chestnut lampreys are more active this time of year and as such, brown, slinky streamers can be a great choice. Other good colors lately include: olive/white, brook trout (olive/tan/orange), and yellow/brown.  With the water being low and clear, smaller streamers can be a better choice when fishing smaller water, whereas the bigger, deeper water with its holes are better fished with a big often articulated streamer. Streamer fishing remains a great choice as you fish before dry flies and surface activity.

The local lakes have been fishing very well for both panfish/bluegill and bass. As the darker bottom lakes warm quickest, anglers will find the bigger gills spawning in shallow water. This is a great opportunity to catch fish that are normally too deep for the fly angler. Dry fly activity has been best when it is flat and calm where as smaller nymphs like damsels, brassies and soft-hackled hare’s ears fished with a slow, swimming retrieve has been best sub-surface. The bass have been taking both surface and subsurface flies, but smaller baitfish and sculpin streamers have been real effective.

We are still a week or so away from having carp and smallmouth on the flats of the bays thanks to the cold winter and some recent cold nights. We still have frost advisories so cover up your plants and keep your 8 wt. ready for when we get a few days of bright sun and no wind – that usually heats the water significantly which brings the fish in from the depths  it’s right around the corner.

With Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to summer begins so be sure to drive safe, share the water with other anglers and enjoy the local fishing.

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.

bass, black caddis, bluegill fishing, borcher's drake, carp fishing grand traverse bay, fly fishing, hendrickson, trout guide

Green Butt Soft Hackle Diving Caddis

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 4, 2014
Green Butt Soft Hackle - Diving Caddis - Mothers Day Caddis Pattern

Green Butt Soft Hackle – Diving Caddis Pattern

Black caddis are found in northern Michigan rivers anytime from late April through mid-July and can present themselves either heavily or lightly any day in between. It seems that as the season progresses, these “Mother’s Day caddis” or Grannom caddis tend to be heavier in density right at dusk and even into dark.

The adults bounce around on the water’s surface and don’t get much attention from fish because of their erratic nature of flight and the amount of wasted energy that sometimes goes into chasing them. But of importance are the adult female caddis with their bright green egg sack that oviposit/lay eggs by diving under water. These are the same caddis you may have witnessed crawling on vegetation or even your  waders on a recent fishing trip – I often find them on my drift boat’s oar blades.

Green Butt Soft Hackle - Diving Caddis Pattern - Wet

When wet this pattern imitates diving caddis

This easy and quick to tie pattern is effective for fishing wet any time the hatch is present, and even at times a day or two after a heavy emergence has occurred. The bright wire imitates the egg sack while providing some weight. Meanwhile, the soft hackle undulates under the water imitating the wing and antennae of the diving caddis.

Fish this pattern by casting down-stream and across on an approximate 45 degree angle. Let the water swing that fly –controlled– to the hang-down position (directly downstream from you). Because there is little slack in the leader when fished this way, the takes can be exhilarating, even by small fish, as all the energy is felt in the rod. Just gently lift the rod up to the side and the fish should be on.Green Butt Soft Hackle - Brown Trout

If you have ever been fishing when a mayfly hatch is occurring and the fish aren’t feeding on adults, try a mayfly emerger pattern. If that fails to work, look to see if there are any black caddis around – if so, this pattern might be the ticket to a bent rod.

Learn more about fishing soft hackle flies by reading Swinging Soft Hackle Flies

G.B. Soft Hackle / Diving Caddis Recipie


Hook:                    Gamakatsu S10-2S #12
Thread:                 Uni 8/0 Olive Dun
Tag:                     Ultra Wire – FL Chartreuse – BR
Body:                    Peacock Herl
Wing:                    Ruffed Grouse or Starling Feather

Tying Instructions

Green Butt Soft Hackle - Step 1Step 1. Wrap a thread base from behind the eye to above the hook barb.

Green Butt Soft Hackle - Step 2Step 2.  Starting half-way down the hook shank, tie in wire on top of hook and wrap back to above barb.

Green Butt Soft Hackle - Step 3Step 3.  Advance thread back to mid-shank. Wind wire tightly forward t to mid-shank and tie off.

Green Butt Soft Hackle - Step 4Step 4. Tie in 4 peacock herl strands by the tips from just behind the eye to above the hook point.

Green Butt Soft Hackle - Step 5Green Butt Soft Hackle - Step 5.5

Step 5. Wrap the herl around the thread to make it more durable.
Fluff/tease with a tooth brush, then wind forward towards the hook eye and tie off.

Green Butt Soft Hackle - Step 6Green Butt Soft Hackle - Step 6.5Step 6. Tie in a hackle feather by the tip and make two full wraps. Make sure the hackle fibers –
when swept back – do not extend more than a hook gape’s distance beyond the bend of the hook.

Green Butt Soft Hackle - Diving Caddis - Mothers Day Caddis PatternStep 7. Whip finish. Finished Green Butt Soft Hackle – Diving Caddis. It’s quick, easy and effective.

black caddis, caddis wet fly, diving caddis, grannom caddis, green butt soft hackle pattern, soft hackle caddis, swinging soft hackles

Early May Fishing – Steelhead and Trout

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 7, 2014

Things are starting to feel and look a little more like Spring lately. The grass is greener, buds are popping and the thermometer has been north of 50 degrees a few times.  There is no doubt that we are a couple weeks behind on Spring getting here in earnest as the skim ice that formed on the Bay the other night demonstrated the reality. But there is hope.

The forecast calls for a continuation of warmer temps and some rain which will improve fishing. Trout fishing has been tough on the Manistee as the fish continue to stay sub-surface eating free-drifting worms and waiting for the water temps to increase and more mayflies on the surface. It is really the time for the streamer fisherman as the fish are hungry, predatory and not looking up too much. I suspect that with the warmer days predicted ahead conditions will align and we will start seeing some more bugs on top – most notably the anticipated Hendricksons. This can be a favorite time of year for anglers – covering the water with streamers then switching over to dry fly rods when the bugs stat coming off.  Have some ‘Henies”  in your box along with black stones, black caddis, and blue wing olives. In the month ahead look for a number of bugs/emergences to overlap and be condensed as conditions and calendars synchronize.

Steelhead fishing has declined a little as the warmer water temps pretty much encouraged a lot of the fish to do their deed and leave.  With the absence of a significant rain there doesn’t seem to be a push of fresh fish entering the system, but rather a trickle of chromers. The warmer weather has made fishing pleasant and a few steelhead to hand makes it that much better. The Betsie and Manistee have cleared up nicely leaving a slight stain to the water – temps are around 50 degrees.  Now is a good time for the two-hand casters to get out and focus on drop-back steelhead as they tend to put the feed bag back on before returning to the lake. Trout fishing below Tippy dam is starting up but majority of the trout are still behind the spawning steelhead eating eggs.

Good luck,

Ted

Steelhead -While it is currently Spring Steelhead time, it’s also time to book your fall steelhead dates.
Trout – May is a great time for mayfly emergences and streamer fishing before June’s Drakes, Isonychias & Hex.
2014 Fishing – It’s not too early to start booking your 2014 dates – reserve you place in the boat today.

Betsie, black caddis, blue wing olives, chromers, drop back, hatches, manistee, steelhead, streamer, trout, two hand casters
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