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Posts tagged "black stone fly"

Late February / Thaw Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - February 22, 2017

As anglers break out of hibernation mode, so do the fish. The recent weather has definitely been unusual for February. A few thaws throughout winter have left the snow pack minimal so the recent warm-up has kept water levels ideal with little run off. With the lack of cold water melting into tributaries, the bright sun has been able to warm the water to near 40 degrees and make for some decent fishing and a bonus for this time of year.

Smaller rivers like the Betsie respond well to these warm-ups and offer good fishing as it has retained enough clarity as the water has warmed up a bit. Like the Manistee, it has a mixed bag of fish in it – hold-over winter fish and some fresh ones too willing the play the game. The lower Manistee below Tippy dam to the lake is open and has fish dispersed throughout it with some trout closer to the dam.

Presentation is mixed – indicator/float rigs have been the ticket in the cold water but as it has warmed, the fish have been responding to drift/”duck and chuck” presentations. Bigger egg patterns tied in tandem with the usual nymphs have been good including: caddis, small black stone flies and hex patterns. Over the next couple of weeks, look for alevin and fry patterns to increase in effectiveness as salmon eggs transform to fish.

Like anglers, steelhead like the sunlight after months of not seeing much of it and this helps inspire fresh fish to think about ascending rivers – it inspires us to fish those rivers. Take your sunscreen – after a gray winter indoors, a little sun on the water goes a long ways.

Good luck.

Ted

Spring Steelhead – A mild winter should offer good fishing, early. A few dates remain in late March and April.
May Fishing – Trout, late steelhead, hatches, streamer fishing, bluegill on lakes – don’t overlook fishing in May.
2017 Fishing – Plan your year around your fishing – get your dates on the calendar, life will fit in around it.

betsie river fishing report, black stone fly, manistee, manistee river, tippy dam

Mid-March Steelhead Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 17, 2016

Steelhead remain the primary target for anglers hitting the water right now. Really nice weather last week warmed the water temps up just a bit and that along with an increase in water volume moved some fish throughout the river systems.  With water temps hovering around 40 degrees, the fall steelhead that wintered over and the fish that moved upstream throughout the winter have  repositioned themselves upstream and are starting to stage in some of the deeper water/holes near spawning gravel waiting for ideal conditions to begin that process.

Some fresh steelhead from Lake Michigan have also moved upstream in both the Manistee and Betsie rivers – these fish can be scattered throughout the system as well as the water they are holding in. Look for seams/bubble lines for these migrating fish as well as traditional holding water like holes. With the volume of water, the fish are pulling pretty hard when hooked.

When the sun shines and the water warms up some, the little black stoneflies have become active making it an ideal fly pattern to tie on.   Other flies that have been working lately include caddis, bold mixed-colored egg patterns and steely buggers.

Good luck,

Ted

The Spring Newsletter just went out – click here to read and/or sign up for delivery.

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 river, black stone fly, caddis, lake michigan, manistee fishing, spawning, steelhead, steely bugger
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Ted Kraimer • Current Works, LLC • PO Box 333 • Traverse City, Michigan 49685 • (231) 883-8156

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