Mid June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 16, 2022

With the dog days of June upon us, the trout fishing has been tougher than we have come to expect for this time of year. The big bugs of June have been fickle – as have most hatches so far this year with the spastic and erratic extremes in weather and conditions. On top of that, water temps on rivers like the upper Manistee and Au Sable have recently been hitting that crucial 70-degree threshold in the evenings which keeps us off the water in an effort to preserve/conserve the fish. You should too.

Water levels are decent with a slight stain to them. Weed growth seems to be lacking but the purple irises on the riverbank are blooming right on schedule which means Isonychias and Brown Drakes should be your primary bugs in your fly box. Have some gray drakes with you too, in addition to the last of the Sulphurs. A good probing pattern this time of year is a medium brown stonefly or wet skunk. And with the recent rain, I suspect the mosquitoes will begin to show up too so don’t forget the bug spray.

Bass and bluegill fishing continues to be really good. With the current moon phase, the bigger panfish are in the shallows again for their second spawn on a lot of lakes. Fat and sassy and surface oriented, they will take something subsurface if it’s choppy or there is too much pollen on the surface to bring attention to your dry. With the trout fishing being so fickle, a lot of folks have been hitting the lakes to bend the rods and discovering how much fun this option can be. And without the need of a headlamp.

Good luck.

Ted

Learn to Fly Fish – Book a half-day trip with the idea of learning the basics in how to cast and fly fish.
Tricos and Terrestrials – Start your day on a cool river fishing for trout with dry flies from July into September.
Fall Steelhead – Although the Spring Season just ended, think fall steelhead good dates available in November.

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Mid July Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - July 16, 2021

Mid-week rains have brought the seasonal rainfall almost up to it’s average annual amount making last month’s drought a memory and the river levels up, too.

The water is high for this time of year and a bit stained due to the tannin and silt but there is still enough transparency to fish. When wading, take each step with a little more caution that what you have earlier this summer. Water temps are still bouncing from the high 50s to mid-60s as overnight temps keep the water from getting too warm when the sun is out.

Hatches have been limited on the upper Manistee River and Boardman River with Tricos just starting to show up mid-mornings. The no-see-ums, too. It seems I go through more bug spray this time of year than any other time as the micro biters like to chew on you before the sun gets out. It’s still a time of year when the trout’s focus is transitioning from mayflies to terrestrials. With the high water, it’s a good time to get those smaller streamers out and work those softer edges targeting fish looking for what’s washing downstream. Twitch flies too (think old-school sized streamers often with rubber legs, fished with some twitches) are always a good bet this time of year.

Bass and bluegill fishing continues to offer the stillwater angler an option closer to home. It’s been a blast watching anglers new to the sport develop their skills with so much action as well as those with experience bend the rod even more. A few bigger fish can be found in the shallows in the lower light hours of morning, evening and even the rare cloudy day. Largemouth bass have been more shy than normal this year but they are still around, however seem a little wiser. Maybe we caught them last year and they haven’t forgotten the experience? Anyways, divers and sliders around lily pads have worked most days. Typically terrestrial patterns with rubber legs do a good job on the smaller panfish and occasional bass. Hard to beat a Turk’s Tarantula this time of year whether you are fishing trout, bass, or bluegill!

Good luck.

Ted

Trout Fishing – July and August is Terrestrial and Trico time! Start the day off casting to brook and brown trout
and get back to the family for lunch time – it’s a great way to start the day when in Northwest Michigan.
Learn to Fly Fish – Tailor a half-day trip to learning how to fly fish –perfect for beginners.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain in November and into December.

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Early July Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - July 8, 2021

See-saw weather continues into July making just about every day different from the previous one. From hot to cool, sunny to rainy, the weather patterns have been mixed. Despite a number of rains, the local rivers are in good shape in regards to height and color. The thirsty ground absorbed a lot of the run-off keeping the rivers fishable.

The Upper Manistee has been fishing o.k. Like the weather, it has been different from one day to the next. Bugs/hatches have mostly been non-existent save for some Isonychias, Light Cahills and some remaining Hex. A few stones have been around as well, but mostly the two months of match-the-hatch dry fly fishing is behind us leaving the options for patterns to a select handful of dries. It’s nice to have room in my gear bag again. In addition to patterns imitating the bugs noted above, it’s time to think about transitioning into terrestrials and “twitch” flies.

To learn more about fishing the trout rivers this time of year, check out “Fishing After the Hex Hatch”.

On local lakes the largemouth bass fishing has picked up whereas the bigger bluegill/panfish have slipped back into deep water. They likely will be back up for another spawn soon. Nothing new here – fish the structure (weeds, docks, fallen in trees, drop-offs, etc.) for your best success. While top water is the most fun, something fished sub-surface on an intermediate line can fool those particular bass that are wary of fly patterns that float.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout Fishing – July and August is Terrestrial and Trico time! Start the day off casting to brook and brown trout
and get back to the family for lunch time – it’s a great way to start the day when in Northwest Michigan.
Learn to Fly Fish – Tailor a half-day trip to learning how to fly fish –perfect for beginners.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain in November and into December.

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Late June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 29, 2021

As July winds down, so does the Hex Hatch. The hot weather of mid-June got the bugs going early this year and relatively steady if not predictable, then the weather changes came. With the cool downs, I suspect hatches will continue through the upcoming nights, just not heavily, and spinner falls will be similar – sporadic and light. Then again, there is no telling.

Northern Michigan finally got the rain it so desperately needed and not too much of it like downstate. The local rivers (upper Manistee and Boardman) did come up, but not terribly, nor are they considered high. A little stain entered the river, too, as the increase in flow pulled some of the silt off the banks and pushed it down river. Water temps range from upper 50s in the a.m. to mid-60’s most evenings.

The cloudy weather has made for better trout fishing in daylight hours and some of the weather has encouraged some Isonychias to emerge; it’s been good to see these bugs show up again after a few years of sparse emergences. A smattering of other bugs are around including medium yellow/brown stoneflies (mattress thrashers) BWOs, Little Yellow Sallies, and Bat Flies. Because the hatches have been so sporadic this year, having your early June dry fly boxes in your vest would be prudent because you never know when an outlier might make an appearance. Some smaller streamers fished on a floating line can yield some nice brown and brook trout this time of year, too.

Bass and bluegill fishing remains strong on the area lakes. The largemouth bass are becoming more aggressive in their post spawn phase and the bluegill continue to feed both sub-surface and below. Weed beds near drop-offs and structure should be where you focus your casts.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout Fishing – July and August is Terrestrial and Trico time! Start the day off casting to brook and brown trout
and get back to the family for lunch time – it’s a great way to start the day when in Northwest Michigan.
Learn to Fly Fish – Tailor a half-day trip to learning how to fly fish –perfect for beginners.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain in November and into December.

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End of September Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 26, 2020

A lack of significant rain this month has local rivers running lower and clearer than normal and prolonging the salmon run.

The upper Manistee river provided visibility like I had never seen before – it was a unique opportunity to see the water in greater detail as far as structure but also the number of big fish. With the lack of pressure on this side of Labor Day those wiley brown trout roam a bit more giving you a chance to feed them a fly.

With the dry weather and warmer temps, the terrestrial fishing has been pretty good, especially on cloudy/overcast days although bright days have been tough. Smaller, realistic streamers too have been effective and having both in your arsenal is a great approach. It’s still not easy fishing – the longer, well placed cast most days outperforms the bad presentation; that’s a given no matter what season/conditions. Fall colors along the river banks usually get started there earlier than other places in the region and this year is no different. Oh yeah, and there is pretty much no one else around.

Those looking for salmon will find fish in the local rivers as well as plenty of people fishing for them. The Betsie, Platte, Manistee, Boardman – they all have fish in them but some days you wonder if the fishermen outnumber the fish. As more people have more time on their hands this fall, it seems that the busy fall salmon season has been busier this year. Spawning has just started but there are enough fish in the holding water that are more likely to eat a well-presented fly (and give you a better fight) as they wait for conditions to change. With the lack of rain, consistent wind direction to organize water temps (and fish) in the lakes, and warmer air and water temps, the salmon run is likely to be drawn-out again this year. But with all things in 2020, who knows what will happen.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout/Steelhead Combo – Late fall can offer a combined chance at both species on the lower Manistee.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates are available in November – a great way to finish a fishing season.

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Posts tagged "boardman river"

Mid June Fly Fishing Report

Mid July Fly Fishing Report

Early July Fly Fishing Report

Late June Fly Fishing Report

End of September Fishing Report

Ted Kraimer • Current Works, LLC • PO Box 333 • Traverse City, Michigan 49685 • (231) 883-8156