Posts tagged "borcher’s drake"

Mid-June Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 12, 2023

Mid June’s trout fishing has been decent considering the bugs have been fickle.

The days of reliable hatches in the evenings and spinner falls at dusk seem to be something of the past. I can’t help but think it’s weather related and in the past couple of weeks its been bright sunny and hot days and cool evenings. This week, it’s a cold front. I’d say the best time to hit the trout rivers is any time you can, especially early or later in the day when the sun is lower and shadows offer the fish some security and anglers, hope. Or, take advantage of cloudy days.

On the Manistee the Brown Drakes are wrapping up, as are the Mahoganies and an errant Sulphur can be seen if you look closely. Medium Brown Stones are bopping around along with some Little Yellow Sally Stones. A Borcher’s Drake will cover you through various mayflies as will Robert’s Yellow Drakes – both in size 10-14. The bug savvy anglers are anticipating the most this time of year are the Isonychias. These once prolific mayflies have been hard to find the past few years but when you do, the fish only want them so have them in your box.

<<You can read more on fishing hatches prior to the Hex Hatch here.>>

Smaller streamers have been fished on floating lines or intermediate tip lines to cover water between hatches and have been reliable for those that can fish them effectively.

Bass and bluegill on local lakes are still fishing well with a number of the bigger gills still up shallow. The bass are in a post-spawn feed which seems to be different from the smallmouth bass that tend to go on a post-spawn diet. As such, the smallmouth fishing hasn’t been as good as it had been since mid-May. Look for the river fishing for smallmouth to start up again after another week – these fish like to eat and they don’t stay on the diet too long.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – It’s Match-the-Hatch time on the trout rivers through June. Tricos and Terrestrials in July and August.
Smallmouth Bass– Spend a half or full-day on the lower Manistee fishing smallies – June through Late August.
Fall Steelhead – November still has some dates available in 2023 – finish the fishing season strong.

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Late May Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 25, 2018

This weather has us thinking its more like late June than May with the warm temperatures. Water levels on local rivers are ideal – perhaps a little low – with little recent rain. Water temps are in the low 60’s and the bright days have been making the trout fishing a little tougher than we want for this time of year making the mornings and evenings the ideal time to be on the water.

If you are headed to your favorite trout river you will want an assortment of flies to imitate what you are likely to come across: sulphurs, Hendricksons, mahoganies, black caddis, little yellow sally stones, black quills, medium brown stones, march browns and just in case, some brown drakes. This time of the year can offer the most technical dry fly fishing. Spinner falls at dusk will have you squinting for sippers and you will want your headlamp with you as it often occurs just before darkness. Bring some bug spray too as the mosquitoes are just starting to show up. To learn more about the bugs/hatches you are likely to come across this time of year, click here to read, Trout Fishing Before the Hex Hatch.

Bluegill have moved into the shallows on most of the smaller lakes and are offering some good fishing. The same with largemouth bass – look for both species to be near structure and often close to a deep water break/drop off. It’s a lot of fun catching big gills on the fly rod – especially on the surface – but some days they require that you fish them sub surface with swimming nymphs and tiny streamers.

With the recent lack of rain please be extra careful with camp and bonfires this weekend.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – Reliable hatches begin in May for surface activity. It’s also a great time to fish streamers for bigger trout.
Big Bugs – The big Bugs of June will be here before you know it…. Isos, Drakes and Hex – limited dates available.
Fall Steelhead – Spring Steelhead is just finishing up but it’s time to get your Fall Dates reserved – Oct. thru Dec.

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Mid-May Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 17, 2018

Mother nature seems to have caught up with the times after some warm and bright days. Leaves, blossoms, green grass and insect hatches on the river seem to be in synch with the calendar.

Trout fishing on the local rivers continues to be ideal for those armed to fish subsurface with streamers until the surface activity begins. Water levels are ideal on both the upper and lower Manistee and the AuSable is running a little higher than normal. With temps in the upper 50s the Hendricksons continue to emerge and spinner falls are a little more predictable in the evenings with the warmer weather. Black caddis are making an appearance and building in numbers and shouldn’t be ignored if you see “slashy rises.” Be sure to have March Browns, Black Quills even some sulphurs with you just in case they start showing up. This time a year a Borcher’s Drake in various sizes can help you match a lot of the mayflies you will come across.

Fishing has been tough with the recent bright sun and fishing a streamer in the deeper runs and along cover are your best bet. Mix up your streamer patterns and presentation until you find whatever their daily preference is but, keep a dry fly rod near by as a hatch can have you changing from ripping and stripping to mending and sending in no time.

The lakes are still warming up and the first of the bluegill/panfish are moving into shallow waters on the dark bottom lakes that seem to warm up first. Bass too are starting to move in shallow water and keep an eye out for big pike looking to feed on the aforementioned as they are now in the post-spawn feeding pattern.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – Reliable hatches begin in May for surface activity. It’s also a great time to fish streamers for bigger trout.
Big Bugs – The big Bugs of June will be here before you know it…. Isos, Drakes and Hex – limited dates available.
Fall Steelhead – Spring Steelhead just finished up but it’s time to get your Fall Dates reserved – Oct. thru Dec.

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Early June Fly Fishing Report – Traverse City Region

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 7, 2017

The trout fishing and matching-the-hatch has kept smiles on angler’s faces when they figure out what flies the fish want. This time of year on the upper Manistee, AuSable and Boardman River a lot of different bugs can be found on the water making for some technical dry fly fishing.

If headed to the river, be prepared to see: Sulphurs, little yellow sallies, medium brown stoneflies, Isonychias, the last of the light Hendricksons, caddis, Mahoganies, GSO/Basale, Gray Drakes and more. In addition to having precise imitations of the duns/adults, it’s a good idea to have a selection of Robert’s Yellow Drakes for duns and Borcher’s drakes for the spinner falls as they both do a great job of imitating many of these mayflies in those stages. Have some Brown Drakes, too. Check the batteries in the head-lamp and be prepared to fish up until dark as with the warmer weather the spinner falls have been going late into the evening. And definitely have some bug spray for the mosquitoes and ticks – it’s that time of year.

To learn more about the various bugs you are likely to see on the water over the next couple of weeks, read, “Trout Fishing Before the Hex Hatch.”

River conditions are close to ideal and already in the low to mid-60s but running a little too clear on those sunny days. The streamer fishing has slowed a little except when it’s overcast, then present your favorite array of streamers – as long as they are olive, baitfish, and/or brown.

The carp on the Grand Traverse Bay are just starting to expose themselves to the shallow waters but with the cooler spring, they just aren’t in shallow and eating much just yet. With a forecast of warmer weather look for the waters to warm further and provide some good but challenging angling for these mysterious fish. A few smallmouth bass have been in shallow on pre-spawn maneuvers so keep your eye out for these guys cruising as well as fishing any heavy structure that looks worthy of a cast.

Bluegill fishing continues to offer some really good fishing in the shallows and near breaks with protective males and hungry females coming to the fly. While top water spiders/terrestrials are a lot of fun, the swum nymph and very small streamer can produce some bigger fish. The largemouth bass fishing, too, has been good with a mix of presentations working.

It’s a great month to fish – don’t miss out.

Good luck,

Ted

Lost and Found: I found a fly rod and reel at 4 Mile Bend Access on the Upper Manistee June 9th. If you are the owner, contact me to identify the make and model and I will see to it that it gets returned.

Trout, Tricos & Terrestrials – Through July and August. A half-day trip on the river is a great way to start the day.
Fall Steelhead – From late Sept. through November, these fish will bend your rod like no other – get your dates.
2017 Fishing – Plan your year around your fishing – get your dates on the calendar, life will fit in around it.

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May Days and Trout Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 9, 2017

Trout fishing is the main theme right now as the next two months are some of the best for anglers looking to fish dry flies and streamers for brown and brook trout. All local rivers are pretty much experiencing ideal conditions and with that comes the emergence of various bugs.

On the upper Manistee, AuSable and Boardman rivers, look for the Hendricksons to continue to come off in the afternoons and their spinner falls to drop in the evenings. A few other mayflies including BWOs, Black Quills/Borchers Drake, and even a few Sulphurs/light Hendricksons are around to compliment the caddis that are a little more consistent these days. This is only the beginning of an emergence calendar that keeps us thinking about trout, dry flies and being on the water.

When nothing is happening on the surface, focus on fishing sub-surface with streamers. With the rivers having a slight stain to them right now, it’s a great time to cast a big fly on a sink-tip for those larger fish that haven’t totally gone nocturnal on us right now. After a mild winter, the fish are looking well fed and they don’t seem to be wanting to go on a diet right now.

Good streamers include baitfish patterns – especially in waters are stocked by the DNR. While Fin Clips do a good job of imitating stocked rainbows, there are other patterns that do a good job of imitating trout and other juvenile fish….Cheech Leech, Dirty Hippy, Brook Trout, mini D&Ds, Deceivers and more. And when those don’t work – or you are fishing non-stocked water – try sculpin patterns to imitate a prolific natural food source.

Bluegill are just starting to work their way up into the shallows of certain lakes and ponds. This week’s warmer weather should push them up from the depths and into water that is more conducive to fly anglers. This is a blast when you: need to fish closer to home, are introducing someone to the sport, or are simply looking for not overly technical fishing opportunities. Largemouth bass, too, are starting to get active where we can present small streamers on floating lines to them. But look out for aggressive pike that want to take your fly and keep it, too.

Good luck,

Ted

May Fishing – Trout, late steelhead, hatches, streamer fishing, bluegill on lakes – don’t overlook fishing in May.
Trout – The hatches of late May lead into June making for some of the year’s best dry fly fishing – don’t miss out.
2017 Fishing – Plan your year around your fishing – get your dates on the calendar, life will fit in around it.

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