Posts tagged "borcher’s drake"

Early May Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 4, 2017

++ Sorry about the delay as the website host was having technical issues. The site should be fully up and running as before within a week. ++

As May comes around it is time to think about trout!

It appears that the steelhead run has pretty much come to an end after a good spring run. Some days were better than others but overall the 2017 spring steelhead numbers were real good and better than the previous two years. A few fish will continue to trickle in and out of the rivers but for the most part with water temps in the mid-50s, it’s pretty much over as they come in and go quickly.

The warmer days of April got the trout fishing going a little sooner with sporadic emergences of Hendricksons on the favorite rivers like the upper Manistee and AuSable. These bugs should continue to emerge with good spinner falls late in the afternoon and evenings as they begin to overlap with the other mayflies that start to emerge this time of year. Caddis, too, are showing up and as waters warm up even more, fish are chasing skittering imitations on the surface. But before and after any surface activity, anglers are best suited casting sink-tips and streamers for a chance at some really nice fish.

With Trout Opener taking place this past weekend, more rivers are open including parts of the Boardman and Platte so get out and get after those unpressured fish. As always, we strongly encourage catch and release since the DNR doesn’t do enough to manage our fisheries to their potential.

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.

ausable, bluegill, borcher's drake, caddis, fly fishing, guided fly fishing, hendricksons, steelhead, trout

Late May Fly Fishing for Trout and More

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 23, 2016

The week of high sun and warmer weather has done a good job of helping us to forget that it snowed just over a week ago. With the better weather the fishing has improved as the waters on both rivers and lakes have warmed up and the hatches on the local trout rivers are pretty much where they should be for this time of year.

This is a great time of year for the serious dry fly angler as there are plenty of bugs overlapping and offering good match-the-hatch situations. On the Manistee and AuSable look for Mayflies to include: Sulphurs, Mahoganies, March Browns and Great Speckled Olives (think #12 Borcher’s Drake), Stoneflies: – Little Yellow Sally and Yellow Belly Brown Stones, and Caddis: #14 black, #16 Tan. While some of the smaller fish readily come to the fly, the bigger fish are demanding good presentation in the clear water conditions. If you love to fool fish on the surface the next few weeks are ideal for you. More on the fishing the hatches this time of year – click here.

Evening spinner falls have been offering good chances at trout, but in low light, fishing small spinners to sippers can be a challenge. Make sure you are stopping your rod tip high, getting a good turn over and don’t forget to mend. The softer, placid water just below riffles are collecting good numbers of bugs and is a good place to look for soft risers. The larger fish are only giving us one chance, so make sure you can execute -here’s an article with some tips for better dry fly fishing.

The bass and bluegill fishing is in full swing. The bigger gills have moved from the depths and into the shallows providing a lot of fun on both the surface and below. If they aren’t coming up try fishing nymphs like small damsels, minnows and even bead headed soft hackles for success; as you slowly strip the fly, keep tension on the line and wait for the slightest bump/tug and set the hook.

Good luck.

Ted

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for your opinion on the state of our fisheries.
Please take a few minutes and let them know what you really think – don’t hold back!
Remember, this is an agency that is supposed to be working for us. Click here for the survey.

May Fishing – It’s a great month for streamer and dry fly fishing for Trout.
Big Bugs – The month of June is the month of Big Bugs – Isonychias, Brown Drakes and the Hex – got dates?
2016 Dates – Now booking for the entire fishing season: trout, carp, bass, salmon and fall Steelhead.

ausable river, bluegill fishing, borcher's drake, fly fishing, Great Speckled Olive, manistee, march browns, Northern Michigan, sulphurs

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

June – the Best Month to Fly Fish Traverse City

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 2, 2014

With another flip of the calendar it ‘s safe to say that we are in Spring with a few days feeling more like summer. June is one of the best months to fly fish Traverse City and the region because of the variety of species we can target. Fom trout to carp, smallies to bluegill, lakes to rivers – June make’s it hard to decide.

Trout fishing has continued to be a little tougher than it should be for this time of year. The Upper Manistee has been running clear and with the sun filled skies, the fish have been hiding until that last hour of light when some bugs appear along with some good oportunties. Hatches have included Sulphurs, Great Mahoganies, Light Hendricksons, March Browns, medium Brown Stones (yellow belly) and a few big stones, too.

A Borcher’s Drake and Emerger do a great job of imitating a lot of these mayflies. The next few weeks should offer some of our best but most technical dry fly fishing of the year. With the smaller mayflies, look for the real calm water to detect fish rising to spinners that only make a slight dimple in low light. It’s time to pack that head lamp and don’t forget your bug spray – the mosquitoes have been ruthless.

To learn more on the dry fishing over the next couple of weeks read “Trout Fishing Before the Hex Hatch.”

Bass and Bluegill are finally active in the shallows on the local lakes and ponds. Dry fly fishing for the bigger gills is typically best in the evening as the water lays flat and calm. Try a dry and a small nymph on a dropper for a deadly approach when they aren’t looking up. Small streamers up to 2 inches long also can get those big gills to play when fished on a floating line. Make sure you have your hemostats as the panfish can inhale the fly pretty deep.

The Carp and Smallmouth bass fishing is just starting to get going in Grand Traverse Bay thanks to a hot week with lots of sun, good overnight temps and little wind. That weather pattern it appears is changing. These fish can be fickle – here one day (or even part of a day) and gone the next. Look for the warmer water in the lakes and bays to be your best bet and make sure you are casting is good – they are only getting smarter because of the increased pressure over the years. Good flies include swimming hex nymphs, bead head black wooly buggers, bay toads and soon, crayfish will be around – you might try real small patterns when the fish are nose down and mudding. Smallies are still in their nomad state and will be cruising the flats looking for food prior to moving in to spawn – baitfish patterns like Clouser Minnows are basic but yet, effective.

Good luck deciding what to fish for.

Ted

The Summer 2014 Newsletter just went out – click here to read and/or subscribe.

Hatches and Big Bugs – Few dates remain in June for the big bugs – Isos, Drakes and the Hex.
Terestrials, Tricos and Trout – July and August fly fishing for trout on the Upper Manistee River.
Steelhead and Salmon – While Spring is late getting here, it’s not too early to reserve your Fall Dates.

bass, bluegill, borcher's drake, carp, clouse minnows, fly fish traverse city, grand traverse bay, panfish, upper-manistee

Things are Warming Up

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 19, 2014

Trout fishing has made some strides over the past week, but things are still a little behind. As the trees are just starting to grow leaves, we are seeing a few more bugs on the water and some fish eating them.

The Upper Manistee, Au Sable and Boardman all have had decent hatches of Hendricksons recently, it’s just a matter of finding some rising fish to make it that much better. The rising has been sporadic with some fish playing along but with warmer weather forecast, water temps will warm and we should have more surface activity from the fish as well as increased density and a variety of bugs. Hendricksons should continue and look for sulphurs and black quills to start any day as some hatches overlap. It’s always good to have some BWO in your box as well as black caddis/mother’s day caddis. It wouldn’t hurt to have some mahoganies in your box, too. A good pattern to have to represent a number of flies this time of year is the Borcher’s Drake and Emerger.

Between hatches, fish streamers for trout- olive and copper, yellow, and black have been best for me lately. Check out George Daniel’s “Streamer Envy” article in the June-July edition of Fly Fisherman magazine for a good perspective on streamer fishing.

Steelhead are winding down but are still sprinkled throughout the area’s rivers. I suspect this week’s warm weather will really push them along in their spring ritual and eventually back the big lake. The Manistee , Boardman and Betsie all have fish in them – it’s just a matter of finding them. Drop-back fish are fun to target this time of year as they sit in the bigger, deeper water putting their feed bag on – perfect for the two-handed/spey caster.

The lakes and ponds are just starting to fish as the panfish and bluegills move from the deeper water into the shallows. Look for the shallow water with dark bottoms and even cool marshes or creeks dumping warmer water into them to offer the better early season fishing. This can be a ton of fun with a few bass thrown into the mix, too. Pike are still in the shallows and offer the big fly caster an opportunity before they start to move deep again.

The Bays are well behind schedule thanks to the long winter and subsequent cold water. The bass and carp aren’t much of an option right now, but for you die-hard carp anglers, look for a few days and nights of consecutive warm weather a some sunshine and you might just find a couple of cruisers in the shallows. You’ll want your waders as the water is still very cold.

Good Luck!

Ted

Hatches and Big Bugs – Few dates remain in June for the big bugs – Isos, Drakes and the Hex.
Steelhead and Salmon – While Spring is late getting here, it’s not too early to reserve your Fall Dates.

ausable, Betsie, boardman, borcher's drake, hendricksins, manistee, mayflies, mothers day caddis, steelhead fishing, streamer fishing, sulphers, tippy dam, upper-manistee

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The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for your opinion on the state of our fisheries. Please take a few minutes and let them know what you really think – don’t hold back! Remember, this is an agency that is supposed to be working for us. Click here for the survey.

The Summer 2014 Newsletter just went out – click here to read and/or subscribe.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for your opinion on the state of our fisheries.
Please take a few minutes and let them know what you really think – don’t hold back!
Remember, this is an agency that is supposed to be working for us. Click here for the survey.