Posts tagged "brown drakes"

June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 11, 2025

We are in the thick of trout fishing on the local rivers. This is the time of year where we can have various hatches (or none) and some decent streamer fishing when the fish aren’t looking up.

The weather has been fluctuating a lot and has been a tad cooler than normal, but the forecast promises of some warmer weather ahead. When stable temperatures keep water temps stable, hatches become more predictable and fly fishing – it seems – is at its best with feeding fish on the surface.

If headed out, Brown Drakes, Isonychias, Yellow/brown Stones, Sulphurs and Mahoganies belong in your box. If those don’t work, don’t be afraid to cast the mid-summer attractor foam and rubber creations to get their attention. You can read more on the hatches that occur this time of year in this article.

Subsurface – the smaller streamers and twitch flies have catching some nice fish when fished with the quick twitch and pause presentation. Baitfish and sculpins patterns (smaller than 3 inches) are doing a good job with the clear water we have been experiencing the past month.

The lake fishing for bluegill and bass has turned the page on most small lakes with the spawning cycle behind them and the fish coming out of the post-spawn funk. With the full moon the bluegill/panfish have moved shallow for a second round of spawning and those fishing smallmouth in both lakes and rivers should be using crayfish patterns in a light tan color as they tend to molt in this moon phase making them attractive to smallmouth bass (and trout).

Good luck.

Ted

Father’s Day – Get dad the gift of getting on the water! Gift Certificates available.
Trout Fishing – June offer’s some of the best technical dry fly fishing as we chase bugs and browns.
Fall Steelhead – After a strong Spring Season look to the Fall Season – just a few dates remain available.
Smallmouth Bass – Now through Mid-August, come fish this rod bending species as an alternative to trout.

Late June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 20, 2023

As Summer (solstice) takes place on the 21st, June starts to end and the night fishing really begins.

Angler’s are looking for the nocturnal Hex Mayflies on the local trout rivers and some (Au Sable) have already begun and it’s about to begin on others (Manistee) if they haven’t already. Headlamps, bug spray, patience and strong tippet are standard issue supplies for the matter. But before nightfall, look for Isonychias, the last (I really mean it this time) Brown Drakes, and Bat Flies to provide some surface activity.

Smallmouth bass fishing is starting up again on the lower Manistee for those using smaller baitfish streamers. The largemouth bass and bluegill are keeping anglers busy with tight lines on the local lakes as weeds develop along drop offs and some bigger gills can still be found shallow.

In this bright, warm weather, mornings and evenings are best for the trout and lake fishing. As long as the cool nights continue to drop water temps, we should be o.k. fishing the rivers without temps getting above 68 degrees which is the threshold angler’s should recognize as too warm for fishing trout.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – July and August is time for Ticos and Terrestrials on the Upper Manistee – an ideal half-day on the river.
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.

ausable, bass fishing, brown drakes, fly fishing guide, hex flies. isonychias, iso fly pattern, manistee river, smallmouth bass, trout fishing

Late June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 28, 2022

As June winds down, the Hex Hatch winds up. It has been sporadic with the fluctuations in the weather for both the emergences and spinner falls so there is no telling when you will have good bugs on the local rivers including the upper Manistee. Water levels are low and clear since it has been a while since our last rain.

Water temperatures also have been fluctuating making fishing inconsistent and having us stay home or shift to bass fishing when they approach 70 degrees. Other bugs on the water include a few brown drakes, Isonychias, bat flies and medium brown stones so you will want more than a few hex patterns in your fly box. Of course, you’ll want your headlamp and bug spray too.

For some, this is the only time of year some folks get out and fish who might not have heard of new invasive species in our local waters which include Didymo, aka Rock Snot (Manistee) and New Zeeland Mud Snails (Boardman, Manistee, PM, Au Sable). Michigan Trout Unlimited has produced a guidebook to identification and decontamination that I strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with and practice. Otherwise, these invasives will likely show up on other watersheds you fish (rivers and lakes) before you know it. It’s also upon anglers to spread the message to other anglers to get the word out. You can read the Guidebook here.

Largemouth bass and bluegill fishing in lakes continues to offer both new and experienced anglers a lot of opportunities to bend the rod and enjoy a non-technical day of fishing on the water. Dry flies, poppers, swimming nymphs and the occasional streamer near and around structure and drop offs has been the approach. Smallmouth bass fishing has slowed down in the lakes but has been getting better in the rivers for those that like to lazily fish a streamer and feel a fish pull much harder than any trout.

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.

bass fishing, brown drakes, casting lessons, fishing at night, hex hatch, invasive species, learn to fly fish, manistee, panfish, smallmouth bass

3rd Week of June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 20, 2021

As June continues, so do the fluctuations in weather. Thankfully the water temps have remained “safe” for trout fishing on the upper Manistee staying below 70 degrees for over a week now.

Hex flies have begun on parts of the river as have the Isonychias and, some Brown Drakes are still around typically at dusk. Other flies on and above the water include medium brown stones, bat flies, the last of the Sulphurs and even a great mahogany or two.

The weather forecast is calling for a significant cold front which should interrupt the cycle of emergences for a bit until normal temps come back again later in the week. Fishing will be challenging for most as you can’t hide in the cover of darkness when fishing in daytime when bugs are likely to be on the water. As it has been the case all season, really good presentations are required to fool these wise, educated and pressured fish.

Bass and bluegill fishing remains good on the smaller lakes. The bass are in a post spawn mood and hanging in the structure looking to eat, while the bluegill have gone shallow again. Weed growth is where it should be for this time of year giving you a great place to target both your dries/poppers and slider/divers.

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.

bass, bass fishing, bluegill fishing, brown drakes, fishing, fly fishing guide, fly fishing report traverse city, hex flies, hex hatch, isonychias, manistee, streamer fishing, sulphurs

Mid June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 11, 2021

We aren’t even to the mid-June but it already feels like mid-August. In Arizona.

Extreme heat (by northern Michigan standards), low humidity, and practically no rain the past month in addition to being down more than half the annual precipitation YTD, have left the rivers low, clear, and warm. And the fish are stressed. Temps on the upper Manistee have been in the upper 60s for a week and some days going beyond the 70-degree mark.

While you might think that makes for ideal wet-wading, it has made for tough conditions for trout survival. Just because you catch and release a fish and watch it swim away doesn’t ensure it survives the experience. Watching a dead trout tumble down the river from someone upstream is confirmation that another business partner has been lost and it’s one less fish any of us can catch in the future. It sucks. And most of the time, it can be prevented by not fishing in those conditions.

Please monitor water temps and when it nears the 70 degree mark, leave the trout alone. Instead, consider fishing a lake for other species, get caught up on house projects, catch a ball game or fix those leaky waders. Our un-stocked and often mis-managed fisheries just can’t handle an angler-inflicted blow caused by warm water and catch-and-release mortality.

To help you monitor temps, you can check out these links which will give you an idea on conditions:

Upper Manistee
Lower Manistee
Most rivers in the State of Michigan

With that said, I haven’t been on the water this week as trips have been cancelled or refocused to other sections of water or species. Not being there to witness hatches, experience tells me that often in warm conditions like this, bug activity tends to be condensed to the last hour of light, if it happens at all. Sometimes mid-morning can provide a spinner fall, but spinners are the most unpredictable stage of mayflies.

So, for the good news. The overnight temps are forecast to drop into the 50s for a while which will help our spring fed trout streams and rivers cool off. There might even be some rain to add some color to the water and keep the dust managed on the roads. More good news: with the lack of rain, mosquitoes have pretty much been non-existent.

When the rivers cool off, look for Isonychias, Stone flies, Bat Flies, and Brown Drakes to occupy the air space above your favorite pool and/or on the water itself.

Good luck.

Ted

brown drakes, catch and release mortality, fly fishing guide, fly fishing report, isonychias, michigan trout fishing, warm water

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