Posts tagged "brown drakes"

Early June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 3, 2021

With June starting, so do the big bugs.

Trout fishing has been the focus of most anglers recently. This time of year, folks tend to hit the river armed with a well-stocked box(s) of dry flies or get in the boat with visions of emergers, sailboat look-a-like duns and/or spinners on the water to imitate. Lots of different bugs can be bring trout to the surface this time of year which is why it is a favorite time to spend an evening on the water on the Manistee or other local rivers.

Sulphurs, Mohaganies, Yellow/brown stones, and Gray Drakes are of primary consideration. But beyond those (since aquatic bugs haven’t used logic or followed schedules the past 8 years), have Isonychias and Brown Drakes with your because you never know when they might start to emerge on the Manistee. (Some Brown Drakes have begun on the Au Sable system). The hatches have been light, if not sporadic with fluctuations in the weather and some cool nights, but one has to be prepared. Evenings are still the best bet under normal circumstances, so make sure your head lamp has fresh batteries.

More on early June hatches and fishing this time of year can be read here.

With the lack of any significant precipitation, the mosquitoes most nights have been non-existent. The lack of rain has also kept the river running low and clear for far too long. Stealth in your presentation is paramount and a good presentation is required – these fish are demanding. Streamer fishing has waned with the low water and increase in bug activity. With some significant warm weather in the forecast, likely the last few hours of the day should offer the best fishing in the foreseeable future, unless a cloudy day comes along.

The lake fishing has been good for those looking to cast to some fat and sassy bluegill. The bass have been playing along, too, depending on which lake you are fishing. The typical surface flies have been working but with the full moon behind us, we are getting into post spawn grumpy behavior.

Good luck

Ted

TEMPERATURE ALERT: With the hot weather and warm nights, monitor temperatures on trout rivers. Once the water hits 70 degrees, you should stay off the water to prevent mortality and help preserve the resource.

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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Big Bug Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 20, 2019

Water levels on the local rivers are falling back into shape. While they are a higher than normal for this time of year, they are fishable and have a little stain to them – almost ideal. Water temperatures are still cool due to cool nights and a lack or significant warmth and sunshine the past month which is delaying some of the hatches.

Bugs have been fickle on the Manistee with the best hatches above M-72 as that water has fallen into shape sooner than the lower sections. Look for the last of the sulphurs, Isonychias, little mahoganies, gray drakes, brown drakes, yellow cahills, and some little yellow and medium brown stoneflies. No sign of hex on the Manistee but there are rumors of some on parts of the Au Sable river system.

Its that time of year that the riverbanks are active with more anglers wearing headlamps. Bring bug spray to keep the mosquitoes and ticks away, respect private property and share the resource.

Lake and pond fishing has another round of bigger bluegill in the shallow water with the week’s full-moon. These are a great species to target with a light rod and offer both experienced anglers and beginners the opportunity to bend the rod and just have fun. Some bass are around the shallow water, too, as they come out of the post-spawn funk and are a little more eager to eat both on the surface and below.

Stop your rod tip high.

Ted

Trout– Match-the-Hatch fishing through June including the big bugs. Terrestrial & Tricos in July and August.
Fall Fishing – Salmon begins in September which leads to Steelhead in October and November.

bluegills fishing, brown drakes, grayling fishing, isonychias, manistee river hex, michigan fly fishing trips, traverse city fly fishing, trout, trout fly fishing

Early June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 4, 2019

June is one of the most popular times on the local rivers for trout fishing. The technical dry fly fishing of May eases up as the bugs get a little bigger and the fish tend to look up more making for a little easier dry fly fishing when bugs and feeding fish coexist.

The upper Manistee is in good shape and the Au Sable levels are dropping back to normal levels. Water temps are in the low 60’s making for ideal conditions. Streamer fishing has been tougher this year than normal but it’s still a great way to cover water when waiting for some bugs and fish to appear on the surface.

This time or year you will want a lot of different flies in your fly box to have you covered for likely hatch scenarios. Sulphurs, Great Mahoganies, Little Mahoganies, a few remaining light Hendricksons, Black Caddis, Tan Caddis, Stones (little yellow & medium brown), March Browns, Grey and Brown Drakes, and some Isonychias could show up any evening. With the cooler nights/evenings, sometimes the heavier bug densities (spinners) occur at the warmest time of day, but it’s difficult to predict. A fly box with various sizes of Borcher’s Drakes and Robert’s Yellow Drakes will cover a number of bugs right now.

[You can read more about some of the bugs that emerge this time of year by reading, Trout Fishing Before the Hex Hatch.]

Local lakes have had a lot of the spawning bass and bluegill finish up sooner than expected considering the water temps are still a bit behind, but fish in post-spawn mode are still the shallow and transition water depths that are approachable to the fly angler.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout– Match-the-Hatch fishing through June including the big bugs. Terrestrial & Tricos in July and August.
Father’s Day – Get dad on the water this year with a gift certificate for either a half and full-day trip.
Fall Fishing – Salmon begins in September which leads to Steelhead in October and November.

brown drakes, isonychias, manistee river, manistee trout fishing, sulphurs, trout, trout fishing, upper-manistee

Early June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 5, 2018

Fishing the Traverse City region in early June offers plenty of choices. Most fly fishers are going after trout since this time of year offers some technical dry fly fishing. Rivers like the Manistee, Boardman and Au Sable continue to produce a smorgasbord of flies on the water including: Gray Drakes, Great and Little Mahoganies, Sulphurs, Little Yellow Sally Stones, Medium Brown Stones, Brown Drakes, Isonychias and Caddis. Any given day you can see a few different kinds of bugs, other days only one type but you should head out to the water with a loaded fly box and a headlamp with fresh batteries because a lot of times the spinner fall is taking place at dusk. Bring some bug spray, too.

Streamers and twitch flies on smaller sink tips have been working during the day to bring a fish out of the wood and onto the hook. This time of year, lightening up your streamer approach can be a good thing as the fish like a different presentation after six weeks of heavy streamer pressure.

The current cold-front has brought the water temperatures down in the river which is good – last week’s heat warmed them up a little too much, too quick. Levels and clarity are about perfect if there is such a thing. As always, handle the trout quickly and get them back in – most of these rivers rely on natural reproduction so even the small ones are important to tomorrow’s quality of fishing.

The inland lakes continue to produce good bluegill fishing as well as large and smallmouth bass fishing. The smallmouth are typically deeper and weighted flies and/or clear sink-tip lines will help you get to fish near those slight drop-offs. The largemouth and bluegill are in the shallow water and are mostly done spawning but are in a post-spawn mood.

With all the wind and cool temps, the fishing on the bay is still in its infancy for the carp and smallmouth but there are still some opportunities for those willing to put in the time and cover some water. Sustained weather (and warmth) will help make for some better fishing that is sure to come as June progresses.

If you are into the warm-water fishing, this weekend The Northern Angler is hosting there 2^nd Annual Cheese Cup Warm-water fishing tournament. This is a fun, fundraising event for the Third Level Crisis Center in honor of Alex “Cheese” Hawke who lost his battle with depression. The format is easy going and focuses on the warm-water species including bass, carp, pike, and bluegill. The after party is one you won’t want to miss. More detail’s here.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – The big Bugs of June will be here before you know it…. Isos, Drakes and Hex – limited dates available.
Stillwater- Bluegill, Bass and Carp. With the best trout fishing in the evening, try fishing lakes during the day.
Fall Steelhead – With Summer just arriving, it’s time to think about getting your Fall dates – Oct. thru Dec.

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Mid June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 19, 2017

As we get deeper into June the trout fishing remains solid, especially for those looking for match-the-hatch opportunities. The Manistee, Boardman and Au Sable all have been getting decent emergences most nights, but as bugs sometimes go, some nights there are very few bugs.

Look for the last of the Sulphurs, at twilight along with Isonychias, Gray Drakes, Brown Drakes, Little Yellow Sally Stones, Medium Brown Stones, Golden Stones, Bat Flies, and Mahoganies to be mixed in with some caddis. Just a few reports of the Hex have been around in the lower sections of rivers where the big bugs typically begin early in the season, not on the upper sections where the water is cooler. With the cool down in weather I suspect things will need to warm up again for the emergence to get on schedule again.

After quite a few rains the past week, look for the river to be higher than normal and with a little bit of a stain to them but still very fishable.

The local lake fishing continues to offer some really good bass and bluegill fishing. Some big gills are still in shallow water on the smaller lakes as are some largemouth bass looking to eat the smaller bluegill on the end of your line. A rare pike is making an appearance, but those are mostly hiding out in the weeds in a little deeper water. The lake fishing remains a great learning experience for those new to the sport while fun for those with experience.

Carp fishing has been a struggle this year with the cooler water in the bays. Some days we find them, most days we can’t. We are still in pre-spawn mode but with the higher water in the bays, the fish aren’t as predictable as they have been in the past. The smallmouth bass however have been cooperating a little better as the cooler water has prolonged their season and keeping the fish in shallow enough water that we can get a fly to them. Crayfish and minnow patterns have been working well.

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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