Posts tagged "carp"

The Hex Hatch

Posted by Ted Kraimer - July 2, 2014

The Hex Hatch has begun on the upper-Manistee river but they have been spotty and with the ups and downs in the weather they have been inconsistent as well. Seems to be par for the course this year. The future/forecast is bright as we are looking to have consistent weather again which should make for some consistent fishing. Fishing has been off most days prior to the big bug emergence – mostly because of the lack of other bugs not hatching. One can expect to see bat flies, little mahoganies, isonychias, light cahills, golden stones and a brown drake or two as we wait for the nocturnal hex to appear. Like the Manistee, the Boardman and other local rivers have seen some hex in various locations. Click here for a hex pattern and how to tie.

Not into fishing into the dark? Try fishing a hex pattern – either a natural looking dun or spinner in the a.m. or on cloudy days for a pleasant surprise. These hex flies are like floating cheeseburgers often giving fish that are ordinarily shy just enough incentive to eat on the surface during the day.

The river is running “full” of water thanks to the periodic rains we have been receiving.Streamer fishing is also a good alternative when nothing is happening on top; look for the low-light of cloudy days or early morning to offer your best chance. Being a holiday week/weekend you might witness a little more recreation on it from other anglers as well as canoes, tubes and kayaks so factor that into your plans. Oddly, sometimes the extra traffic gets fish out of their comfort zones and hiding spots and out into a place where you can present a fly to them.

The Bay is fishing o.k. for smallmouth and carp. The past week the carp moved into the shallows and were on the spawn big time and offering some really good fishing. It seems that a lot of the spawning is over but you will still find fish in the shallow water if you look in enough places however getting them to eat has been tough. Persistence and good presentations are required to find the players. I wouldn’t be surprised to see another wave of spawning to take place as the long winter and cool spring really has things off in a lot of respects. Same with the smallmouth bass – a lot of fish have already come and gone, but look for a second wave of fish as well as the post-spawn fish looking to eat after their annual ritual.

Lakes and ponds continue to have some really good bluegill fishing going on right now. The bigger fish have slipped into the depths again now that their spawning is over, but you can find them moving back into the shallows to eat on cloudy days and evenings. The smaller fish are still around to make fishing fun for those learning how to fly fish. The largemouth bass mostly are done protecting their nests and are eating bigger flies both on and below the surface. Target the structure – drop-offs, weeds, docks and wood for your best results as the long bright days have them seeking structure until low-light periods.

Good luck,

Ted

Terrestrials, Tricos and Trout – July and August fly fishing for trout on the Upper Manistee River
Salmon– Fresh fish can enter rivers as early as mid-August and offer great fishing through September.
Fall Steelhead– From the end of September through November – this is the time of year for Steelhead.

bay fishing, bluegill, boarman river, carp, carp on the fly, hex hatch, hex pattern, isonychia, isonychias, largemouth bass, manistee river, smallmouth bass

Tough Trout Fishing in Traverse City

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 25, 2014

The trout fishing has been tougher than it should be in Traverse City and the surrounding area. Frustrating too. The upper Manistee has been very fickle with bugs – all the emergences that lead up to the hex have been spotty at best and there have been no signs of the highly anticipated hex mayflies. As the lack of heat continues, I don’t expect much to change until the temperatures do. The future looks good when looking at the forecast but until then, we might be in for some “tough sledding”.

The water is in good shape – ideal conditions as far as clarity, level, etc. – it’s just that the fish haven’t been looking up and the streamer fishing has been decent at best. If you head to the river, you could see: golden stones, little yellow sally stones, gray drakes, brown drakes, little mahoganies, and isonychias. Have some bat flies and hex patterns in your box just in case and don’t forget the bug spray as the mosquitoes have been the only consistent bug this year.

The Boardman, too, has been off as far as bugs. It won’t take long before that gets going but I think its that warm air and hot sun that will kick things off.

Regardless of where you are fishing every day is different and you never know when the bugs will be out and the fish active. For what it is worth, the cloudy days have offered some of the better days on the water as far as fish playing.

Fishing on Grand Traverse Bay has improved over the past week. The carp are in the shallows in better numbers as the spawning is beginning. Look for the trailing fish behind the “ball of carp” to be the ones looking to eat – that’s what they often are doing – eating what the chaos kicks up. Still, these fish are picky and a good presentation is required. With Mayflies coming off of East Bay having some hex nymphs and crayfish is a great place to start. The smallmouth bass on the bay, too, have been playing a bit more although they can be there one day, gone the next. Some fish are spawning, others are cruising and some males are protecting nests. Crayfish, goby, and minnow variations/patterns should cover you in fly selection.

The lakes and ponds in the area are offering some really good fishing right now. Panfish/Bluegill continue to please both surface and sub-surface anglers while the largemouth Bass are eating bigger patterns subsurface and from time to time, diving flies. Pond fishing is perfect for those looking to spend an afternoon or evening on the water or if you are introducing a friend to the sport.

As the rivers get crowded with those once-a-year anglers seeking the hex try to be respectful and courteous to one another and remember to practice catch and release. Good luck.

Ted

Terestrials, Tricos and Trout – July and August fly fishing for trout on the Upper Manistee River
Salmon– Fresh fish can enter rivers as early as mid-August and offer great fishing through September.
Fall Steelhead– From the end of September through November – this is the time of year for Steelhead.

boardman, brown drakes, carp, goby, grand traverse bay, hatches, hex, hex mayflies, smallmouth bass, upper manistee river

Fly Fishing Traverse City for Trout, Carp, Bass & Bluegill

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 10, 2014

Trout fishing has been improving now that water temps are where they should be for this time of year and the various mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies seem to be closer to being on schedule after a slow start to the season. The rivers are in good shape – they aren’t too high, or too low. Clarity is beginning to become an issue with the high sun and lots of it.

On the Upper-Manistee a handful of bugs can be found – typically in the last hour or two of light offering some technical but rewarding dry fly fishing: sulphurs, grey drakes, little yellow stones, caddis, great mahoganies, little mahoganies, medium brown stones and a few isonychias. This menagerie of bugs will keep you working through your fly box as each day – and even at times of day – they often have a distinct preference on which one they want to eat. Spinners have been collecting in the evening and falling to the water providing the most consistent flow of bugs – dark brown or rusty spinners in a variety of sizes from 12 – 16 are a must in your box right now and are a good place to start when tying on your first fly.

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

Pond and lake fishing for bluegill/panfish has been really good now that the fish have moved up into the shallows. Look for water near breaks and cover the structure – that is docks, fallen in trees, weed lines, etc. Some pike and bass will play along too, so either target those bigger fish with larger rods and flies or hold on when they eat the bluegill you are trying to land. Surface flies have been the most fun and productive, but the small streamer and nymph have been most effective on the larger panfish.

Carp and smallmouth bass fishing is still sputtering in Grand Traverse Bay as water temps are much lower than normal for this time of year. One day they are around and eating, the next day not to be found. Weather is crucial as the sun warms the water up and wind direction blows warm or cold water into the shallows – the fish like the warmer water. Some crayfish are moving around and work better on cruising fish as they are easy to see by moving fish, however the smaller: crayfish, swimming hex nymphs, black b.h. buggers do better when the fish are nosing around in the shallows and focused on eating. Smallies are still cruising the flats but have largely remained pretty elusive so far this year for the wading angler.

Good luck,

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.

bluegill, caddisflies, carp, fishing report, fly fishing traverse city, grand traverse bay, isonychias, manistee, rusty spinners, stoneflies, sulphurs, traverse city

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.

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

Warmer Weather, the Start of Summer and Fly Fishing TC

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 26, 2014

Some warmer weather recently has had an effect on getting our seasons back on schedule but they seem to still be off considering hatches, etc. The Upper Manistee and Boardman still have a lot of water in them and have a slight stain thanks to some rain last week but water temps are getting closer to where they should be. The high water – I think – had washed in a lot of food (worms) and both the streamer and dry fly bite was off making for some tough fishing.

With more warm weather in store look for Sulphurs, March Browns, Great Speckled Olives, Black Quills, BWO and little Mahoganies to offer some great dry fly fishing – most likely in the evenings. Between hatches and surface activity try streamer fishing with patterns that suggest chestnut lampreys, night crawlers and sculpins. If fishing waters with smaller brook trout and stocked brown or rainbow trout, use patterns that look similar. Below Tippy Dam the carp are starting to show up and spawn which can slow the trout fishing down. Consider nymphing right behind the carp as the trout often sit right behind them to eat their eggs.

Ponds and lakes are just starting to come on-line with fish moving into the shallows. The bass have been slightly more active as the bluegill begin their spawning. Some of the year’s largest fish are taken on the fly over the next month as the big and wise fish stay deep most of the year. Surface activity is slower than subsurface right now so try small streamers and nymphs retrieved slowly but have some dries ready should the wind lay down and fish start looking up.

Spring steelhead are pretty much all done on the Manistee and Boardman although you will find a fish or two throughout their spawning grounds finishing up their important work. 2014 was a great Spring run with a lot of fish moving through once winter let up. I already look forward to the fall season and if the steelhead eat in the lake as well as they did last summer, we will certainly have our hands full with some strong chromers.

The big sun, warm temps and lack of winds over the weekend will help warm up some of the shallow water on the flats and get the carp and smallmouth bass fishing going soon. Pre-spawn carp can offer some of the best fishing of the year, they can just be fickle and difficult to find. When you do find them, they will often be nose down and “mudding” looking to eat.

Good luck,

Ted

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.
Steelhead and Salmon – While Spring is late getting here, it’s not too early to reserve your Fall Dates.

boardman, carp, carp and smallmouth bass, dry flies, fly fishing traverse, Manistee below Tippy Dam, steelhead, sulphurs, upper manistee river

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