Posts tagged "casting lessons"

Mid November Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - November 11, 2024

The unseasonably mild fall weather continues to make for comfortable fishing.

While we have had some rain in the past, the river levels have only experienced moderate increases in levels before dropping back to the low-levels we have had for months. Still, the steelhead have been showing up as they move upstream from the Lake Michigan.

Smaller rivers like the Betsie got a nice push of fish with last week’s rain, while the Manistee has maintained a respectable number of fish all fall. Water temps remain a bit warmer than normal for this time of year and the fish continue to be a little more spirited once hooked. With the clear water, we have been using lighter line to fool fish.

Egg patterns are still the first choice of anglers and fish, with nymph patterns building in effectiveness as the natural salmon eggs in the river diminish a bit. Shades of yellow and pale orange rag eggs and beads have been working in smaller sizes (#8 and 8mm). Steelhead buggers, Hex, and mid-sized stoneflies are fooling fish, too.

With the warmer water, the steelhead are more apt to eat a swung fly fished on sink-tips, typically with a spey rod on the larger rivers. Leeches and baitfish patterns in black, olive or tan – all with copper flash – have been working. If you’ve had an interest in trying this method, conditions have made this an ideal year to learn.

Good luck.

Ted

Fall Steelhead – Take advantage of the mild fall and warm water! Good dates in November remain.
2025 Fishing Season – It’s not too early to look ahead to next year and get your dates planned and secured.
Gift Certificates – Available for Half or Full Day Guide Trips or a Casting Lesson making perfect gifts for anglers.

baitfish patterns, Betsie, casting lessons, fall steelhead, fly fishing, manistee river, spey rods, steelhead, steelhead fishing, traverse city fly 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

Practice Casting Prior to Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 15, 2016

Don’t practice when you get to the river – fish instead.

Each spring we notice the days getting longer, the weather warmer and the fishing season rapidly approaching. But are you ready? What I notice year after year with the majority of returning clients is their casting skills improve only marginally if at all. Often after some casual conversation they reveal that they haven’t fished/practiced casting since the last time we were together . Most of the time they don’t need to tell me this, I can see it.

Just like an elk hunter doesn’t climb on top of a mountain to sight his rifle in on a herd – a fly fisher should have practiced and refined his cast so it goes where it needs to go when on the water.

While not everyone is a natural caster, everyone can improve – but you have to spend some time working on it. First, make it a goal. Second execute a plan. Here are some thoughts on how you can work towards a better cast:

Loop control. If you don’t know them already understand the mechanics of good casting and practice false casting with ever improving loop control.

Fish demand accuracy – especially rising trout.

Aim small, hit small. Just don’t cast – actually practice hitting a target. Some people use hula hoops, but dark patches of grass, yard flags, or even a stick work as something to aim for.

Cast short. In Michigan a lot of our trout fishing is closer than people think. Or practice. Try casting shorter distances with accuracy rather than showing off how far you can cast.

Practice what you fish. If you are likely to cast big or weighted flies, practice casting big or weighted flies. Casting dry flies requires different casting skills and approach.

If you fish in windy conditions, practice in the wind.

Tie one on. Attach a bright, easy to see fly on the end of your leader and cut off the hook to eliminate hooking yourself.

Sporting clays/sporting flies. Bird hunters often practice shooting clay targets on a range where the targets fly in life-like situations. Practice casting similarly – put a target under a shrub or a tree – you know, where trout sometimes often lie.

Like the wind. Be sure to practice when it’s windy because it’s often windy when you’re on the water.

Lesson learned. FFF certified instructors are available for lessons and can flatten the learning curve – especially when you practice what they teach you.

Read & understand fly casting.

Read about it. There are countless books on casting – consider reading more on the subject.

Movie star. After some practice, have someone take a video of you casting and evaluate yourself. With smart phones, this is easy to do.

Build muscle memory. Fly casting is more muscle control than it is muscle and power application. Helping the body develop muscle control/memory can be achieved by practicing often but for very short periods of time. Some people find keeping a rod rigged up where they can go into the yard or neighborhood park for 15 min. makes practicing easy. One customer last year said it was a great way to decompress after work – and it was evident on the water that he practiced!

Dedicate a line. If you replace your fly line, use the old one as a dedicated practice line. This keeps your new line in optimum shape. Or check out the discounted fly lines at your local shop.

Becoming a better caster off the water makes you a better angler on the water.

Good casting and the ability to put a fly in front of a feeding fish or likely fish holding spot is crucial. If you can’t put the fly where and how it needs to be, your success rate will typically go down as your frustration goes up.

There are enough variables in fly fishing to work through, why not control the few you can? Show up to the water a better caster and a better angler.

accuracy for rising trout, casting lessons, fff certified casting instructor, loop control, practicing casting, practicing fly casting

Wintertime Ideas for Anglers

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - December 11, 2011

It’s no secret, we know it’s coming: Winter, New Years and those New Year’s Resolutions. The days are shorter, temps are cooler and some of our waters inaccessible. Rather than roll over and take up scrapbooking, pairing socks or channel surfing, here are a few ideas to keep your mind on the great sport of fly fishing and improve as an angler.

Create A Fishing League

Establish a Night To Fish Each Week

While it sounds competitive, it’s not. Borrowing it’s name from softball and bowling leagues, the concept is the same. Pick a day that becomes dedicated “Fishing League Day.” That is, you know, your fishing buddies know and your families know this particular day or evening is your day to fish. It’s on the calendar, you plan around it and, more importantly, it keeps you committed to getting you on the water – which isn’t a bad thing.

Get a few friends to join the “league” and make this your fishing support group. Each week you choose a species, river and section, and the group heads off to fish. When others are involved, it makes it not only fun, but keeps you from bailing out because it might rain or some other lame excuse. It’s also nice to have friends to: share flies, strategies, take turns driving, try a new rod or perhaps have a post-angling beer with.

In Northern Michigan, start fishing in mid-March for steelhead and progress through the year targeting the diverse fishery which includes trout, bluegill, pike, bass, carp, salmon and fall steelhead. In the winter get together and tie flies and tell stories from the year before and make up some new ones.

A customer shared this idea with me and said it was a great way to ensure more time on the water and keeping everyone at home happy. It’s not much different from the leagues of other sports – it’s a day not only to plan your week around, but also look forward to. Don’t be caught saying, “I just didn’t get out enough this year” – get out and fish.

Tie Some Flies

Take a Class or Get With Friends Each Week

This is a great way to spend those cold nights after your snow blowing chores are complete. Not only will it give you more ammo for the upcoming season, but it will make you a better angler as it provides an introspective to flies, presentation and the hatches. Never tied flies before? Take a class at your local fly shop. Experienced? Sign up for advanced or specialty classes and learn something new.

Tie for a trip. Got a trip planed for later in the year? One of my favorite things in preparing for a trip is researching the local patterns and bugs and filling up a box or two. Not only will you have the right flies, but you should gain a better understanding of how and where to fish them at certain times of the year and perhaps learn a new technique.

Nothing planned? How about filling a box for a trip you have always dreamed about doing but not scheduled yet? Tarpon fishing in the Florida Keys, British Columbia Steelhead, Bass Fishing in Mexico, Bonefish in the Bahamas or a long overdue trip out west – regardless of the destination and species, fill a box with flies. Having a box of flies tied for a different region or species might just be enough incentive to finally make that dream trip become reality.

Read

Read – How to, Stories, Novels or Trip Planning

Golf is the only sport with more published reading material than Fly Fishing. Between books, magazines, and the Internet – information is available for whatever you are looking for. Novels, how-to’s, destination information, fly tying and more – this is great way to spend some time this winter thinking about fly fishing and becoming a better angler.

A note on magazines: never before have there been so many magazines published on the sport. If you are like me, you find much of the information recycled from years before. Don’t let that keep you from reading them again. Here are a few reasons why:

Often, we forget about a minute detail that can make a huge difference
Perhaps it didn’t make complete sense the first time we read it years ago
New advancements in tackle and fly patterns or environmental changes can make a difference to when, where and how we fish.

Don’t want to buy another magazine? Try these free online magazines for a different twist on content and media:

This Is Fly Magazine • Catch Magazine • Midcurent • Moldy Chum

Not a reader? The ever increasing popularity of DVDs offers similar variety and entertainment as books but in a different, entertaining format.

Get Organized

Get Organized and Ready

This goes beyond taking the candy bar wrappers out of your vest. It’s time to clean lines, return broken rods in need of repair, and long before the season starts up, replace missing flies in your boxes, restock leaders and tippet, repair holes in waders, etc.

Fly boxes are often in need of re-organization and if you need to buy some boxes to accommodate your ever expanding selection of flies – do it. How about getting that gear bag in order? Spend less time in the parking lot looking for things and more time in the water fishing.

Click here to read more on how to maintain some of your fly fishing gear and equipment.

Practice Casting

Practice Casting in the Off Season to Keep Sharp

Each winter we are fortunate to have a few sunny and windless days that feel down-right warm. Get your rod out and practice while taking in some vitamin-D. Regardless of whether you are an advanced caster or a rank amateur – we all need practice. More importantly you need to keep that surface rust off of your casting joints, since it probably has been a while since you last cast. Weather not cooperating? Try the Fly-O from Royal Wulff products. This practice tool tells all and can really contribute to your casting skills – and you can do it indoors.

Go Fish

Winter Steelhead Fishing

It’s a good time to have local rivers to yourself and spend the day without cabin fever. There are some sections of rivers in the area which are open all year for those looking to catch a trout or steelhead and some fresh air. Or you can fish somewhere warm, say in some saltwater along our southern coasts or trout fish in South America. There are lots of deals with lodges that might have become affordable over the past year. Going out west skiing this winter? Take a rod and a day off of the slopes to trout fish the many rivers near the resort towns.

Winter doesn’t have to be a time-out from this sport. There are plenty of activities that can make the long but short days go by a little quicker and make you a better angler.

casting lessons, creating a fly fishing league, learn to tie flies, organizing fishing equipment, practice fly casting, winter time fly fishing activities