Current Works Guide Service
  • (231) 883-8156
  • ted@current-works.com
  • Book a trip
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Home
  • Guide Trips & More
    • Guide Trips & Pricing
    • Casting Lessons
    • Gift Certificates
    • Book a Trip
  • Fishing Report
  • Fish & Seasons
    • Steelhead
    • Trout
    • Smallmouth Bass
    • Salmon
    • Bluegill / Panfish / Bass
    • Golden Bones / Carp
  • Rivers & Hatches
    • Upper Manistee River
    • Lower Manistee River
    • Betsie River
    • Boardman River
    • Hatch Chart
  • Fly Tying
  • Articles
  • Gallery
  • About
    • About Your Guide
    • Testimonials
    • Newsletter
    • Area Information

Posts tagged "coho salmon"

Late September Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 23, 2019

With Fall officially starting today it sure feels like we were in the middle of summer just last week with the 80-degree days. With a little color in some trees, it appears that fall is imminent.

The warm weather paused the migration of salmon on the local rivers, but the significant rains over the weekend and winds on Lake Michigan should restart the migration of King and Coho salmon as they feel comfortable moving up that increased river flow. Wading anglers will find the rivers higher and smaller rivers like the Betsie also dirty as some areas received over 4 inches of rain.

The warmer temperatures sure extended out terrestrial fishing on the trout rivers like the upper Manistee. Water temps are still around 60 degrees and the fish still looking up. Some BWOs and great olives are worth having in your box should a hatch occur, but tie on the bigger foam and rubber attractor and terrestrial patterns for what could be your last fix of dry fly fishing. The water had been too clear but with the rain there is some color to it. This is also the time that streamer fishing can be ideal for those looking to cover some water looking for the pre-spawn browns that have started to come out from cover after a long season of getting fished to.

Good luck.

Ted

Fall Steelhead – Good November and December dates remain open for these prized sport-fish.
2020 Fishing Season – We are booking dates through September of 2020 – don’t miss the prime times.

betsie river, big manistee river, coho salmon, dry fly fishing, king salmon, lake michigan, salmon, trout fishing, upper manistee trout fishing

Skam Man Streamer

Posted by Ted Kraimer - December 15, 2016

Skam Man Streamer PatternThe Skam-Man streamer pattern represents a number of bait and juvenile sport-fish found in a number of  different waters, serving as biomass/food for larger fish.

While it was named after and originally designed to imitate the natural reproduction progeny of the Skamania strain of steelhead on the Manistee River, this fly does a good job of suggesting more, including: shiners, juvenile rainbow trout and even shad (where they are present).

This fly is quick to tie, offers a great jig-like action and fishes well for trout and bass – both in rivers and lakes.

In Michigan Rivers, the Skam-Man has fished well in the spring, summer and fall – but like most patterns, some days it’s not what the fish are looking for. Coho salmon and steelhead have also eaten the Skam Man, so consider it a versatile pattern worthy of a place in your fly box and to be fished on Michigan waters as well as in other regions.

Skam Man Trout StreamerAnglers can fish this streamer pattern either on a sink-tip or floating line depending on the water depth, temperature and flow rate. Be sure to cast to the center of the river as well as the inside bends as often that is where feed fish often lie.  Don’t forget to mix up the retrieve to find out what the fish want that day but start with a quick strip and pause retrieve with some rod tip-flick to speed it up but also provide a pause as it drops.

Recipe

Skam Man - WetHook:                    Gamakatsu B10S – #4
Thread:                Uni 6/0 Olive Dun
Eyes:                     Lead Dumbbell – Pearl X-Small
Tail:                       Marabou – Pearl Gray
Body I:                 UV Polar Chenille UV Pearl
Body II:                Schlappen – Gray
Collar:                   Mallard Flank Feather
Legs:                      Sili Legs – Clear Barred
Wing:                    Craft Fur – Golden Olive
Dubbing:              Ice Dub – Minnow Belly

Tying Instructions:

Skam Man - Step 1Step 1. Wrap a thread base from behind hook eye to above hook point and back towards the eye.

Skam Man - Step 2Step 2.  Using figure-8 wraps, tie the lead eyes on top of the hook. Using the photo as reference, they should
be tied so there is a space between the hook eye and the dumbbell eyes the size of the eyes themselves.

Skam Man - Step 3Step 3. Tie in a sparse amount of marabou for the tail that extends beyond the hook
the length of the hook itself. Sometimes you need to cut off the very tip and/or base of the feather.

Skam Man - Step 4Step 4. Tie in a strand of Polar Chenille.

Skam Man - Step 5Step 5.  Tie in a schlappen feather by the tip.

Skam Man - Step 6Step 6.  At the same time wind both the Polar Chenille and schlappen stopping just short of the lead eyes.

Skam Man - Step 7 Skam Man - Step 7.5
Step 7.
Take a flank feather and tie it in by the tip. Hold stem of the feather up and run the edge
of your scissors along the stem to “break” the fibers which can now be folded backwards.
Fold and wind the feather once to get full coverage and trim excess.

Skam Man - Step 8Step 8. Tie in a rubber leg on each side of the fly so it extends the length of the fly.


Skam Man - Step 9Step 9.
Dub the space between the body and around eyes to form a smooth body profile.

Skam Man - Step 10Step 10. Rotate vise or put the fly in vise upside down.  Tie in wing so that it extends just
short of the tail material. Tie off with a whip finish and coat with a water-based head cement.

Print This Page
bass fishing streamer, coho salmon, manistee, michigan streamer fishing, scam man streamer, shad kill streamer, shad streamer, skam man streamer, streamer fishing, trout fishing streamer

Lower Manistee River (below Tippy Dam)

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 14, 2012
Lower Manistee River in the Fall

October Morning on the Manistee

Tippy Dam is known for its migratory runs of Steelhead and Salmon. The dam itself is the upper boundary of these great game fish that leave the big water of Lake Michigan and return to their natal river to take part in their spawning mission. Beyond steelhead and salmon, anglers will find healthy populations of both Brown & Rainbow Trout and Smallmouth Bass.

The river below the dam is some of the widest water in the state, varying from 200 – 300 feet in width. Depths vary depending on run, pool, tail-out relationship but all wading anglers will want to be cautious when on foot — especially in times of stained run-off conditions.

Lower Manistee River Below Tippy Dam

Spring Below Tippy Dam

Much of the land adjacent to the river is USFS property and is open to the public. As you move downriver and approach the High Bridge access and Bridge, private property becomes intermixed.

Those fishing the Manistee are typically best served fishing from a boat as not only is it a strong and often deep river, but a lot of submerged logs can trip you up, a reminder of the lumbering days of northern Michigan.

The Fish
Salmon

Lower Manistee - King Salmon

Chinook / King Salmon

Most anglers have heard of “The Big River” from stories told by a friend or articles in magazines. This river simply has one of the best salmon runs in the lower 48 states. Chinook (King) Salmon are the most common salmon, but Coho (silvers) numbers seem to be getting stronger each year.

While snagging was once legal years ago, the practice is no longer legal or acceptable. With the big fish come some crowds, so having the place to yourself isn’t a problem in the Spring and Fall. There are sections of the river that tend to be less populated and are some of my favorite sections.

Frankly, there are plenty of fish to go around in the Big Manistee.

Fall Steelhead

Lower Manistee River Fall Steelhead

Fall Steelhead

The Fall Steelhead follow the salmon into the river each year at the end of September and continue to build in numbers through the fall. When water temperatures are good and water/river levels are strong after a fall rain – things only get better. Hooking a fall steelhead that has been living on a steady diet of salmon eggs in 50-degree water can give you the hardest, most unpredictable and spastic fight you can imagine a freshwater fish could provide.

Throughout the winter anglers will find fall fish that become characterized as “winter fish.” With those hold-over fish comes trickles of new fish throughout the winter months, and those looking to get a cabin-fever-reliever can find some fish to play the game while getting away from the four walls that seem to close in on us during the Fall Steelhead winter months.

Spring Steelhead

Lower Manistee - Spring Steelhead

Spring Steelhead

Spring Steelhead are typically in the river system in good numbers from Mid-March through the first part of May. Fish that entered in the fall and winter join the newly arrived fish with their intent to spawn and thus the number/population of fish in the river are at their highest.

A Right of Spring, fishing for steelhead is one of the best times for people to get into steelhead and after a winter spent indoors, it feels good to get fishing again. Look for a warm rain to bring up the water temps and levels bringing up a fresh a “run” of fish in the river.

Read more about Steelhead here »

Brown Trout

Lower Manistee River Trout Fishing

Brown Trout

Throughout the spring steelhead run, anglers usually find their fly rods bent, but not by the sheer weight of a Steelhead alone. There is a healthy population of Brown Trout in this section of the river that remains here all year. And why should they leave? The dam itself creates a tail water fishery which equates to a food factory.

Large populations of scuds and sowbugs provide a healthy diet for the fish when the midges and baetis aren’t around. In the spring and fall there are literally thousands of pounds of eggs drifting down the river from spawning fish for the trout to eat.

If that isn’t enough, there are lots of fry from steelhead, Lower Manistee - Trout Food - Match the Hatchsalmon, suckers and walleye which makes this fishery an all-you-can-eat fish dinner for the resident trout. Ever see a trout with stretch marks? This is the place where they live.

Trout fishing below Tippy Dam is scenic, solitary and peaceful river setting compared to the spring and fall seasons when the migratory fish are in season. Fishing remains good until early July when water temperatures become dangerous for trout survival but turn optimal for Smallmouth Bass.

Smallmouth Bass

Lower Manistee - Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Smallies migrate into the river in mid-June as water temps increase and provides both great streamer and top-water action through August. Targeting woody structure and rocky drop-offs, these “bronzebacks” are fun to watch as you feed them a fly. And once hooked, they pull hard and often throw in a couple of jumps to make it more fun.

Gaudy baitfish streamers one day, loud poppers and sneaky sliders the next offer the angler a variety of conditions during the warmer months making them a great alternative to trout fishing in the Summer months.

Read more on Smallmouth Bass here>>

Tippy Dam on the Manistee River

At one time the dam significantly fluctuated water levels on a daily basis when “peak electricity demands” required it. Through efforts of the Federation of Fly Fishers (Now FFI), Consumer Power and FERC, this now is a “run of river” where the amount of water flow above the dam is what comes out of the dam. This has helped eliminate some of the erosion and as a result has exposed a lot of gravel for both aquatic insects and natural reproduction.

Map & Directions

Tippy Dam is 25 miles West of the City of Manistee, just north of Wellston and East of Brethren 4 miles. Coming from Cadillac the drive is about 40 miles. It takes an hour from downtown Traverse City.

Map of the Lower Manistee River

Map of the Lower Manistee River

 

big manistee river, coho salmon, current works, fall steelhead, fly fishing the manistee river, fly-fishing guide, high bridge, king salmon, maniste, salmon fishing, small mouth bass, smallmouth bass, spring, steel head, steelhead, streamer, ted kraimer, tippy dam, tipy dam, trout, wellston michigan, welston michigan

Testimonials

About Ted Kraimer Fishing Guide

About Your Guide, Ted Kraimer

Lessons - Learn to Fly Cast or Improve

Casting Lessons

Guide Trips - Fly Fishing Float Trips

Guide Trips & Pricing

Fish & Seasons

Carp Fishing West Grand Traverse Bay

Golden Bones / Carp

King Salmon Fly Fishing - Betsie River Near Traverse City

Salmon

Fall Steelhead Manistee River

Steelhead

Fly fishing for smallmouth bass Manistee River and Northern Michigan Lakes

Smallmouth Bass

Trout Fishing Manistee River near Traverse City Michigan

Trout

Bluegill, Panfish and Bass Fly Fishing on Local Lakes Near Traverse City

Bluegill / Panfish / Bass

Ted Kraimer • Current Works, LLC • PO Box 333 • Traverse City, Michigan 49685 • (231) 883-8156

© 2024 Current Works, LLC — All rights reserved
  • Home
  • Guide Trips & Pricing
  • Fishing Report
  • Fish & Seasons
  • Rivers & Hatches
  • Fly Tying
  • Articles
  • Gallery
  • About
  • Sitemap