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Posts tagged "coho"

Late September Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 19, 2016

As we approach the Fall Equinox it still feels like summer with warmer than normal temps and without those cool nights that say it’s fall.

Despite the warm weather some salmon have been moving into the local rivers, just not in the numbers we have come to expect after a few early runs in recent years. After the two previous year’s runs, some anglers are skeptical as to what this year will offer. So far the number of fish in rivers this year exceeds what we saw last year and once we get the cooler weather, N.W. winds, and some rain – the run should kick into high gear. The success of the charter boats on the lake help support our optimism.

The Platte has had decent Coho salmon move through it despite the water being so warm. The Betsie has had a consistent trickle of fish moving through it and the Manistee system is slowly building in numbers. Fish are often holding in the deep holes and waiting, too, for the weather to change before they hit the gravel.

The extended summer has given trout anglers a longer terrestrial season than ever expected on the upper Manistee and Boardman. From flying ants to grasshoppers, activity on the dry flies has been decent. Twitching big wet flies and small streamers on a floating line helps get the attention of those brook and brown trout that are feeling skeptical this far into the season of foam and rubber flies twitched on the surface. Have some large BWO patterns for any matching of the hatch opportunities and enjoy having the river pretty much all to yourself.

Good luck.

Ted

Salmon – A few dates remain for Salmon fishing on the Betsie River throughout September.
Late Summer Trout – Have the river to yourself fishing wets, dries, terrestrials and streamers.
Fall Steelhead – Starting in October, extending into December. Fall Color Tour includes Chrome!

betsie river salmon, blue wing olives, boardman river, charter boats, coho, lake michigan, Platte River, platte river coho salmon, salmon, salmon run, upper-manistee

Sparrow Nymph Pattern (Gartsides)

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 26, 2014

Sparrow Fly Pattern - OliveThe Sparrow Nymph fly pattern is impressionistic and suggests a number of food sources to fish but nothing specifically.  While Jack Gartside originally designed this nymph/streamer/wet fly for trout fishing, I have found it works on a number of species by changing up the body colors, hook size and presentation.

Each year as salmon season comes around, I find myself tying a number of Sparrows to stock my fly box. This classic, tried and true pattern works well on when salmon are resting in staging holes early in the migration/season. I’m not sure what the fish consider the pattern to be, but they really seem to like them some days – then again they are salmon, and some days they just won’t eat anything you try.
Sparrow Nymph for Salmon
I prefer to fish the Sparrow for salmon as a nymph but sometimes I will get above the fish and barely swing it into the hole where fish are staged. When fishing for trout, fish the Sparrow like a soft hackle or even “greased-lined.” If tied in white/gray/grizzly or other baitfish imitating colors, strip it back after you have swung it for aggressive takes.

Tying the Sparrow is quick and easy with just a few basic materials and can be fished wet, as a nymph or in certain colors as a small streamer.  The materials provide a lot of motion which I think really contributes to its effectiveness.  For Coho/Silver salmon, try tying them in purple whereas classic colors for King/Chinook salmon seem to be olive, dirty yellow (think hex) and black. Body colors for trout include hare’s ear, peacock herl and orange (think sedge). Play around with body colors and dubbing materials – use some with flash or sheen to provide a trigger.

Sparrow - PurpleRecipe:

Hook:       TMC 3769 #6 (salmon) Daiichi 1560 #8-12 (trout)
Thread:    Uni 6/0 – Gray
Tail:           “Tuft” Marabou
Rib:           Krystal Flash (optional)
Body:       Dubbing (your choice)
Hackle:    Pheasant Rump Feather
Head:       Pheasant Philoplume/After-shaft Feather

Tying Instructions:

Sparrow - Step 1

Step 1.  Wrap a thread base from behind the eye to above the hook barb.

Sparrow - Step 2.5Sparrow - Step 2
Step 2. Tie in the tail so the natural ends extend back 1-1/2 times the hook gape’s distance.
This material can be found on a pheasant’s skin and is usually just below the wings.
Another source for this material can be cut from the stem of the hackle feather used in Step 5.

 

Sparrow - Step 3

Step 3.  Dub a generous body that tapers slightly towards the hook eye.
Stop about a hook gape’s distance behind the eyes.

 

Sparrow - Step 4Step 4. Chose a hackle feather from the pheasant rump patch or skin.  Notice the
secondary Philoplume Feather? Remove from the stem and use for the head in step 6.

 

Sparrow - Step 5 Sparrow - Step 5.5
Step 5.
Tie in the hackle by the tip and wrap two to three times tightly.
You want the feather barbs sized so they extend to just beyond the body.

 

Sparrow - Step 6Step 6.  Carefully tie in the Philoplume Feather by the base and
cover the remaining head area with multiple wraps. Tie off.

Sparrow Nymph Pattern with Rib

Finished Sparrow Nymph – with optional Krystal Flash rib.

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coho, early salmon fly pattern, early season salmon fishing, fish, fly box, fly tying, gartsides sparrow nymph, Jack Gartside, salmon, salmon pattern, silver salmon, sparrow nymph, sparrow patterns, swing, trout, trout sparrow, wet fly
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