Posts tagged "dry fly fishing"

Hendrickson Hair Wing Dun

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 20, 2018

Hendrickson Hair Wing Dun

When some of the local rivers maintain temperatures in the mid-50s, you can expect to see Hendrickson mayflies (Ephemerella subvaria) emerging, especially in the afternoon after the sun has had a chance to warm up the water. It’s also a chance to take advantage of fish that haven’t necessarily been pressured for a while as they come out of hibernation and start feeding on the first significant mayfly to emerge in late April and into May. It might be safe to say that Hendrickson’s are the first sign of spring to an avid dry fly angler.

This version of Rene Harrops’s classic Hair Wing Dun floats well, sits in the film and represents the insect’s profile very nicely.

Hendrickson Hair Wing Emerger

Since Henies can struggle to get off the water in the cooler temperatures common in the early season, they tend to be vulnerable to feeding fish. This pattern – with Its Elk Hair Caddis-like wing – allows you to skitter it on the surface just above a selectively feeding fish for added realism that can be just enough to convince a fish that has already refused your previous presentation.

By changing the tail materials to Gadwall Flank and some Z-lon, you can create an effective emerger. With the water often stained in the early season, I have a few of these ties with a piece of micro opal Flashabou as a rib to bring just a little attention to the pattern as it floats downstream.

Don’t limit this pattern just to just Hendricksons. With some minor adjustments to color and size, this pattern can be tied to represent most the mayflies found emerging in May and June.Tie some up and think Spring!

Hendrickson Hair Wing Dun with Rib

Recipe

Hook:                    Gamakatsu S10 #14
Thread: Uni 8/0 or equivalent – Tan or Camel
Tail: Moose Body or Coque De Leon
Dubbing:              Custom blend of 1/3^rd Olive &
: 1/3^rdCinnamon Fine ‘N Dry dubbing
: and 1/3^rd Muskrat Fur – hand mixed.
Hackle:                 Grizzly Dyed Dun Dry Fly
Wing: Medium Coastal Deer Hair

Tying Instructions

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

Step 2. Apply a very slight amount of dubbing to the thread
and create a very small and compact ball above the hook barb.

Step 3. Using a hair evener/stacker, prepare 4 to 6 moose body hairs and tie on top of the shank
– mid way- so the natural tips extend one hook shank’s length beyond the hook.
Divide the hairs on either side of the small dubbing ball to help split/spread the hairs.

Step 4. Dub a slightly tapered body to the half-way point up the hook shank.

Step 5. Choose a hackle feather that is one size too large and
tie in the hackle by the stem up against the dubbing.
To help secure the feather, trim some of the barbules close to the stem.

Step 6. Dub the thorax area stopping about one hook eye’s length shy of the hook eye itself.

Step 7. Wind the hackle fully through the thorax area and tie off between dubbing and hook eye.

Step 8. Prepare, clean and stack a clump of deer hair that is a little thicker than a coffee stir stick/straw.
Tie in the deer hair so the tips – when laid down – extend the length of the dubbed body.
Use a couple of loose lasso-wraps of thread before securing and flaring the deer hair.
The tips of the hair should be pointed back and upwards.

Step 9. Trim the deer hair off the front of the fly so that it sticks up a little.
Think of how an elk hair caddis is tied. Whip finish.|

Step 10. Trim the hackle on the underside of the fly, flat, so that it is doesn’t extend beyond the hook point.

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dry fly fishing, Ephemerella subvaria, hair wing dun hendrickson, hairwing dun emerger, hendrickson emerger, hendrickson mayfly pattern, hendrickson pattern, henies, renne harrop

Mid May Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 19, 2017

Trout continue to be the main focus of most anglers right now as this is a good time for those looking to do some match-the-hatch dry fly fishing. Rivers like the Upper Manistee, Au Sable and Boardman have had some decent hatches of a number of different bugs including: caddis, light Hendricksons, Sulphurs, Mahoganies and March Browns. After the cool front that came through the timing of the hatches and spinner falls will be a little difficult to predict instead of the typical late afternoons and evenings.

Until the bugs hit the water, work a streamer hard and heavy – it often takes a lot of casts but some of the fish that come to play this time of year makes you forget about all those previous casts. The lower Manistee below Tippy Dam is starting to see the number of spawning carp build and this tends to put the trout on a micro egg and small nymph bite until they clear out. Streamers (bait fish patterns) and wet flies have been working most days, but especially on cloudy days.

The bass and bluegill are moving into shallows and most lakes have fish starting to work nests/beds making for some great top water and small nymph fishing. Spiders, beetles and ant patterns work well on top but micro b.h. buggers, swimming nymphs and leeches are deadly when fished on a slow, steady retrieve.

Good luck.

Ted

May Fishing – Trout, late steelhead, hatches, streamer fishing, bluegill on lakes – don’t overlook fishing in May.
Trout – The hatches of late May lead into June making for some of the year’s best dry fly fishing – don’t miss out.
2017 Fishing – Plan your year around your fishing – get your dates on the calendar, life will fit in around it.

bluefgill fishing, boardman river, carp, dry fly fishing, fly fishing traverse city, hendrricksons, manistee river, tippy dam, trout

May Days – A Month of Fly Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 12, 2014

May Fly Fishing - Streamer Fishing Michigan

Brown Trout caught in May

It is no secret that northern Michigan’s fly fishing is one of a kind when you consider the variety of species in our local waters. The first popular season of the year is Spring Steelhead from mid-March through April, and Trout fishing in June with its hatches of big bugs aren’t missed by many. But in between is the month of May – a great month to fly fish Michigan – filled with a number of choices for anglers of all skill levels at a productive and less populated time.

Below is a brief summary of the various species, time of month and common approaches we take to fishing through May.

Steelhead

Drop-back steelhead caught on the swing

Most years, the steelhead on rivers like the Manistee below Tippy Dam continue to migrate in early May although, typically not in the numbers found in April. Considering how few anglers are out there and with water and air temps much warmer, this can be an ideal time to target drop-back and up-stream bound steelhead with nymphs, swung flies and streamers. Just because the crowds are gone doesn’t mean the fish are.

Steelhead & Trout

May Fly Fishing - Late Season Steelhead in Michigan

Late season Steelhead hooked while trout fishing

Waters like the lower Manistee containing both steelhead and trout, can offer a great one-two approach. That is, focus on steelhead until the sun gets high, then target trout. Or spend the day targeting trout with nymphs and streamers and hold on tight should you hook onto a steelhead in the process. Streamer fishing is a good way to cover lots of water and focus on predatory trout and the drop-back steelhead looking to eat before heading back to the lake. During the second half of the month steelhead are usually gone and anglers focus on trout with all types of presentations – nymphs, streamers, wet flies/soft hackles and dries. Since trout are stocked in this water, it can be an ideal place for a beginner or kid to learn while making their trout fishing experience a positive one.

Trout

Depending on the length and severity of winter, the first part of May usually offers good hatches of mayflies and caddis and build throughout the month on local rivers making for great dry fly fishing. The upper Manistee and AuSable are known for their dry fly fishing for brown, rainbow and brook trout. Watching them eat your hendrickson or mother’s day caddis in daylight is what it is all about for a lot of us anglers. Water conditions can vary from year to year – it can be clear or it can be stained, but regardless, the fish are there and usually looking to eat. Hendricksons to sulphurs and lots in between, don’t miss out on hatching bugs and rising fish.

May Fly Fishing - Michigan Mayfly Hatches

Late afternoon mayfly hatch in Michigan

A well-rounded angler who can not only cast a dry fly when an emergence takes place but can fish below the surface with a sink-tip fly line and a streamer can really maximize May’s potential. May is – in my opinion – the best month to focus on the big trout with big flies. Since the trout haven’t been pressured, this is a good time to feed them a streamer pattern as they are not only hungry but also territorial.

On those first warm days of spring having your favorite dry fly rod strung-up with a dry in the boat as you cover the water with a streamer is great approach. May trout fishing often occurs during “Bankers Hours” – from late morning until early evening – which further appeals to anglers.

Additional Articles:

Tips for Better Streamer Presentations Dry Fly Fishing Do’s

Panfish/Bluegills

Nice Bluegill/Panfish caught on a small streamer

As the sun gets even higher, the days longer and warmer, so do the waters on the many local ponds and lakes. Mid-month, panfish (Bluegill) typically leave the depths and come in shallow to spawn providing a lot of fun for fly anglers. Ever catch a bluegill the size of your hand on a 3 or 4 wt. rod? You won’t forget it when you do. And you won’t forget it if a big bass or pike eats your bluegill as you bring it in. Rarely will you land both, but you will have a great fish story to tell!

Like most fishing – a versatile angler who can fish for bluegill on top with dries and subsurface with nymphs and small streamers will be the productive angler. Being visual, fishing on top is always fun but you can create your own luck and being able to swim a small nymph slowly near structure increases your luck as this usually gets you that larger fish. Big bluegills are smart and are trophies in their own right making them not only fun to target, but worthy of bragging about.

More on Fly Fishing for Bluegill/Panfish

Carp and Smallmouth Bass

Carp fishing Grand Traverse Bay

May’s winds blow the warm surface water of Grand Traverse Bay into the shallows bringing the first of the carp and smallmouth into the flats to eat or sometimes just sun themselves. With carp steadily becoming more popular with fly fishers, the angler who finds the pre-spawn fish before others does well – especially because they aren’t preoccupied with spawning. It can be tricky, as water temps are influenced by wind direction, sunlight and night-time temperatures, but knowing when and where to go will make the difference between finding fish and not. Being able to cast and manipulate a fly and watch them eat brings a saltwater-like fishing experience closer to home.

Dry Fly Fishing “Do’s”

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 14, 2013

Brown Trout caught on a Dry

For most trout anglers, catching fish on a dry fly is the highlight of the sport – it’s both visual and satisfying when it all comes together – pure deception. So when you come across a fish rising and feeding on the surface, it’s hard not to get excited. Just do some things right to increase your chances of catching that fish. Below are some tips for dry fly fishing.

Stop the Rod Tip High

Getting your line, leader and ultimately your fly to straighten out at the distance you want is crucial – without doing so you risk your fly pilling up next to your coiled-up leader and line, often requiring corrective measures so you don’t spook the fish. That is if you haven’t already.

By stopping the rod tip high at the end of your forward casting stroke, you have helped ensure a tight, compact and efficient loop that will have enough energy to straighten out. Once the line has straightened, do follow it down to the water’s surface rather than lead it.

When you consistently stop the rod at the same height, the length of the cast is consistent, too. If you lower your rod tip some, your cast can be longer which not only might be off the mark, but into some unwanted bush, tree, log or other snag.

Not only is it important to stop your rod tip high, but to push that rod to an abrupt stop to get a powerful cast that straightens out and on target. After that line has straightened out, gravity will take the fly to the water, just follow the line and fly to the water as it drops.

Mend

The majority of the time when fishing dry flies, a drag-free drift is paramount — the difference between catching fish and putting them down. The further we cast and the more water that our line is perpendicular to, the greater the chance that the current is going to push against it, putting a bow into the line, dragging the fly across the surface. This drag, often resembling a water skier cutting the wake, can put the most eager fish down and out without another chance of catching them. Avoid doing so by mending.

Mending fly line is the proactive placement of slack to compensate for faster or slower currents than the speed of the current the fly is in. Mending line isn’t enough – it has to be done correctly. If you simply flip your rod to the side, the fly will often skitter or drag on the water – the exact thing you are trying to avoid.

I encourage anglers to have some extra “mending line” pulled off the reel and placed in the hand not holding onto the rod. After the cast, and with the line lying in the upward facing hand, draw a circle with the rod tip, accelerating through the motion where you want the extra line to go. The acceleration should take the mending line and apply it to the water – without the extra line, the motion will take line from the path of least resistance – the dry fly – and drag it across the water. The larger the circle, the larger the mend and the more “mending line” required.

Line Management

Anglers often see a rising fish and start pulling line off the reel as they are casting to it. While it might work sometimes, there is a good chance something will go wrong by casting too long, not long enough, not having line for mending, or putting out too much extra line, which can get in the way or caught on something once the fish is hooked.

In a typical dry fly feeding scenario, flies repetitively drift downstream to where a fish has chosen to hold and eat, giving us a moment time to plan the approach. Think like a sniper.

Try this: draw an imaginary line from where you are standing to where the fish is rising. Now, move that imaginary line and its length downstream, inside and nowhere near the fish. Pull off enough line and cast your fly to that distance which will give you the correct distance to the fish when you cast to it.

Next, pinch the line which will keep the correct distance of line out as you pull the extra line off your reel required for your “mending line”. Now, pick your fly up off the water and cast it just upstream of the fish and mend the extra line proactively. If the fish doesn’t eat the fly, make sure the fly, leader and line have drifted away from the fish before stripping in your “mending line,” then pick up the line and fly and cast again.

If you already have more line off the reel that you know you aren’t going to use, reel it up to avoid getting it caught on something.

By applying these three “Do’s” to your dry fly fishing, you avoid a lot of the common mistakes I witness and significantly improve your chances at hooking that rising fish. Remember, there are other variables that can make the difference, including the fly pattern and tippet size – but without a good presentation those things won’t matter.

dry fly fishing, fly casting, fly fishing, line management, mending fly line, mending line, tips for dry fly fishing

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