Posts tagged "fly fishing guide"

Early April Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 2, 2022

April has come but the snow hasn’t gone. The transitional weather usually found in March is continuing as we get into April with a mix of rain, snow, mud, and ice. We did see the sun twice last week which, could be a sign of things to come.

With the rain and snow, water levels on the Manistee and Betsie have come up significantly. There is also a lot of color to the water so larger fly patterns are the go-to approach until things clear up again. Egg patterns and beads in bold colorations have outperformed smaller presentations and the larger nymphs are working better than the smaller ones.

Steelhead are in the rivers and with temps in the upper 30s some fish have begun to spawn while more fish are getting restless in the holes and runs near spawning gravel. The rise in water levels should also recruit more fish to come upstream from the lake which is good because the fish that have been in the river a while are starting to get wise to what we are up to.

The higher water has made fishing smaller rivers more challenging for the wading angler. As a result, it seems the Big Manistee has even more boats on it with people looking to get their spring steelhead fix. The once common friendly acknowledgment between boats for courteous boat handling techniques sadly has become the exception, not the norm. Remember that we are all sharing the resource and a little courtesy can go a long way whether you are in a boat or wading.

New fishing licenses season began April 1 and just a reminder that there are new harvest limits on local rivers to help preserve fish populations and support natural reproduction with fewer hatchery fish in river systems. All guide trips remain catch and release.

Good luck.

Ted

May Days – The month that offers so much variety for a number of species. <<More info>>
Match the Hatch – Late May and June offer dry fly anglers some of the best trout fishing of the year.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain available in October, November and into December.

Early March Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 1, 2022

Now that it’s the first of March, it’s time to start thinking about fishing again!

It’s been a pretty cold winter with a few mild days mixed in to help keep the snowpack reduced. These mini run-off situations gave some bumps to the water levels which encouraged a few steelhead to come into the local rivers like the Manistee, Bear Creek and the Betsie. Water temps have been pegged in the mid-30s with, but with overnight temps staying in the double digits, things will slowly warm and fishing will only improve.

This time of a year the sun can come out just enough to help warm the water up just a bit. But if it is too warm and causes run-off from melting snow, the water temp usually drops making fish that tend to be lethargic even more so, and a little grumpy too. As we get a few warm-up cycles, look for fishing to improve, especially on the smaller rivers that tend to fluctuate quicker (think warmer) than bigger rivers.

Dead-drift egg and nymph combinations are your best bet this time of year, especially in some of the deeper slower moving water where a lot of the fall and winter hold over fish have taken up residence. The fish are shuffling around a little with the days getting longer with some steelhead starting to stage near the gravel sections of rivers. If you are fishing near gravel where salmon spawned in the fall, don’t hesitate to fish Alevin or even Fry patterns as these are starting to become active. Small (#10 and 12) Green Caddis in clear water can be real effective this time of year, too.

If you are looking to get fired up about fishing, check out the Fly Fishing Film Tour (FT3) this Saturday, March 5th, hosted by The Northern Angler at The City Opera House here in Traverse City.

Good luck.

Ted

alevin pattern, betsie river, egg patterns, fly fishing guide, fonzi fry, fry pattern, green caddis, manistee river steelhead fishing, steelhead fishing, traverse city, traverse city fly fishing

Late October Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 26, 2021

As October comes to an end, it almost feels like the end of September.

The past month was mild with overnight temps well above typical leaving the water temps at least 10 degrees warmer than normal. A second, late push of salmon never occurred as a lack of wind on Lake Michigan and a lack of rain and a swollen river seemed less inviting for them to come in. Some stragglers are still in local rivers like the Betsie and Manistee, but at this stage of their life, you might need a tetanus shot before handling one of these fish.

With the nicer weather and lack of river flow, steelhead numbers are less than what they should be for this time of year. Egg patterns and beads are still ideal, especially in the tail outs and seams below spawning gravel. Since water temps are in the mid-50s the fish will move to take a fly so it’s good to hold on tight as some times they pull pretty hard. Lighter line in the clear water provides an advantage over the thicker stuff but the fish definitely have the advantage.

With the salmon winding up their spawning, the steelhead are starting to look at food sources other than eggs; late October and November are a good time for those who like to swing a fly to do so. I suspect that this November’s fishing might be a little better with warmer water temps expected to hang around a little longer.

Good luck.

Ted

Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain in the second half of November. Finish the season with some chrome.
2022– Booking next year’s fishing seasons through September. Don’t miss your favorite seasons and good dates!
Gift Certificates – Ask or give the gift of a lesson, half or full-day trip on the water.

betsie river, egg patterns, fall steelhead, fly fishing guide, lake michigan, manistee river, salmon, steelhead, tippy dam, traverse city

Early August Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 9, 2021

UPDATE August 11: Two heavy rainfalls in the region the past two days have increased river flows significantly. Anglers will find the rivers high, moving fast, and dirty. To monitor your favorite river, use these sites:

Upper Manistee/M72 Upper Manistee Near CCC Lower Manistee/Tippy Boardman Platte
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River conditions on the Manistee and Boardman are pretty much in step with the season – running slightly clear and low making mornings and cloudy days the best approach to fishing this time of year.

Hatches on the river are pretty much limited to Tricos in the evenings and Trico spinner falls in the a.m. Some days these last for a while giving you multiple targets to cast to, other days it is short lived with a brief window of spinners falling and feeding fish. The occasional Isonychia is coming off, more likely in the evening and they are getting smaller in size (#12 & 14) as the summer continues.

When bugs aren’t around, it’s time to cast “Foam and Rubber” – attractors and terrestrial patterns which have rubber legs. Somedays they want big patterns dead-drifted, other days twitched, or sometimes it’s a smaller pattern that looks more natural. Good brook trout and decent brown trout are coming up but the bigger fish – it seems – have mostly gone on summer vacation which is normal; look for them to start showing up again when school starts, water temps cool, and fishing pressure drops.

Lake fishing, too, has slowed with more bluegill playing along than the bigger bass. If looking for the bass, go sub surface with small streamers fished slow on either an intermediate line or small sink-tip.

Smallmouth bass fishing on rivers has been a good option for those looking to cast a larger fly on sink-tips, slow sinking lines, and the occasional floating line with a dry fly for fish that tend to pull pretty hard.

Good luck,

Ted

Trout Fishing – July and August is Terrestrial and Trico time! Start the day off casting to brook and brown trout
and get back to the family for lunch time – it’s a great way to start the day when in Northwest Michigan.
Learn to Fly Fish – Tailor a half-day trip to learning how to fly fish –perfect for beginners.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain in November and into December.

fly fishing guide, fly fishing report, manistee, manistee river fly fishing, michigan fly fishing, smallmouth bass on streamers, terrestrial fishing, trico fishing

Early July Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - July 8, 2021

See-saw weather continues into July making just about every day different from the previous one. From hot to cool, sunny to rainy, the weather patterns have been mixed. Despite a number of rains, the local rivers are in good shape in regards to height and color. The thirsty ground absorbed a lot of the run-off keeping the rivers fishable.

The Upper Manistee has been fishing o.k. Like the weather, it has been different from one day to the next. Bugs/hatches have mostly been non-existent save for some Isonychias, Light Cahills and some remaining Hex. A few stones have been around as well, but mostly the two months of match-the-hatch dry fly fishing is behind us leaving the options for patterns to a select handful of dries. It’s nice to have room in my gear bag again. In addition to patterns imitating the bugs noted above, it’s time to think about transitioning into terrestrials and “twitch” flies.

To learn more about fishing the trout rivers this time of year, check out “Fishing After the Hex Hatch”.

On local lakes the largemouth bass fishing has picked up whereas the bigger bluegill/panfish have slipped back into deep water. They likely will be back up for another spawn soon. Nothing new here – fish the structure (weeds, docks, fallen in trees, drop-offs, etc.) for your best success. While top water is the most fun, something fished sub-surface on an intermediate line can fool those particular bass that are wary of fly patterns that float.

Good luck.

Ted

bass fishing, bluegill, boardman river, fly fishing guide, fly fishing lessons, learn how to fly fish, manistee triver, terrestrial fishing, tricos, trout fishing traverse city

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