November greeted us with full-on fall weather – a mix of snow and rain and some wind making for classic fall steelhead weather.

Water temps have settled into the lower to mid 40’s on the lower Manistee below Tippy Dam and Betsie Rivers which are running higher than normal for this time of year, but they aren’t considered high. Clarity is mostly ideal except for the lower ends of rivers which collect run off and tributaries which affects visibility.  There are good numbers of steelhead in the river however they are spread out throughout the systems – you have fresh fish moving up stream, others that have taken position behind the last of the spawning salmon and those that have been in the system a while and after being caught have become weary and are sitting in the wood/structure.

Egg patterns remain the most effective flies right now along with some beads in natural and yellowish colors. No two days have been the same so mix up size and color to find what they are looking for each day. The nymph bite is starting to pick up with caddis and steelhead buggers continuing to prove effective.  The swing bite is also ideal right now for those capable of working a two-handed rod and presenting big streamers with lots of flash on sink-tip lines.

The forecast weather should help stabilize the fishing as the past week was inconsistent with the abrupt changes in weather. Going forward, it appears to be more of the same so dress accordingly, think fondly about seeing the sun shine all summer, and keep your flies where the fish should be.

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 October of 2020 – don’t miss the prime times.
Gift Certificates – As we approach the holiday season, consider asking or giving the gift of time on the water.