Tough Choices

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 16, 2012

This time of year there are so many species to choose from – it can be difficult to decide what to fish for and where.

Trout fishing continues to offer some good dry fly fishing as the mixed hatches are bringing fish up when temperatures stay mild in the evenings making for ideal hatch conditions. When fishing the Manistee, Boardman and AuSable, look for sulphurs, mahoganies, caddis, yellow/golden stones (#10), black quills and March Browns – emergers, adults and spinners should be in your box ready to go. When cloudy or overcast, bugs are emerging in the afternoon and early evening with spinner falls collecting closer to dusk and eventually falling when conditions are right – typically mild temperatures and light wind if any at all. With the smaller bugs, look closely for the small dimples of bigger fish rising – they can sometimes be hard to detect but worth the extra attention. Streamer fishing has been mixed with cloudy days being best as water levels are normal and clear. Successful streamer patterns include baitfish patterns (deceivers, brook trout, bunkers), brown zuddlers (think lamprey), peanuts and small, natural sculpins.

Fishing below Tippy Dam on the Manistee is nymphing real well with lots of carp in the river and trout eating eggs and the small nymphs being dislodged. Work the bubble lines with indicators and when you are looking to cast a streamer for bigger brown trout, white/baitfish patterns have been effective fished on sink-tips. With all of the small fish stocked in that section, look for the bigger fish to eat your larger streamers that imitate them. Wet fly fishing and swinging caddis dries offers great fishing for those looking to learn fly fishing in rivers.

The local lakes and ponds have seen an increase in bluegill activity as fish are moving in shallow on their beds – look for the numbers to build with the warmer weather and sunshine. Largemouth bass have moved into the shallows in greater numbers and are on nests, too doing their spawning thing. North and Eastern shores seem to be fishing best as the sun sets in the west exposing itself the longest to these sections of water and warming it up. Top water flies like small poppers are working as are small streamers and medium sized nymphs. Keep a rod rigged for pike in the event one shows up or break up the day focusing on the toothy critters with bite tippet and big streamers.

With the sunny days we have been getting some warmer water on the flats of the Grand Traverse Baysimproving conditions for carp. Afternoons and even into the evenings are best which is when the water is warmest. Cold nights and unfavorable wind directions can change things greatly from one day to the next, but with more consistent temps, wind and lots of sun – carp fishing should be going strong, soon. Until then, pick your days, times and places wisely.

Good Luck!

Ted

The Northern Angler will be hosting the Fly Fishing Film Tour at The Inside Out Gallery this Friday, May 18th.
Doors open at 6:00 with the film starting at 7:30. Call TNA for details and tickets – 231-933-4730

– Book a Trip for the Upcoming Fishing Seasons –

May & June: Trout fishing with streamers and dries. Don’t forget the Big Bugs – Drakes, Isonychias and Hex in June.
June: Carp on Grand Traverse Bays – find out why this has become the favorite early Summer fishing of so many.
Booking for all 2012 Seasons – Some Fall Dates Remain Open

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Goblin

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 15, 2012

The Goblin – A Sculpin and Goby Streamer Pattern

The Goblin is a pattern that does a good job of imitating two important food sources to fish in the Great Lakes region: the Goby and Sculpin. This large profile fly provides a great silhouette as well as action and with its inverted hook, it’s ideal when fishing either on the lake or river bottom and when fished around structure. The two-tone color perspective makes is very realistic and the barring of the rabbit helps create that illusion of food.

When fishing in Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan, I find the Goblin works very well on smallmouth bass since there is a dense population of goby; carp have been known to eat it too. With it’s weighted eyes and saturated rabbit strip it sinks fairly well and is paired with a floating line and long leader. Once it sinks, strip it fast, but with very short pops with the rod tip and watch for the fish to take. Strip sets common with saltwater fishing is a great way to make sure the fish is hooked. Sculpins make up a key component of a trout’s diet. The Goblin can be fished “trophy-style” – that is, with a large sink-tip, typically from a boat and striped through the deep holes near and around structure before recasting.

Smallmouth Bass

Another way to fish this pattern effectively is by wading with a smaller sink-tip line and fished slowly near all the structure that is likely to hold fish – primarily, the secondary structure that many of the “trophy” anglers skip. These slots, tail-outs and inside bends often provide that fish who is not hiding, but rather feeding. Rather than taking the approach of getting a territorial response from the fish, this softer approach is more like matching the natural food source and presents a pattern that wanders near a fish looking to eat. This pattern has also caught steelhead when fished with both a floating line or swung on a two-handed rod.

The fly isn’t easy to tie, but it’s not difficult either. The stacking of two colors of sculpin wool can be tricky, and if you don’t get it right the first time, cut off the wool and try again. Reminiscent of the Mad Pup, this pattern’s head is different by being trimmed short and broad to not only give the better profile, but create a more realistic swimming motion.

Goblin Recipe

Hook:           Daiichi 2451 #4
Thread:         Uni-6/0 Camel and Flymaster+ Tan
Tail:              Black Barred Rabbit Strip Gold Variant
Collar:           Rooster Saddle – Natural Brown
Fins:             Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head:           Sculpin Wool – Cream and Sculpin Olive
Eyes:            Dumbbell – Red, Extra Small or Small

Tying Instructions

Step 1. Insert hook into vise, wrap base layer and dub a small body from some rabbit strip.

Step 2. Take a piece of rabbit strip and trim off the end to a tapered point.

Step 3. Poke the rabbit strip with the hook so the end of the other end of the rabbit
strip is at the end of the dubbed under body which is the tie down point.

Step 4. Tie in the collar feather and wrap a few times and tie off. Trim the fibers on the
top of the fly. This feather helps support the pectoral fins that will be tied later.

Step 5. Tie a small patch of rabbit hair on top to cover up the collar.

Step 6. Tie in hen saddles to represent the pectoral fins on each side
of the body as shown. Tie one at a time and then whip finish.

Step 7. Change your thread to the heavier and stronger Fly Master+ and tie the thread in just
behind the hook eye and tie in the dumbbell eyes with figure-8 wraps.

Step 8. Position the thread between the fly body and the lead eyes. Tie in a small clump of sculpin
wool by cinching down in middle of the hair like you would stacking deer hair.

Step 9. Rotate the vise or re position the hook in the jaws and repeat the previous step with the cream wool.

Step 10. Advance the thread to between the hook eye and dumbbell
eyes and tie in the second clump of dark wool.

Step 11. Tie in the second clump of light colored wool on the underside . Tie off and whip finish.

Step 12. It’s time to trim the wool. Work in a two-dimension approach by trimming
the top and the bottom of the head first. Once you get the profile you are looking
for, rotate the vise and trim from the top view to get the desired profile.

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Swimming Hex

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 13, 2012

Ted’s Swimming Hex

A number of people have inquired about how to tie my Swimming Hex nymph pattern featured in Fly Tyer Magazine- Spring 2010 as a part of “Rainy’s Newest Flies for 2010.” I know what you are thinking – not another hex nymph pattern? Yep, but this one is a little different than the others out there.

Originally I designed this pattern for carp fishing – weighted eyes tied on the topside of the hook keep the point up and sharp, while a rabbit strip tail creates lots of motion when striped or from wave action. Fished slowly with short strips or “bumps” on the retrieve, this nymph fly does a great job of imitating the burrowing mayflies found in the silt of my favorite carp waters. But there are times when a fast-paced strip to emulate a swimming hex drives both carp and smallmouth bass nuts.

I think “swimming” this pattern does a good job of imitating juvenile gobies which are so prevalent in the Great Lakes. Steelhead anglers will find fishing this pattern under a float to be effective since it has lots of motion due to the rabbit strip tail and looks like the hex nymphs/wigglers swimming in the same waters.

I like to tie this pattern in a variety of different weights (Bead-chain eyes and various lead dumb-bell weights) to get down in a variety of depths and conditions – sometimes when fishing to moving or cruising carp and smallmouth bass, you want to fly to get down quick as you try to intercept them. After you tie this fly on be sure to massage some water into it to help sink it; rabbit hair inherently has lots of air trapped within causing it to float or suspend at first.

Not a fly tier? You can buy these from your local fly shop that sells Rainy’s flies.

Swimming Hex Recipe

Hook:           Mustad C49S #6 or TFS 2500
Thread:        Uni 6/0 Camel
Body:           McLean’s tan/brown barred rabbit strip
Thorax:        Wapsi’s Golden Stone Lifecycle dubbing
Eyes:           Bead chain – med or lead dumbbell eyes – extra small, or small
Hackle:         Pheasant Rump Feather
Legs:           Sili-Legs – pumpkin/black
Wing Case:   Peacock Herl
Gills:            Gray fibers from the base of pheasant feather

Tying Instructions

Step 1. Wrap thread base layer and tie in eyes on top of hook using figure-8 wraps.

Step 2. Cut a piece of rabbit strip about three times the length of hook shank. Remove hook
from vise and poke the hook point through it so that the eyes are down and the fur is up.
Tie it down so it’s slightly on the curved part of the shank encouraging an upright position.

Step 3. Tie in gills – taken from the bottom part of a pheasant rump feather.
Tie them so they flare on both sides of the rabbit strip.