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Posts tagged "guide"

Introducing Others To Fly Fishing

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 16, 2012

Introduce Parents To Fly FishingChances are if you are reading this, you already like to fly fish. If that’s the case – why not share it with someone new to the sport – a kid, a friend or family member? Below you will find reasons to introduce others, how to avoid intimidation and resources to help you along the way.

Introduce Fly Fishing to Colleagues

Reasons

Introduce Friends to Fly FishingThere are plenty of reasons why introducing someone to fly fishing is advantageous – here are some which might apply to you:

  • It’s often nice to share the time with someone else, especially the drive to and from the water. Besides, having a friend to net the that big fish and take a picture is easier than by yourself.
  • Safety in numbers – what if something happens and you’re alone? Having a friend nearby can prove real smart.
  • Get someone involved who will get you on the water more. A good example is a friend who got his father-in-Introduce Fly Fishing -Father and Sonlaw into the sport. The amount of time he spent
    fishing increased significantly — plus, he had his wife’s
    support and approval.
  • By getting your kids out, not only will you get to spend some good time with them outdoors, but it will get you on the water more and with mom’s blessing.
  • Share the sport and promote conservation. We need all the help we can get with preserving and improving our fisheries – one more license bought and a future voice to speak will only help.
  • Pass the sport on to a kid. There are plenty of activities competing for kids attention today, and it seems like the majority of them take place indoors. Get a kid outside and mentor them – they are the future of fly fishing. Big Brothers & Big Sisters, the neighbor kid, a nephew or other relative are possible candidates – have an impact.

Avoid Intimidation

Introduce Fly Fishing and Keep It Fun

Thinking back to when I first started this sport without a mentor, I was intimidated by all there was to know and didn’t know where to begin. Eliminate that feeling for a beginner by coaching them on the necessary basics and keeping it fun. Here are some thoughts on how to achieve this:

  • Let them use some of your equipment at first to see if they like the sport before they buy. This eliminates the costs associated and allows them to try the sport first.
  • Start them off with a casting lesson on the lawn or on a pond without the intimidation of flies/hooks, moving water, picky fish, etc. This reinforces the fundamentals of fly fishing – casting and once grasped, it makes it
    easier to fish.
  • When I first started off, a good day of fishing was measured by not catching trees or tag alders along the bank. Any caught fish were an extreme bonus. Don’t hold them to your own fishing expectations – you probably are much better at the sport than they are. Instead, help make realistic goals and encourage them. Don’t snicker at a tangled leader or the small brook trout they caught.
    Introduce Kids to Fly Fishing
  • Pick the season and species. Bluegill fishing on ponds and lakes is a great way to learn the sport. There are often plenty of fish that eat aggressively, providing opportunities on how to set the hook and bring a fish to hand. The basics are still required: casting, line control, fly manipulation, reeling, knots, etc. Consider that there are many more places to fish panfish than there are trout rivers.
  • If trout fishing, determine an ideal time to get out there. Opening day or late evening spinner falls for selectively feeding fish aren’t necessarily ideal for someone starting out. Fish when there is daylight so they can see what they are doing and can feel comfortable as they learn how to wade.
  • Introduce Your Wife to Fly FishingIf you’re thinking about getting your wife or girlfriend involved, proceed with caution. Based on observation, I think it’s sometimes best to let someone else help with this task rather than test the strength of your relationship. This is where a guide’s fee can be priceless.
  •  Keep the amount of time realistic. Don’t push the sport and when they are frustrated, offer a hand and encouragement rather than a chuckle. Be patient – they might just pick up the tab at the tavern on the way home.

Resources

Introduce Fly Fishing By Using A Guide

Here are some suggestions on resources to help you, the mentor get the newbie started and off in the right direction:

  • Get them a casting lesson to get started without teaching them any of your bad habits. Hiring a professional will streamline the process.
  • Hire a guide for a half-day instead of a full-day to flatten the learning curve and keep it fun. As an FFF certified casting instructor and a guide, I have an appreciation for having fun while keeping the learning on track and often into fish without overwhelming them. Make their first experiences with the sport positive.
    Selfish and shamelss promotion: hiring a guide will help
    make it that way.Itrodce Kids to Fly Fishing
  • The Traverse City based Adams Chapter of Trout Unlimited offers two unique programs for kids. The “First Cast” program takes place in the summer one night a week for appx. 5 weeks. The Adams Chapter also works with The Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of TU and sponsors kids to attend a four day camp for young adults to learn about fly fishing. Check the Adams Chapter website for more information on these programs.
  • There are ideal books and DVDs for someone starting out, including “First Cast to First Fish” by Joseph Petralia, “Fly Fishing Made Easy” by DVD from Scientific Anglers and “The Little Red Fishing Knot Book” by Harry Nilsson.
  • For kids, consider “First Cast: Teaching Kids to Fly Fish” by Phil Genova and “Fly Fishing with Children” by Philip Brunquell.
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Upper Manistee River (above Tippy Dam)

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 15, 2012
Upper Manistee River - CCC Bridge

Upper Manistee River – Scenic Spring Creek

The upper Manistee River is where we do the majority of our trout fishing. Like a big spring creek, the waters of the “Mana” tend to run clear due to the sandy soil around it. With sections of gravel and riffles, sand bottoms and some silt beds the Hex nymphs call home; there are simply lots of different bugs that hatch on this river.

Majority of the fish in this section of water are Brown Trout and Brook Trout with the occasional Rainbow Trout. Ever seen a Tiger Trout? This is a natural occurring hybrid of a brook trout and brown as both spawn in the fall. These fish are rare but they do exist in the Upper-Manistee.

The flows of the Upper Manistee river are moderate and depth changes – common sense will tell you what side of the river to be on, possible places to cross and also what side will most likely to hold the fish.

Structure includes submerged logs, overhanging trees, deeper holes and combinations of them all. Just when you think there aren’t any fish in the river, you will either move a significant fish out of a holding lie or witness a hatch that suddenly turns the river into a jacuzzi with rising fish. Don’t ever give up, just try something different.

Where

Upper Manistee River Dry Fly FishingThe CCC bridge and the CCC Bridge campground are focal points of the fly fisherman who fishes the Manistee. The bridge is the lower boundary of the “Flies-Only” section of water with M-72 being the upper boundary. This water is open year round and has special regulations.

Much of my guiding and fishing takes place from M-72 downstream to the Rainbow Jim’s  and I have been known to fish other sections when conditions are right.

Come float sections of water on the upper Manistee and experience the fishing the water around Yellow Trees, the Miracle-Mile, The Settlement, King Trout Ranch, Burnt Cabin (BKZ), CCC Bridge, Dutch John, and Smithville. The Upper Manistee offers anglers a variety of water and fishing conditions for all experience levels.

Upper Manistee River Brook Trout

Brook Trout

Experience not only great fishing, but a river that is not over-developed or over-used. Because of it’s remoteness, canoe and kayak traffic is not a problem on these sections of river like they are on other areas or rivers in the region.

Located about 40 miles east of Traverse City and 25 west from Grayling.

See the map at the bottom of this page for directions.

Manistee River Hatches

Upper Manistee River Hex Hatch

The Hex

The best hatches on the river and the ones to fish are many. Starting in April, the early black stones get going, and beyond that it only gets better. From the end of April through mid-May Hendricksons are the first prolific mayflies to emerge and often are mixed in with Black Caddis (Mothers day Caddis). Next come the Sulphurs, Tan Caddis, March Browns, Black Quills / Borchers Drakes, Little Yellow Sallies, and Mahogany Duns – all in the month of May and into June.

Read about some of the great insects that hatch prior to the Hex Hatch »

The big bugs of June are what dry fishermen get excited Upper Manistee River -Flies Only Sectionabout: Brown Drakes, Isonycias, and The Hex. Into July and August the Manistee experiences Tricos, Olive Caddis, Light Cahills, and more Isonycias.

Beyond these emerging aquatic insects anglers will want to pay close attention to the terrestrials: ants, flying ants, grasshoppers, beetles and more. Size does matter on these bugs – try to match what you see on the streamside vegetation or on the water and try larger and smaller if you aren’t having success. Throughout the year anglers can expect to see lots of Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) in sizes ranging from 16 to 22; these are a staple for just about Upper Manistee River Fly Fishing Guide Tripsany trout fisherman — and trout!

Obviously there are more types of bugs that come off on this river, but the above mentioned are the ones any fly angler and fly tier should be most concerned with.

For more information regarding our hatches, check out the Hatch Chart.

Streamer Fishing on the Manistee

Upper Manistee River Fly Fishing Guide TripModern day streamer fishing for trophy sized trout was developed on this river by its pioneer Kelly Galloup, former owner and guide of the Troutsman fly shop once located in Traverse City. As a way to catch big fish on those bright days without a hatch or when trying to target big brown trout, streamer fishing gives anglers a great technique which has become not only popular here on the Manistee and other local rivers, but has caught on in popularity throughout the other regions of the country and trout rivers.

Beyond effective, this method also is exciting to watch a fish over twenty inches pounce on the fly before your eyes. Not to give the illusion that catching a fish is easy using streamer techniques, but any angler fishing this river will want to be prepared to cast some big flies (up to six inches long) to pull that lazy fish out of his lair when surface activity is null. Try fly patterns that imitate: sculpins, chestnut lampreys, smaller trout, chubs, and of course that generic fly that not only will move some water, but simply looks too good not to eat. Look to streamer fish all-year with the best times being April-June and September-November.

To learn more about streamer fishing, read Tips For Better Streamer Fishing »

Directions and Map

The CCC Bridge is located about 40 miles East of Traverse City, 20 miles South East of Kalkaska and 25 miles West of  Grayling, Michigan. Anglers fishing the Au Sable River in Grayling often spend time also fishing the Manistee.

Map of the Upper Manistee River (above Tippy Dam)

Map of the Upper Manistee River (above Tippy Dam)

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Ted Kraimer • Current Works, LLC • PO Box 333 • Traverse City, Michigan 49685 • (231) 883-8156

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