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Posts tagged "hendrickson"

Memorial Day Mayflies and More to Choose From

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 21, 2015

As we approach late May the Mayflies are starting to become more prolific and varied on the upper Manistee, Boardman and Au Sauble Rivers. The next month offers our best match-the-hatch dry fly fishing of the year – make sure your boxes are filled and varied and your fly casting accurate – those selective risers only give you so many chances.

Most of the dark Hendricksons have come and gone but you will want some dark spinner patterns for when they hit the water. With the cool evenings, the spinner fall has been more of a tease – look for the next warm evening to provide a good fall of bugs but don’t overlook late mornings. Light Hendricksons are more common and a few Sulphurs are emerging more commonly in the evenings which should continue to be one of the key bugs over the next two weeks. It’s also time to have March Browns and Black Quills in your fly box as this is the time of year they make their annual appearance.  The Medium Brown Stoneflies have been around and when fished blind with a skitter- and-twitch, some nice fish are playing along. Don’t forget that Black Caddis will remain prolific most evenings right at dark for the next couple of weeks.

Streamer fishing has remained inconsistent. As the chestnut lampreys are more active this time of year and as such, brown, slinky streamers can be a great choice. Other good colors lately include: olive/white, brook trout (olive/tan/orange), and yellow/brown.  With the water being low and clear, smaller streamers can be a better choice when fishing smaller water, whereas the bigger, deeper water with its holes are better fished with a big often articulated streamer. Streamer fishing remains a great choice as you fish before dry flies and surface activity.

The local lakes have been fishing very well for both panfish/bluegill and bass. As the darker bottom lakes warm quickest, anglers will find the bigger gills spawning in shallow water. This is a great opportunity to catch fish that are normally too deep for the fly angler. Dry fly activity has been best when it is flat and calm where as smaller nymphs like damsels, brassies and soft-hackled hare’s ears fished with a slow, swimming retrieve has been best sub-surface. The bass have been taking both surface and subsurface flies, but smaller baitfish and sculpin streamers have been real effective.

We are still a week or so away from having carp and smallmouth on the flats of the bays thanks to the cold winter and some recent cold nights. We still have frost advisories so cover up your plants and keep your 8 wt. ready for when we get a few days of bright sun and no wind – that usually heats the water significantly which brings the fish in from the depths  it’s right around the corner.

With Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to summer begins so be sure to drive safe, share the water with other anglers and enjoy the local fishing.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout Season – Streamer & Dry Fly fishing is ideal throughout May on the Upper Manistee & AuSable Rivers.
September Salmon – Dates are limited for fishing the Betsie River in early Sept. and later on the Manistee.
2015 Fishing – It isn’t too early to get your fishing trips planned for the year. Booking all species/seasons.

bass, black caddis, bluegill fishing, borcher's drake, carp fishing grand traverse bay, fly fishing, hendrickson, trout guide

May Mayfly Emergences – Hendricksons

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 13, 2015

It’s Mid-May and we are in the middle of Hendricksons which continue to emerge on certain days on local rivers including the Manistee, Boardman and AuSable.

May mayfly emergences continue to baffle us and are occurring at times and in weather counter to what is typical which means the best time to be out is anytime you can because you never know when bugs will be on the surface. Some of the lighter and smaller henies are starting to emerge as the larger, dark ones are starting to taper off but it would be a good idea to have both in your fly box if headed to the trout water. Spinner falls in the evening up until dusk have been common on the warmer evenings. Look for some Black Quills and even Sulphurs to start up soon. With the various mayflies emerging and adult spinner falls this is a great time of year to fish a Borchers Drake and Borchers Emerger. Medium brown stones and black caddis are popping some days, too, as the leaves are really filling out on the trees along the riverbanks.

Water conditions are ideal as far as level, clarity and temperature.  Streamer fishing continues to be a great way to cover the water between hatches to find those bigger fish looking to eat big. No color or combination has worked better than another so mix it up and look for their daily preference.

Bluegill have moved into the shallow water on certain lakes and ponds as some are spawning and others are pre-spawning. This is a great time of year to get access to the big “slabs” that are usually in water too deep for the fly fisher. While surface flies are the most fun to use for panfish, often it’s the small streamer or nymph fished subsurface that gets the bigger fish to play along.

Good Luck,

Ted

Trout Season – Streamer & Dry Fly fishing is ideal throughout May on the Upper Manistee & AuSable Rivers.
September Salmon – Dates are limited for fishing the Betsie River in early Sept. and later on the Manistee.
2015 Fishing – It isn’t too early to get your fishing trips planned for the year. Booking all species/seasons.

ausable, bluegill, boardmand, borchers, dark hendrickson, emergences, hendrickson, henies, light hendrickson, manitsee, panfish, sulphur

Borchers Emerger Fly Pattern

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 12, 2014
Borchers Emerger Pattern

Borcher’s Emerger

This emerger pattern is a variation of the Borcher’s Drake, which is most likely in your fly box already. If it isn’t, it should be, as should the Borcher’s Emerger.

As does the dun, the Borcher’s Emerger can imitate a large number of common mayflies found in Michigan trout rivers and even beyond.  A tier can stock their fly box with patterns from size 8 -16 to imitate: Hendrickson, Mahogany Dun, Great Speckled Olive, March Brown, Brown Drake and Isonychia mayflies. And by changing the colors of the dubbing and wing, you can also use this pattern to imitate other prolific bugs like Sulphurs.

Borchers Emerger - Natural

Natural emerger struggling out of its nymphal shuck

Part of an emerger’s allure could be explained by having more body sub-surface, making it easy for fish to see. Or, as a season progresses, trout might be suspect of duns since most anglers use them. After a few hooks ups, they become quite wary.

I combined a few elements of common fly patterns to develop the Borchers Emerger pattern. The “Tilt-Shoot” wing is a variation of a parachute and does a great job of helping keep the fly upright and floating while angling backwards,  providing an accurate profile of the wing. As most new flies can be difficult to master at first, this wing can be tricky, but perseverance will get you there. 

 

Borchers Emerger Recipe

Borchers Emerger - Brown Trout

Hook:               Daiichi 1167 Klinkhamer # 12 (8-16)
Thread:            Uni 6/0 Camel (8/0 in smaller sizes)
Shuck:              Z-Lon – Brown
Body:               Cinnamon Tip Turkey Feather
Wing:               Coastal Deer Hair – Medium
Thorax:            Fine and Dry Dubbing – Rusty Brown
Hackle:             Grizzly Dyed Dun – Dry Fly/Rooster

 

Tying Instructions
Borchers Emerger Step - 1

Step 1.  After placing hook into the vise, wrap a base
layer from behind the eye backwards to point shown in photo.

Borchers Emerger Step - 2Step 2.  Using a sparse amount of Z-Lon (about half the diameter of a typical strand). Tie in
at the bend/kink just behind the eye and wrap along the hook to just beyond the base layer.

Borchers Emerger Step - 3Borchers Emerger Step - 3.5

 

Step 3.  Pull a few strands/fibers (approximately 5 or 6) from the tail
feather and tie the tips in near where the shuck extends backwards.

Borchers Emerger Step - 4Step 4.  Advance thread forward to where the bend/kink is and wrap the turkey
feather fibers tightly forming a slightly tapered body towards your thread. Tie off.

Borchers Emerger Step -5Step 5. Select about a wooden matchstick’s diameter of
deer hair and cut, clean and stack/even the tips of the hair.

Borchers Emerger Step - 6Step 6. With the tips pointing rearward to about half-way down the body, secure
the deer hair with a few loose wraps and then a tight one.  Too long of tips will result
in the fly tipping over. Too short and it won’t provide the proper wing profile.

Borchers Emerger Step - 7Step 7. Pull the butt sections up and place a few thread wraps
against the hair to encourage them upward. Do NOT trim butts.

Borchers Emerger Step - 8Step 8.  Prepare a hackle by trimming a few barbs close to the stem.

Borchers Emerger Step - 9Step 9.  Tie the hackle at the base of the deer hair so the underside/concave of the feather is facing you.

Borchers Emerger Step - 10Step 10. Using a sparse amount of dubbing, dub a tight thorax under and around the deer hair and hackle.

Borchers Emerger Step - 11Step 11. Wind a relatively heavy/full hackle wing and tie off.

Borchers Emerger Step - 12

Borchers Emerger Step - 12.5

 

Step 12. Divide the deer hair tips and butts with your fingers and trim the butts
closely to the hackle. Apply a drop of head cement on the butts and the thread wraps.

Borchers Emerger Fly Pattern and How to Tie

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Memorial Day Weekend Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 23, 2013

Up and down weather this week has provided everything from hot and humid to cool and rainy. While the dry, warm days provided good hatches on the Manistee and Boardman Rivers, the other days were ideal for the streamer angler fishing below the surface and covering water looking for trout.

The potpourri of bugs lately have included: Hendricksons, March Browns, Mahoganies, Black Quills, and a few Sulphurs. Inconsistent weather has broken the mold of evening-exclusive spinner falls and they can be found at all times of the day including late mornings – one just never knows so it’s good to be prepared and be flexible. Look for the warmer weather to return this weekend and for the bug emergence to become a little more reliable and stable. If heading out, you will find that the most prolific hatch lately has been the mosquitoes; be sure to take some bug spray – not having any isn’t an option right now. To read more about the various mayflies that emerge over the next month, click here.

Streamer fishing has been decent as the water conditions are ideal with a slight stain, overcast skies and good temps. With chestnut lampreys active right now and the rain washing worms downstream, streamer patterns resembling such are catching some fish. Other successful patterns are those with lots of movement and orange/brown color schemes looking like crayfish and/or juvenile brook trout – at least that seems to have been a recent preference.  As always, mix it up, donate flies to deep structure and keep moving for that rewarding brown or rainbow trout.

The Bluegill/Panfish have moved into shallow water on most of the local lakes and are making for some great fishing. Targeting the “bull-gills” on light rods is a blast. Fish have been taking both dries and nymphs with dries being best when the water is calm. Fish small nymphs by swimming them or try a real small streamer slowly striped.

Some carp have been moving closer inshore from the Grand Traverse bay’s depths but they are far from where they should be in regards to numbers and ideal depths. These weather changes – I think, negatively affect carp more than any other fish we fish for. Smallmouth bass, too, are starting to move towards shallow water to do their spring spawning ritual. The fly fishing in the bays surrounding  Traverse City will only get better over the next month.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day. Good luck.

Ted

Trout Fishing – May & June offer some or our best streamer fishing & great hatches!
Bluegill – Experience great fishing on the ponds and lakes in mid-May and June
Father’s Day – Ask for or give a gift certificate to dad this Father’s Day – June 16 2013
Hex Fishing – Some ideal dates are still available for the big bugs and big fish in mid/late June
2013 Fishing Season – Now booking for all 2013 seasons – don’t miss out on this year’s fishing

bluegill fishing, carp fishing, chestnut lamprey, fishing, fly fishing, hendrickson, manistee, report, streamer fishing, sulphurs, traverse city

Spring Fishing Progresses

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 16, 2013

Last week’s great weather was interrupted by cooler weather complete with snowflakes and rain over the weekend leading to a drop in water temperatures. Now that the sun is out again and warmer weather is back, water temps are climbing again and the bug emergences are a little more predictable with fish often taking advantage offering decent dry fly activity.

On the local rivers like the Manistee, AuSable and Boardman, look for Hendricksons to continue (both light and dark), March Browns, Black Caddis, a few BWOs, little brown stones, Black Quills and a trickle of Mahoganies. Spinners have been collecting above the riffle sections but the time of day they hit fall to the water varies on the bug and the conditions of the day – it’s been all over the place. Keep some sulphurs in your box because they are on deck. As mentioned in last week’s report, fish streamers between emergences and cover water – one bend can be void of fish while the next bend can have good bugs and rising fish. Streamer fishing has improved, but it still requires a lot of casts and changing of the patterns between fish. Having a rigged dry fly rod in the boat is a great way to be prepared when a trout snout breaks the surface.

The bluegill action continues on the local lakes and ponds as the bigger fish move from the depths to shallow water to spawn. Very small streamers and “swimming nymphs” do a great job sub-surface where various dries have been effective on top especially when the water is calm.  Largemouth bass are swimming and lurking in the shallows but are mostly sub-surface eaters this time of year including small bluegill that may have eaten your fly.

Good Luck,

Ted

Trout Fishing – May & June offer some or our best streamer fishing & great hatches!
Bluegill – Experience great fishing on the ponds and lakes in late mid-May and June
Father’s Day – Ask for or give a gift certificate to dad this Father’s Day – June 16 2013
Hex Fishing – Some dates still available for the big bugs and big fish in mid/late June
2013 Fishing Season – Now booking for all 2013 seasons – don’t miss out on this year’s fishing

au sable, boardman, fishing report, hatch, hendrickson, manistee, trout
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Ted Kraimer • Current Works, LLC • PO Box 333 • Traverse City, Michigan 49685 • (231) 883-8156

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