Mid-May finds us headed to different waters in pursuit of different fish as this time of year offers choices to anglers.

May often means Mayflies but the cold nights have had an effect on the hatches. Once stable weather comes back, anglers can look for a mix of bugs on the upper Manistee and Au Sable rivers. March Browns, Mahoganies, Sulphurs, caddis, and the last of the Hendricksons should be in your fly box if headed out. For the next 6 weeks, a Borcher’s Drake should be with you as it’s just a great all-around imitator of so many bugs found in our rivers. Just as temps fluctuate, so do the times in which bugs can come off or fall as spinners. Water levels are low and running clear for this time of year so longer leaders and stealthy presentation helps with hooking up.

If streamer fishing between hatches, try smaller streamers with the lower water. Cover the water, work the wood and mix up the natural patterns to represent the baitfish and sculpins. If that doesn’t work, try some “twitch flies” that might just get the attention of the trout.

It appears that the Didymo/Rocksnot bloom that alarmingly was widespread on the upper Manistee in 2022 has pretty much disappeared. While that bodes well for fishing and the future of the river, it doesn’t mean anglers shouldn’t stop taking measures to prevent spreading the latent spores to other waters. If you have felt sole wading boots, now you have justification for buying a new pair of rubber soled boots as the felt harbors invasive species leading to transmission to other rivers.

Lake fishing is heating up but still can be a little moody with water temps fluctuating. Smallmouth bass are still in pre-spawn mode and are sitting in deeper water while a few Largemouth bass have gone shallow in lakes with dark bottoms and protected bays that help stabilize water temps. Regardless of where you are fishing, baitfish patterns tied in various densities/sink rates have been working. It’s also time to grab your favorite bluegill flies. When these fish come into the shallows, they are just a ton of fun on the fly rod – both on the surface and just below.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – May’s streamer & dry fly fishing turns to the big bugs of June. Good dates to choose from.
Smallmouth Bass– Spend a half or full-day on the lower Manistee fishing smallies – June through Late August.
Fall Steelhead – Just a few prime steelhead dates remain available in 2023 – finish the fishing season strong.