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Posts tagged "michigan steelhead"

Mid-October Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 16, 2019

Mid-October finds the weather and fisheries in-line with the calendar.

The river banks are popping with color as the leaves and salmon change color while some chrome steelhead show up. The salmon run is past the peak however a fresh one shows up occasionally. With the erratic weather patterns since late August, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few fresh fish trickle in for the next month on the Betsie and Manistee Rivers.

The steelhead – like the salmon – are running larger this year. Combine their size with warmer than normal water temperatures (upper 50’s) and folks have found them to be more than a handful when hooked; I have never witnessed steelhead behavior like this before. With the recent and forecast cooler overnights, the water temps are dropping, and this should help “tame” the fish a little.

As the salmon continue to spawn in the river, the steelhead are on a heavy diet of salmon eggs. The runs below spawning salmon have the steelhead below them taking full advantage of the protein drip. As such, egg patterns and beads have been the go-to, however some green caddis and steelhead buggers are an honorable mention and worth having in your box.

<<More info on fishing egg patterns can be found here>>

The ardent steelhead angler will still find the salmon angler and the accompanying trash on the river bank so be prepared to share the water for a few more weeks. Beer cans are lighter when empty but sadly they still don’t make it back to the parking lot once consumed – let their behavior of littering and questionable angling techniques inspire you to be a sportsman rather than assimilate and be a slob.

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.

beads, egg patterns, fishing egg patterns, guided fly fishing, manistee fishing, michigan steelhead, salmon eggs, salmon fishing, steelhead, tippy dam

The End of March & Winter – Fly Fishing Report 3/27/13

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 27, 2013

Without a change in the weather, not much has changed on the water. It appears the steelhead that moved up the Manistee after the increase in water earlier this month have mostly scattered themselves throughout the river.  Some days are better than others right now, and it’s usually covering the water thoroughly and well means the difference between catching and just fishing.

The usual water is producing – big, deep holes – but the slots and seems, with moderate flows near structure and close to gravel, seem to be the most consistent with the cold water temps (upper- 3os). The water has a nice stain to it, making it ideal.

The forecast is calling for a little warm-up, and perhaps a little rain over the weekend, which will provide the warm water bump the fish have been waiting for. There is still a fair amount of snow in the woods, but there is less of it each day, which should mean more fish with the days to come.

There hasn’t been any one particular pattern outperforming the others: Caddis, Black Stones and Fry fished in conjunction with various eggs seem to be best.

Just a reminder that April 1 a 2013 fishing license is required.

Good Luck,

Ted

The Spring newsletter just went out – click here to read and/or sign up for delivery.

 Spring Steelhead – Now through April. Some dates still available in April – schedule yours today.
Trout Fishing – May & June offer some or our best streamer fishing & great hatches – its closer than you think!
2013 Fishing Season – Now booking for all seasons in 2013 – Don’t miss your place in the boat.

caddis, egg patterns, fishing report, fry, manistee, manistee steelhead fishing report, michigan steelhead, steelhead

Top 5 Steelhead Flies for Michigan

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 17, 2013

Top 5 Steelhead Flies - Fall Steelhead Manistee River

Steelhead anglers in Michigan and the Great Lakes have a lot of choices when looking to stock their fly boxes. There’s no shortage of effective flies, but choosing a select few can almost be confusing or even intimidating. This list of top 5 steelhead flies includes patterns that have produced for me and my clients over the years – both in spring and fall.

Those who have fished with me know that my fly boxes include more patterns than these. The purpose of this list is to help you identify and start to build a collection that will fish well and become the favorite, producing staples in your fly box.

Hex Nymph

Top 5 Steelhead Flies - Hex Nymph Pattern Bear's Hex

Bear’s Hex Nymph

Hexagenia mayfly nymphs or “wigglers” are significant, since many of our rivers with steelhead also have this silt burrowing mayfly. One of the largest mayflies, the hex, looks buggy. Many of the patterns used to represent them also share looks similar to other important food sources, like sand sculpins and sucker minnows.  No steelhead box should be without some.

Commercially Tied Patterns: Bears Hex Nymph, Schultzy’s Rabbit Hexum, Ted’s Edible Hex, Fox’s Shuck Hex Nymph

Sizes: #6 – 10

 

Caddis

Top 5 Steelhead Flies - Caddis Pattern Boogie Woogie Caddis

Boogie Woogie Caddis

Lift just about any rock or log in the river, and you will find caddis cases clinging to the cover. This grub looking pupa ranges in size and color, but it seems that green and chartreuse are the most effective for Michigan steelhead. Most patterns are tied larger and brighter  than real life and “suggest” caddis, but serve more as an attractor – especially when fishing stained water. Small, natural looking patterns in green, olive and cream are worthy of a place in your box when fishing low, clear water often associated with winter steelheading.

Commercially Tied Patterns: Disco Caddis, Boogie Woogie Caddis,  PM Caddis, Flashy Brassie Grub

Sizes: #6 – 12

Click here to learn how to tie Caddis patterns.

Steelhead Bugger

Top 5 Steelhead Flies - Steelhead Bugger

Steelhead Bugger

The “Crescent wrench” of all fly boxes for most species is the wooly bugger — because it works. Tied with a touch of flash and with the natural, buggy appearance of peacock, the steelhead bugger (a.k.a. “The Steelie Bugger”) is a slight variation from the standard wooly bugger. Both patterns suggest a leech, a stone fly and who knows what else – it’s the Steelhead Bugger that seems to be even better. Make sure you have some in your fly box.

Commercially Tied Pattern: Umpqua’s Steelhead Bugger

Sizes: #6

Click here to learn how to tie a variation of this pattern.

 

Egg Pattern

Top 5 Steelhead Flies - Egg Pattern Nuke Egg Fly

Nuke Egg

Tandem fly rigs are the norm when targeting steelhead. More often than not, one of the flies is an egg pattern. Serving as a realistic egg imitation or when large and bright – an attractor, no veteran steelhead fly angler will deny the effectiveness of an egg pattern. To learn more about fishing eggs for steelhead, read, Egg Patterns.

Commercially Tied Patterns:
Glo Bugs (Oregon Cheese, Golden, Chartreuse)
Crystal Eggs (Peach, Chartreuse)
Nuke Egg (Oregon Cheese over Steelhead Orange,   Chartreuse over Flame, Egg over Steelhead Orange.
Rag Eggs (Clown, Apricot/Dark Roe , Egg/Salmon, Oregon Cheese/Burnt Orange)

Sizes: #6-10

Stonefly

Top 5 Steelhead Flies - Stonefly PatternTrout Retriever

Trout Retriever

The first insect of the year to hatch in significant numbers is the small black stonefly. Tie one on when you see them crawling on snow banks or fluttering on the surface when the sun is out and water temps increase slightly, tie one on. Our waters have a variety of stoneflies ranging from the small stones mentioned above to some in excess of two-inches long. My favorites are black and cover the size range. As water temps cool in the fall and leaves start to decompose underwater, stoneflies get active making them a good choice at all times of the year. Oh, and when the bite is tough, sometimes the small stone pattern is enough to trick the fish into eating a small snack even if they aren’t actively hatching.

Commercially Tied Patterns: Mercer’s Biot Epoxy Stone – Dark, Trout Retriever, Ted’s Early Black Stone, 20 Incher

Sizes #6-12

Honorable Mention: Leech

Top 5 Steelhead Flies - Leech Pattern - Miles Davis

Miles Davis

Often the spring run can coincide with winter’s thaw and/or spring showers leading to high, dirty water conditions where your small realistic nymphs can go unnoticed.  Tied with rabbit strips or marabou, the black leech’s large profile, undulating motion and sometimes combined with some sparkle or flash can come up big, deserving a place in your fly collection.  High and dirty water in the fall isn’t much of a concern to fall steelhead anglers here in Michigan, but those looking to swing flies on sink-tips should keep a leech handy.

Commercially Tied Patterns: String Leech, Silvey’s Tail Light, Miles Davis, Larimer’s Reverse Marabou

Sizes: Go big

Top 5 Steelhead Flies - Spring Steelhead Leech Pattern

Leech Eating Spring Steelhead

 

bears hex nymph, disco caddis, egg patterns, great lakes steelhead, leech, michigan steelhead, nuke egg, steelhead bugger, steelhead flies, steelie bugger, stonefly nymph
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