nymphing Archives - Current Works Guide Service

As August comes to an end, September has most of us thinking about salmon and fall.

With the cooler temps the past few weeks, ideal winds and some rain, fish are starting to show up in the west coast rivers including the Betsie, Manistee, Bear Creek and Pere Marquette and should continue throughout the month. Many of these fish are staging and holding in deeper, slow holes in the lower sections of the rivers . Presentations can be difficult for fish that sit just on insides of seams and sometimes simply aren’t thinking about eating but perseverance and pattern changes can make the difference some days. Eggs and nymphs are the standard when it comes to nymphing, but those looking to put in time can sometimes get a grab on a streamer – it’s not a quantity thing, but a quality thing.

Not into the crowds, big fish and heavy rods? Trout rivers become vacant this time of year with school starting up, weekend football games taking place and vacations winding down. The terrestrial fishing can be good as the unpressured fish slip out from hiding. And as cooler temps continue with some overcast days, look for the streamer fishing to start up again. The water temps on the Manistee and Boardman are cool and the brook trout have take notice – they are about as vibrant as I have ever seen. Terrestrials, foam and rubber legged patterns and attractors are a great place to start on the surface with small streamers fished on a floating line working below the surface.

Bass fishing remains decent on local lakes with the top water fishing being a lot of fun with all of the weed growth found this time of year. The bluegill fishing has tapered off a little but are still around to put a bend in the rod for those looking for simple fishing or introducing someone to the sport.

Have a safe holiday weekend and good luck.

Ted

Salmon/Steelhead Combo – Late Sept. through early October offers a chance at both species on the Manistee.
Fall Steelhead – October, November and into December, these fish will bend your rod like no other – experience it.
Trout/Steelhead – The lower Manistee offers some great streamer fishing for trout in late Fall as another option.

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Winter is bouncing back and forth between mild and severe offering decent windows of opportunity when the temps are comfortable. There are steelhead in the local rivers with a mix of fresh and winter fish in all systems including the Manistee, Betsie and Boardman. The thaws and rains over the past couple of weeks helped bump water levels up which mixed the fish a little bit moving them around as well as inspiring a few fresh fish to enter the rivers.

Water levels are normal for winter steelheading and rather than typical gin-clear water, there is just a little color to it which is good. Since the fish in the systems are mixed, you will find that the increases in water shuffled the deck so to speak and this will help to keep the fish from being overly stale which can be a problem this time of year as they tend to hibernate in the deep, slow water. Water temps are running in the mid-30s. The drag-free drift is most important this time of year as the fish are demanding. Egg patterns this time of year do a decent job of catching fish and their attention so if heading out be sure to fish a tandem rig with very realistic looking nymphs like hex, caddis, and small mayflies. Presentations under an indicator/float is a good idea this time of year to help with the subtle take but also to help you suspend your flies above structure. Look for the inside of seams to be more productive throughout the winter.

The forecast isn’t calling for any warm-ups and should the weather service remain true to its prediction you might find the cold of January is a great time to tie some flies or read a book on fishing. Some old and new favorite books of mine include: Mayflies – Top to Bottom by Shane Stalcup, Dynamic Nymphing by George Daniel, The River Home by Jerry Dennis and Bonefishing by Randall Kaufman. Check your local fly shop, club or group for fly tying classes this winter – it’s a great way to spend a cold, dark night thinking about fish, filling your fly box and learning more about flies and fishing.

Good luck,

Ted

Winter Special: Take advantage of warm-ups this winter! 5 hours of fishing and lunch – $250
Gift Certificates: Ask for or give the gift of a guide trip or casting lesson. It’s a quick and easy gift! Click here.
Spring Steelhead: Mid-March isn’t that far away – get your dates secured and reserve your place in the boat.
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Posts tagged "nymphing"

End of August Fly Fishing Report – Current Works Guide Service

Winter Mode – Steelhead Fishing and Fly Tying

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