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Posts tagged "platte"

Salmon

Posted by Ted Kraimer - January 10, 2023

Fresh Salmon - August and September

King Salmon Fly Fishing - Betsie River Near Traverse City

King / Chinook Salmon

Salmon start running upstream on our rivers as early as mid-August on the Betsie River and the season extends into October on the Big Manistee River.

Spending their “growing years” in the big water of Lake Michigan, the King (Chinook) and Coho (Silver) enter our rivers to spawn. After staging in holes and pools waiting for conditions to be ideal the fish move to gravel sections  to spawn. In both pools and around gravel, salmon are often visible while fishing, which helps fuel an angler’s excitement.

Averaging 12 -16+ pounds (depending on the year), these fish do climb well into the 20-pound range making for more than a handful of fish. Landing these fish on fly rods is fun and often challenging at the same time in the smaller confines of a river. Angler’s love it so book early.

Methods

Double Header - Salmon Fishing

Double Header

Nymph fishing with either floating lines or the most effective “duck and chuck” method gets our flies to the river bottom, where the fish are typically holding.

Also known as drift fishing, this is an easy-to-learn technique for beginners; experienced anglers just get better and more efficient with this method.

When fresh fish move into the river, these salmon can be caught throwing big streamers with sink-tip lines on 9- and-10 weight fly rods. Much like trophy streamer fishing for trout, this can be exciting as you never know when a fish is going to materialize and try to pull the rod out of your hand on the take.

To realize success, anglers interested in fishing with this method must be able to cast a fly rod proficiently prior to booking a guide trip.

Spawning Salmon

Spawning Salmon

Betsie River Coho Salmon Fly Fishing Northern Michigan

Coho / Silver Salmon

 

Rivers

Most of the rivers in the Traverse City and northern Michigan regions that flow into Lake Michigan have a “run” of salmon. Typically starting as early as mid-August, fish begin to school up at the river mouths and/or pier heads and swim upstream when ideal conditions occur, usually after a decent amount of rainfall. Join us on a guided fishing trip on the Betsie, Manistee or Platte Rivers.

To learn more about the rivers we fish salmon, click on the links below.

 •  Manistee River below Tippy Dam  •               •   Betsie River  •

 –To preserve our fisheries all trips are catch and release —

Salmon Fly Fishing - Manistee River Coho
Coho Salmon on the Manistee
Salmon Fishing - Betsie River, Benzonia
Fly Fishing The Betsie
Betsie River Salmon Fishing Guide
Bright and Fresh Salmon

Betsie river salmon fishing, betsy, current works, drift boat, duck and chuck, fishing, fly-fishing guide, manistee fly-fishing guide, manistee river below tippy dam, platte, river, salmon, september, streamer, ted kraimer, tipy

Late October Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 24, 2017

Significant rainfall over the past few days has really brought water flows to record levels for this time of year. We often experience this much water in the spring after thaw/rain/run-off,  however this time of year we are not sure what water clarity will be like going forward, but it should be better.

A positive aspect about receiving this much water is we should expect some fresh steelhead to migrate upstream, however they will be moving through seams and holding in water less familiar to us. Look for big flies (bold egg patterns and leeches) to receive the most notice from migratory steelhead in such high water.  Unlike the spring, the water should drop faster as well as regain clarity, but you will want to monitor river flows and use caution if headed to the river – lots of stuff is flowing downstream including logs, limbs, leaves and the garbage that some class-act salmon anglers have left on the river banks. You can monitor water levels by checking out the USGS Streamflow website by clicking here.

Trout fishing? Big streamers on heavy sink-tips will give you a chance at big brown trout just completing their spawning. Like the steelhead waters, conditions like these requires safety and prudence if heading to the river and letting some time go by to let levels drop would be a good idea. With the recent winds, it might be a good idea to take a chainsaw along to clear any new fallen trees if using a drift boat.

Good luck and be safe.

Ted

Fall Steelhead – October, November and into December, these fish will bend your rod like no other – experience it.
Trout/Steelhead – The lower Manistee offers good streamer fishing for trout in late Fall for a combo of species.

Betsie, chainsaw, egg patterns, high water, manistee, michigan river flows, platte, salmon anglers, steelhead, steelhead fishing

Spring Fishing Slowly Gets Here

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 13, 2014

The last few days have felt very spring-like with warmer temperatures, numerous rain showers and even a few mayflies. With rivers running full, trout anglers will find the streamer fishing to be ideal with slightly stained water and a tendency for the fish to be out feeding on all the food drifting downstream.  Trout can be in feeding lanes where a streamer can either entice or elicit one of those big brown trout to play – a worm/night crawler/lamprey looking pattern will do the former where a big articulated pattern designed to draw out a predatory response will do the latter. It can take a lot of casts between fish, but often the fish can be substantial when casting the big rods and the big flies. Patterns tied in either yellow or black are a good place to start.

Some Hendricksons have been coming off on the Manistee with some fish coming up to eat as the water temperatures increase. Bug density and surface activity will increase in the weeks ahead and look for a lot of the other bugs to overlap as emergence schedules condense as the late start to Spring rights itself. Other bugs to be prepared for right now include black caddis, blue wing olives and black quills.  Check out the Borcher’s Emerger if you haven’t already – it’s a good pattern that represents a number of different bugs when tied in various sizes.

Steelhead continue to come into local rivers, but we are well past peak as fish trickle in and leave fast with water temps in the 50s. Smaller rivers like the Platte, Boardman and Betsie have fewer fish in them while the big Manistee with a heavier flow of water has been a little more consistent. The steelhead are mostly on the spawning gravel and the drop-back fish are resting in the bigger holes and runs eating big before heading back to the lake. These drop-back fish are ideal for the two-handed caster looking to swing into fish.

The trout in the Manistee below Tippy are still close to the dam and the spawning steelhead taking advantage of their eggs as food. Look for the streamer fishing down there to pick up over the next week as fewer steelhead are around and the big sturgeon have them feeling uncomfortable in the gravel sections where they are spawning.

Lake fishing for bluegill and panfish is on the cusp of starting. Some local lakes with shallow depths and dark bottoms have just begun but most of the fishing is behind since it wasn’t that long ago that they were still covered with ice. Look for this fishing to kick off over the next week also.

Good luck,

Ted

Trout – May is a great time for mayfly emergences and streamer fishing before June’s Drakes, Isonychias & Hex.
Hatches and Big Bugs – Few dates remain in June for the big bugs – Isos, Drakes and the Hex.
Steelhead and Salmon 
– While Spring is late getting here, it’s not too early to reserve your Fall Dates.

Betsie, bluegill, boardman, borchers emerger, hendricksons, manistee river, platte, steelhead, streamer fishing, trout

Rigging for Steelhead & Salmon

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 16, 2012

Rigging For SteelheadThere are a number of ways anglers can pursue steelhead and salmon with a fly, and different techniques require various approaches to rigging: line, leader, tippet &/or terminal tackle like swivels and weight.

Just like many things, there are numerous ways of doing something – my goal is to demonstrate some of the most common and practical methods used on Michigan Rivers and their steelhead that have worked for me and my customers over the years.

Duck and Chuck

Probably the most common, effective and easy method for steelhead in the Great Lakes region is Chuck ‘n Duck. This technique gets your fly down quickly and doesn’t require traditional fly casting skills, making for a flat learning curve. Running/shooting line is typically used as the fly line with a butt section attached via either a Nail knot or Albright knot. I prefer to use Maxima 12# Ultragreen or 12# Fluorocarbon if water clarity is a concern.

Smaller Rivers

Rigging for Duck and Chuck - Small River

On smaller rivers like the Betsie, Bear Creek, Pere Marquette, and others, the length of the butt section is usually about 7 to 8 ft because the rivers rarely have holes that approach that depth. I tie the butt section to a quality barrel swivel and leave a long, tag end which serves as a dropper to attach various pieces of split shot. In theory, the shot – if caught – will slide off the line under a deliberate pull, potentially saving your entire rig or at least part of it. If the shot is slipping off the tag easily, tie a double overhand knot to provide a stopper – a must if using fluorocarbon since it doesn’t compress very well when attaching the split shot.

On the other end of the barrel swivel I attach my “leader,” which varies in strength – 5 to 8# test depending on conditions and species. I usually tie my first fly 30 +/- inches from the swivel and the second fly about 24 inches from that; secure the line around the bend of the hook of the first fly. Some like to tie both pieces of leader material to the eye of the first fly – it’s your choice.

Larger Rivers

Rigging for Duck and Chuck - Large Rivers

On larger rivers like the Big Manistee, Muskegon and AuSable where depth becomes a consideration, use an 8-12 ft of butt section. Because flow and depth tend to be greater on the larger rivers, the need for extra weight is also a concern. Rather than use split shot, I use pencil lead, which comes in one-pound coils and can be cut to whatever length/weight is required. A hole is punched through the end of the lead which attaches to a snap swivel running along the butt section.

To change the amount of lead, simply open the snap swivel and replace with a different piece/size. To protect the knot use a 4mm plastic bead (I prefer black) between the sliding snap swivel and the barrel swivel attached to the end. Fly placement is similar to the rig used on smaller rivers, detailed above.

Floating Line & Optional Indicator

The floating line method has become more popular in the past few years as anglers’ abilities to cast and mend have improved. When used with an indicator, this method offers advantages such as detecting light takes and suspending flies over obstacles on the river bottom. By casting longer sections of line, unlike chuck n’ duck, you don’t need to strip in as much line before recasting. Slightly heavier fly lines like Scientific Angler’s Magnum Taper make casting these rigs easier.

A tapered leader is used with a floating line, attached either by a loop-to-loop connection or Nail Knot. Stiff-butt leaders like Bass and Stripped Bass leaders work well in this application to help cast the weight of two flies, split shot and optional strike indicator. These leaders are typically about 8 feet long. I like to use one that breaks a minimum of 10# test (often I will replace the tippet section of the leader with fluorocarbon for clear water). At the end I tie a barrel swivel and leave a long tag (aprox. 2-3 inches) to apply my split shot to, often with a double overhand knot at the end to keep the shot from slipping off. The flies are attached to tippet/leader material tied to the swivel – 30 +/- inches to the first fly, 24 inches after that.

If you choose to use a strike indicator/float/bobber, attach it to the butt section at the proper distance for the depth you are fishing. Indicators like the Thing-a-ma-bobber offer simplicity – quickly add it to your leader and easily adjust it once on. Balsa style indicators like Thill’s Ice’ n Fly cast a little better as they have more mass – I like to run the line through it, and back through again, then adjust the length by loosening the loop and sliding the indicator up or down. When fishing water that is “snaggy,” I like to suspend the flies and prefer a Drennan Piker float. The line runs through the float and is held in place by either bobber stoppers or a heavy piece of mono attached via uni-knot as a bobber stop. The floating line rig is most effective when fishing holes and runs less than 5 feet deep.

Float Fishing/Fly-Pinning

Center Pin reels have become popular over the past decade mostly because of their effectiveness at presenting long, drag-free drifts. Fly anglers have adjusted their tackle and are doing something similar to the Center Pin approach. By using long, 11ft +/- rods, floats and fly lines, fly anglers, too, can get their flies to drift drag-free with lots of careful mending. This is a great way to keep your flies off of the bottom and moving through promising seams. When the float moves, get tight – it might be a fish. Adjust your float length per run to keep it off the river bottom and its snags.

The leader set-up I use consists of 1 foot of 30# Maxima Chameleon attached to the fly line and 10# Maxima Ultragreen, 6-8 ft in length for the large, deeper rivers with a barrel swivel tied at the end. On the other end of the swivel, I tie a leader/tippet approximately 18 inches long to the first fly and 12 inches to the second. When using a Drennan Piker Float be sure to run the butt section through it before tying on the swivel. Attach small split shot along the leader to get the proper amount of weight for depth and flow conditions. This “string” of split shot makes casting easier and helps keep the line directly vertical between the flies and the float making for a better presentation and strike detection.

Swinging Flies

Each year more anglers are swinging streamers, spey and wet flies with sink-tips thanks to the recent popularity of switch and spey/two-handed rods. Single-handed rods work too for this method but don’t have the advantage of line control and ease of casting the longer rods offer.

In almost all cases, swinging flies in Michigan rivers requires a section of sinking fly line, often called a sink-tip. Regardless if you are using interchangeable tip or a fixed length of sinking line, you need a leader. Umpqua makes a Freshwater Shorty leader which is 5 ft in length which will work but I prefer to tie a quick and simple leader – here’s the recipe:

  • 18” Maxima Chameleon 20#
  • 12” Maxima Ultragreen 15#
  •  30” Fluorocarbon – 12# Scientific Anglers or Rio Flouroflex

The different sections making up the leader should be joined by using a blood knot. Once tied, secure the heavy end of the leader by either a loop-to-loop connection or nail knot to the fly line; the fly is tied to the end of the leader with your preferred knot.

With our many rivers in Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes region which receive a run of steelhead and salmon, being prepared with the right equipment can lead to success. These methods are relatively straight forward and should assist in making for some good fishing and if done right, a few fish to the net. Good luck.

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The Betsie River

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 13, 2012
Betsie River Bright King Salmon - Guided Fly Fishing Trips

Fresh Chinook/King Salmon as early as Mid-August

The Betsie River is located in Benzie County, 30 miles south of Traverse City, and is most known for its Steelhead and Salmon fishing. The river itself has a mix of sand, gravel and clay bottoms, and the depths vary from long shallow flats to short, deep, cool holes for fish to hold in. The river is anywhere between 30 and 60 feet wide and is relatively easy to wade when using common sense.

Because of the watershed’s composition, the Betsie River can be easily affected by rain and run-off, and this impacts the fishing. While these surges of water “muck-up” the fishing for a while, it is the catalyst that brings more migratory fish into the river — take the good with the bad.

Betsie River Fly Fishing - Near Traverse City, MI
The banks are mostly covered with trees, tags and other vegetation so those with a good roll cast will be the most rewarded. When fishing below Homestead dam you will find the highest concentration of anglers which is why I prefer to take clients to more secluded sections of the river. Regardless of where you fish the steelhead and salmon in this size river, you will find that landing them is challenging adding to the experience.

Salmon

Betsie River Fall Salmon Fishing

King / Chinook Salmon

Early runs of King (Chinook) Salmon helps extend the angler’s fishing season as there are typically fishable numbers by the last weeks of August and continues through the month of September and sometimes into October. Believe it or not, there are salmon caught in the Betsie sometimes into January, but few. Pools loaded with fish holding and waiting to move up even closer to their spawning habitat provides lots of fun and challenges for the angler with the fly rod. Imagine 20 pounds of fresh salmon in a small river with lots of logs in it – more fish are lost than landed adding to the enjoyment of this fishery I refer to as the “Betty-Lou”.

Steelhead

Betsie River Steelhead Fly Fishing

Double-Striped Steelhead

Eggs and nymphs (particularly small black stone flies, caddis, hex nymphs, buggers and b.h. hare’s ears) are typical flies used for the spring steelhead with either floating lines with and without indicators or bottom-bouncing with split shot on a “duck-and-chuck” set up.

Fall steelhead are much like the spring steelhead; water conditions are absolutely key to a good run. If the fish are close to shore at the pier heads in Frankfort and a good rain increases water levels, the fish come in eating salmon eggs their entire way up the river. Hint: Use lots of egg patterns for the fall fish.

Betsie River Fall Steelehad

Early Fall Steelhead

While there are trout that live in the Betsie, they are the minority species. Although I am not a biologist, it is my understanding that the Betsie’s water temperatures increase a little too much for healthy populations of trout, but I could be wrong — it’s yours to discover. When catching rainbows 6 to 10 inches long, treat them with care — these are the steelhead of the future. Each fall, anglers catch lake-run brown trout. These fish usually enter the Betsie in November and are caught by anglers fishing for fall steelhead.
 

Where

Betsie River Fresh Chinook Salmon

King Salmon

The Betsie River has a number of state access points including River Road, Grace Road, US-31 and Homestead Dam. The latter is the most popular as fish tend to stack up below the dam; however some fish do breach the dam. There is fishing above the dam, but it’s limited by the amount of state property.

Eventually as you travel upstream you will find the river is closed to fishing during the fall, winter and early spring and follows the traditional trout season dates. This upper water works as a sanctuary for the fish to spawn to ensure future populations of fish.

Betsie River Coho (Silver) Salmon

Coho / Silver Salmon

The Betsie River flows west and before emptying into Lake Michigan it flows into Betsie Lake, which is connected to Lake Michigan. A popular “port” for charter boats, Betsie Lake and its neighboring villages of Frankfort and Elberta offer surf fishing both on the piers and in the lake itself, all within a short distance of good restaurants when the fishing is done.
 
 
 

The State of the Betsie River

Betsie River King Salmon

Bruiser of a King Salmon

The Steelhead run on the Betsie was one of legend. After a dam washed out in the upper watershed years ago, the river has had to deal with a significant increase of sand and silt. This “erosion” filled up holes that once held good populations of steelhead which now temporarily stay in those “holes” before continuing to move upstream. Efforts by various conservation groups (Conservation Resource Alliance / CRA, Betsie River Watershed Restoration committee, Trout Unlimited and others) have stabilized banks to eliminate further degrading, and I am happy to report improvements based off of observing deeper water, better spawning gravel and cooler water temperatures.

Betsie River Fly Fishing Guide

Winter Steelhead

In addition, there seems to be better returns of Steelhead through the stocking program done in conjunction with the state’s Department of Natural Resources and a local conservation group. Other projects include rehabilitating access for fish to Dair Creek which should also increase successful natural reproduction of both Steelhead and Salmon.
 
 
 

Directions

The Betsie river is located in Benzie County 30 miles South of Traverse City, 10 miles East of Frankfort / Elberta and runs through Benzonia. The Homestead dam is located just outside of Benzonia and is a popular place to fish because of parking and access.

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

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