Posts tagged "salmon"

Summer Continues, Fall Approaching

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 27, 2012

As kids prepare to return to school, salmon have their annual fall migration in mind as they return to rivers. Numbers of fish are light due to the return of warm weather and the lack of rain with some fish in the Manistee and Betsie Rivers. Look for things to really change after a significant rainfall as good numbers of fish are staged at river mouths. Early season king salmon offer some exciting streamer fishing for those willing to put in the time casting large streamers with heavy sink-tips. As the days continue to get shorter, the fish will build in numbers and nymph fishing becomes our go-to method.

Trout fishing has been o.k. the past week with the fish feeling better with the cooler water temps. It has been a long season and the fish are getting smarter, naturally, so think about mixing up your approach and presentation. Small streamers fished on floating line is a good alternative to try. Terrestrial fishing has slowed but some good fish are still coming up from time to time to eat that rubber-legged hopper pattern or attractor. Very few bugs have been on the water however you will want some isonychias, cleons/bwos, flying ants, beetles and Lt. Cahills in your fly box.

The bass fishing in lakes remains good. Both top-water and sub-surface presentations have been working; I usually start off with top-water. Swimming frog/baitfish patterns do a good job of fishing both the surface and subsurface. With the warm-up, look for fish to concentrate near weed beds and drop-offs.

Good Luck,

Ted

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

Salmon: Salmon season extends through September. Limited dates available.
Steelhead: The end of September means it’s time to focus on fall steelhead through November.
Fall Trout: Fish the Upper Manistee throughout fall or Lower Manistee in late October and through November.
Booking for all 2013 Seasons and through August – reserve your place in the boat.

Betsie, isonychias, manistee, salmon, trout

Cooler Days, Cooler Nights and Cooler Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 16, 2012

After a long, warm summer, some cooler weather has settled over the region and changed the fishing up a bit.

Some recent rain has improved the streamer fishing for trout on the Upper Manistee. Water levels are still low and clear so adjust and use a smaller streamer pattern than what is often used in the high, dirty water in the spring and early summer. Dry fly action has improved since the last report and cold-front with the fish looking up for terrestrials: hoppers, beetles and flying ants. If the pattern has foam and rubber legs, use them and try putting a lot of action into the fly to conjure up a rise. The morning Trico hatch is winding down but you will still want some of those flies with you if you are heading to the river in the mornings. BWO’s, Cahills and Isonychias have been about the only thing hatching and by no means are they prolific, but the fish do notice them more some days than others.

Last week’s winds brought some cooler water near shore and with that comes salmon. Some fish have trickled into the Manistee and Betsie Rivers with more to come in September as their spawning urge kicks-in, the nights get cooler and the days get shorter. Early King salmon can provide some of the best streamer fishing we can experience in Michigan but this –like “trophy trout” streamer fishing is a quality thing, not a quantity thing. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Look for fish to be in the lower sections of rivers “holed-up” wondering what to do now that they are in shallow water and not crashing bait.

Lake fishing continues to offer good fishing for those looking to get their still-water and bass fix. Largemouth bass continue to eat both surface and sub-surface flies and on the cloudy days, they seem to be in shallower and feeding more aggressively. Smaller poppers have been working better than the big, loud ones and the edges of lily pads are a great place to start. Bluegill and panfish are still eager to come to the fly on the surface for someone looking to catch a bunch of fish on top. The bigger gills have gone deep and are hard to get with fly gear – look for them to move in shallow in low-light conditions as the water’s cool.

Smallmouth bass are still an option for those looking to fish rivers. The Manistee has been fishing best with baitfish patterns fished on a light sink-tip being the best fly lately. Half-and-halfs, murdich’s minnows, whistlers and circus peanuts in white are worth having in your box.

Good Luck,

Ted

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

Trout: Terrestrials & Trico hatches in August – start your mornings off on a cool, quiet trout stream.
Salmon: The end of August begins our salmon season extending through September. Limited dates available.
Steelhead: The end of September means it’s time to focus on fall steelhead – extending though November
Booking for all 2012 Seasons and through June 2013 – reserve your place in the boat

bass fishing, betsie river, salmon, smallmouth bass, streamers, terrestrials, trout, upper manistee river

August Trout, Bluegill, Small and Largemouth Bass

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 5, 2012

With some cooler weather and intermittent rains, trout fishing conditions have improved and so has fishing. The upper-Manistee continues to fish well in the low-light of mornings with decent trico hatches. When no bugs are present, the foam and rubber leg terrestrial and attractor patterns like Chernobyl Ants and Grasshoppers have been catching fish. Beetles have been fishing better lately as have small flying ants. Dropper nymph rigs have been taking some fish in the deeper slots and holes. Focus on shade and structure. The Boardman has been running warm but early mornings on this local river are giving up some fish on the same flies listed above.

Largemouth bass and bluegill remain fun targets on local lakes for those looking to fish at all times of the day. More frogs, it seems, are around and the bigger bass are taking note. Lily pads, weed beds and other heavy cover/structure are great places to target with frog patterns and other poppers, sliders and divers. Bluegill are pretty much throughout the lakes with the bigger fish found deep where nymphs and small streamers like damsels and leeches are working when sunk on a long leader and slowly striped back.

Smallmouth bass fishing on the lower Manistee remains an option for those willing to cast streamers on sink-tips. Baitfish patterns have been working best and look for the crayfish bite to increase. In low-light and shadows, try poppers for surface action, but look for the sub-surface presentation to be most effective. A few salmon have slipped into the river so should your baitfish streamer get slammed – hold on tight to that 6 or 7 weight rod.

Good luck,

Ted

bass, boardman, fly fishing the manistee river, grasshoppers, largemouth bass, salmon, smallmouth bass, terrestrial fishing, trout

Tips For Better Streamer Fishing

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 16, 2012

Streamer fishing has really evolved over the past 15 years, from fishing small patterns like Mickey Finns and Grey Ghosts fished swung and quickly stripped back on floating lines, to flies commonly ranging from 4-6 inches long, often with lots of bulk, a large profile, shimmer and flash, weight and other accessories and fished on a heavy sink-tips. By doing so, we take big flies to big fish and break-up those periods where surface action is nil but we still want success on the water.

This is not the “gentleman’s” way to present a fly. Often, this presentation triggers a pure territorial response, getting the fish to eat; other times, they just want to eat something big and go back under a log for a while. That’s how they get bigger. This isn’t necessarily a new style of fishing for many, for others it is. Regardless of your experience or the species you cast a streamer to (trout, salmon, steelhead, smallmouth bass), the following tips are suggestions for improving your streamer fishing and scoring big.

Mix it up

Fish can be particular from one day to the other and even throughout the day – not so much to fly sizes, but color and movement. Anyone who has been fishing on “the day” knows that streamer fishing can be some of the most exhilarating and successful ways to catch big fish. But it can turn on and off quickly and/or the fish can have an attitude change and decide something else looks good. Sunlight can make a fly look different, so if the light changes, consider how your once-hot fly might appear in the new conditions and change it if need to be.

Mix up not only your patterns with respect to their colors, size, profile, action, amount of weight, but also how you fish them: faster, slower, deeper, jig-like, lots of pause/suspension, quickly, jerkily; in the heavy structure, in the middle of the river, perhaps the inside seams with little structure. Mix it up, look for a behavioral pattern and always assess. The more you fish the more you will develop your favorite patterns for certain conditions. Let your gut dictate what you should try, but don’t be stubborn and stick with something that isn’t working.

Don’t Recast

If your cast fails to hit the target and falls a little short, rather than pick it up and attempt to get that extra 2 feet of length, let it go and fish it – that is, unless it’s going right into a snag or something else ominous. Here’s why: If you pull that fly out, you may have pulled out of the water just as a fish was about to smash it. Further, if you recast it will you really hit the target the second time? Lastly, when you pull the fly out to recast, you often spook fish and alert them that something isn’t right so your second cast comes through disturbed water with an educated fish in it. Make your cast and fish it out.

Feel The Fish

Set the hook when you feel the fish, not see the fish eat. It has happened too many times – a brown trout into the mid-20s or a 15-pound salmon comes up to eat, mouth opens and the fly rips through the water thanks to a premature hook set. Strike one – you’re out. Keep that fly moving, and when you feel the tug, set the hook as hard as the equipment will allow you to. If you do everything right, the hook fails to stick and the fly comes up and out of the water, cast it right back in there immediately. The fish is typically committed and is now pissed that they ate but didn’t get it in their mouth and are looking around for the “escapee.” I have witnessed fish chasing and eating a fly a number of times before it all connects and the fish is on. Really, cast it in their again and move the fly.

Present Your Fly, Not Your Line & Leader

If fishing with a streamer, you want your fly to be what the fish see, not your line and/or leader. Because we often use such short, stout leaders to dark color sink-tips, we can do things incorrectly with ease. Since fish mostly look upstream, cast your fly at an angle to the river that will keep your fly moving slightly across the current and broadside, exposing the fly to more fishy looking water. With streamer fishing being a predator/prey scenario, keep in mind that the prey (the fly) will use the current of the river flow to escape the predator (fish) rather than move upstream and fight the current to escape the danger. When the cast gets swept downstream and turns to go upstream, strip it back upstream once or twice, but not in completely – it’s time to recast.

When we cast the correct angle, we need to be sure we keep the fly moving the right direction but not too swiftly where the fly is streaking across and downstream too fast and without enticing action. To help with this, mending goes a long way to slow the speed and present more of the fly to good looking structure and hopefully fish, too.

Multi-Task

You have two eyes – use them both. Keep one eye on your fly and your line and how it is moving through the water, adding mends, looking for response from fish and avoiding snags. With the second eye, look downstream for your next target. Rather than cast out immediately after you strip your fly back in, it might be prudent to move a little downstream before casting so the fly gets as close to the structure as possible.

Choose Your Leader

Use a short leader, not a long one with sink-tips. The sinking section of the line is used to penetrate the water column and present the fly at the depth we desire. A short leader keeps the fly close to the sinking line, whereas a long leader can end up riding higher in the column due in part to the current forces and any buoyancy characteristics of the fly. I prefer a leader no longer than 5 ft. in length.

Use a long leader, not a short one with floating line (7 to 9 feet). We do this for the opposite reason as above. If we want the fly to sink and get deep, we need enough leader that will allow separation of fly from floating line. Make sure the fly has some weight to it when using a floating line, unless you aren’t looking to fish it deep.

Keep It Moving

As we strip that fly through the water, yet again, sometimes that big fish appears from nowhere tracking the fly. Too often anglers stop moving the fly to let the fish “catch-up.” Don’t – keep it moving! By stopping, it’s typically a game-over situation as the fish recognizes something is wrong and goes back to where he came from – why would something fleeing for its life just give up? Anglers’ shoulders slump, jaw opens and some profanity slips out.

Keep the fly moving — maybe slower or more erratically to entice the bite, but keep it moving. It’s not a guarantee that the fish will eat but you should know there are no guarantees in the sport just experience to learn from. As such, sometimes smallmouth bass like the fly stopped when they follow it. Try it – if it doesn’t work after a few attempts of pausing it, go back to keeping it moving.

big streamers for trout, fly fishing, flyfishing, leader recipe for streamer fishing, leaders, presenting streamers, rivers, salmon, sink-tips, smallmouth bass, Streamer fishing for trout, streamer patterns, streamers, trophy trout streamers

Fishing Egg Patterns

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 16, 2012

Box of Eggs in Various Color Combinations

Matching the Hatch is often associated with trout fishing, but not necessarily with Steelhead fishing. Imitating the specific natural insects fish key in on is important to the success of the trout angler however this same approach should be used by steelhead anglers looking to imitate their prey’s primary food source – eggs.

Egg flies have been used for decades not only because they are easy to tie or inexpensive to buy, but more importantly because they are effective. With increased angling pressure, water conditions, as well as factors only known by the steelhead themselves, they often become selective on size and color. This article’s goal is to provide you with a better understanding of what egg to use and when. Of course it’s not guaranteed, but put others’ experience in your corner to optimize your steelhead fishing and hopefully a well-earned steelhead into your net.

Matching the Hatch

Regardless of when you fish steelhead and what egg you are trying to imitate, know that the eggs themselves change. After being in the water – free drifting or trapped in a selected gravel bed – eggs become less colorful, a bit translucent and eventually opaque. Depending on the timing of your fishing trip in relation to the “egg drop”, color plays a large factor and there are two ways to determine what is ideal:

1. Experience. Fishing and having certain successes or failures can help you define color combos for particular times. Keeping notes in a journal can help keep track of what can easily be forgotten between seasons and a few beers.

2. When fishing rivers that have a respectable trout population, use their selectiveness as an indication of the right color and size. Catching trout? Proceed. Not catching tout? Change your egg pattern.

When fishing for steelhead in the fall directly behind spawning salmon – color and size becomes more important and is where “matching the hatch” is key. In this case, the eggs are often fresh, having a more realistic color to them.

Want to know what a real salmon egg looks like? Look on the ground at access sites or near fish cleaning stations to match your egg patterns – its not that much different than catching a mayfly out of the air and matching it to a fly in your box when trout fishing. The same holds true in the spring when imitating natural steelhead eggs.

Fall Steelhead

There are many theories as to “Why do steelhead enter our rivers in the fall?”, but there is no clear, general accepted theory. Some think curious steelhead follow the salmon as they run up the river to spawn, others hypothesize that they are genetically programmed to enter rivers at that time of year. While these might be partially or absolutely correct, I prescribe to the theory that fall weather and wind conditions bring steelhead close to river mouths, and the scent of pheromones and millions of salmon eggs drifting down the river triggers them to follow a gravy train of protein. This is why the water downstream of the salmon tend to be best for anglers looking for steelhead and having a box filled with egg flies will keep you prepared.

Rag Egg – Clown Color

With this in mind, I like fishing for fall steelhead, the majority of the time with two egg flies; one larger, brighter pattern as an attractor and a second, smaller, more realistic pattern imitating what is coming down the river. Often the top positioned fly is a multicolored pattern like a Clown or two-colored Rag Egg if not a Nuke Egg. I saw my first clown egg while fishing steelhead in Alaska in the mid-1990s and thought it was a joke – it was about the size of a quarter and included more colors than a small package of Crayola crayons. But with time, understanding, and some luck, I have learned that this multi-color configuration and approach can be significant to my success fishing for steelhead right here in Michigan. It’s a good idea to run this egg pattern in a large size when the water is full of leaves
when a smaller pattern could easily be lost in all of the
drifting debris.

Nuke Egg

Most anyone fishing steelhead in Michigan recognizes the Nuke Egg as an effective pattern that is an improvement over the original GloBug. The Nuke can be tied as an attractor or natural imitator depending on size and color. One of its key attributes is the veil or shroud of yarn that covers the nucleus of the pattern giving it a natural, transparent look when wet. The advantage of the Nuke Egg is its exacting nature to imitate the natural eggs drifting down the river. Some of these color combinations include: Egg over Sockeye, Pink Lady over Shrimp Pink, Apricot Supreme over Steelhead Orange, Salmon Egg over Chartreuse or Nuke Egg everyone’s favorite – spring or fall: Oregon Cheese over Steelhead Orange. Worthy attractor colors are Chartreuse over Flame, or Flame over Cerise.

Sucker Spawn

Steelhead in the Great Lakes perform their annual spawning each year during the spring. The largest numbers of fish are in the river sometime in March and April depending on water levels and temperatures. During this time period, the river is also used by walleyes, resident rainbow trout, suckers and carp (typically in that order with steelhead spawning the same time as rainbow trout) as their spawning area. As a result, millions of eggs drift down the river becoming a significant food source for all fish in the river, notably steelhead. The successful angler is often fishing with an egg pattern best imitating the natural egg – its color and shape in addition to how it relates to water conditions.

Spring Steelhead

Spring water conditions are often found to have a stain or be quite high and dirty. When this is the case, I have found patterns larger than naturals to be the most effective. Egg patterns like Rags, Nukes and Glo Bugs tied in various colors and almost as big as a dime, I think, do a better job of grabbing a fish’s attention rather than imitate the food source. But those times of the spring when the absence of rains and thaws leave the water with good clarity, size and color becomes significant. Patterns like sucker spawn in pale yellow imitate that of both suckers and walleye, where the natural characteristics of Nuke Eggs and Glo Bugs in various colors and hues can be identical to those of natural steelhead eggs drifting down the river.

A well stocked fly box for trout fishing is important to success and it’s no different for steelhead. Learn your favorite river, the spawning times of the various species, and what works in particular conditions and key in on what steelhead are eating. Having egg patterns in various sizes, colors and shapes and learning when to use them and why can be the difference between catching steelhead on a consistent basis and catching a steelhead.

Learn how to tie 4 different egg patterns – go to the Fly Tying page and select the pattern you want to tie.

egg fly patterns, egg patterns for steelhead, glo bug pattern, glo-bugs, imitating natural eggs, match the hatch with eggs, nuke eggs, salmon, steelhead, trout

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