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Posts tagged "salmon"

Beaded Alevin

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 15, 2012
Beaded Alevin Fly Pattern

Beaded Alevin

Wherever natural reproduction takes place, juvenile fish call home. After months lying in oxygenated gravel, the fertilized eggs start to evolve into a fish which become a food source to larger fish. This stage, referred to as an “Alevin,” retains its egg as the length and shape of the fish develops.

With its big eyes and bright egg sack, larger fish take advantage of the alevin’s unwary disposition and protein value – we as anglers take note and also take advantage.

Anglers fishing waters that host spawning salmon in the fall and steelhead in the spring should consider this fly a staple from mid-February and into April. Not only does the alevin work well for steelhead, but trout too find them easy prey.

Beaded Alevin - Natural

Natural Alevin

Other species naturally reproducing go through a similar process, and by tweaking coloration you should find this pattern is effective long after the steelhead, walleye and suckers are done spawning. Some fish eat their own, and mixed species don’t pass up a chance to eat others making this an effective pattern that goes beyond just the early months of the year.

Presentation can vary with the alevin pattern.I often fish as a dropper on a nymphing rig for steelhead. As the pattern comes off the bottom and sweeps up and downstream, I strip some line in before recasting. By doing so, the pattern looks like a natural alevin darting along and the takes –with no slack in the line- can’t be mistaken.

Beaded Alevin - Natural Fry

Immature Salmon

When targeting trout, I like to fish these slightly down and across with twitches created by popping my rod tip on either a slow sink-tip line, sinking leader or floating line if the water is shallow enough. At the end of the drift, let the fly hang down like you would a wet-fly before stripping it back and recasting. Smallmouth bass also like this pattern so be sure to tie one below a larger streamer or even a popper for a top and bottom presentation.

The alevin pattern itself is easy to tie and doesn’t require exotic or expensive materials. The translucent nature of the bead not only adds realism, but also weight and a little wobble when facing directly against the current. Put a bunch of these in your fly box and match a different kind of hatch for a number of species.

Beaded Alevin Recipe

Beaded Alevin 0Hook:          Daiichi 2450 #8
Thread:       Uni 6/0 – Gray
Bead:          Plastic 4mm – orange/pink
Wire:          Silver Ultrawire – SM or BR
Body:         Senyo’s Laser Yarn Silver Minnow Belly
Wing:          Light Olive Ice Dub
Topping:      Peacock Ice Dub
Eyes:           3-D Molded – Silver 5/32

 

Tying Instructions:

Beaded Alevin - Step 1Step 1. Slide plastic bead over hook and then place in vise

Beaded Alevin - Step 2Step 2. Wrap thread from behind eye to form a base layer.

Beaded Alevin - Step 3Beaded Alevin - Step 3.5

Step 3. Slide a piece of wire through bead and tie down between the hook eye and bead.
Bring the wire over-top of the bead and tie down – this holds it in place.

Beaded Alevin - Step 4Step 4. Dub some of the body just in front of the bead.

Beaded Alevin - Step 5Step 5. Take the same dubbing and align the fibers by hand so that you have
a long dubbing/body material. Tie in ahead of the dubbed body.

Beaded Alevin - Step 6Step 6. Align some wing material similar to step 5. Tie in on
top so that it is about the same length as the body material.

Beaded Alevin - Step 7Step 7. Repeat a third time with the Peacock Ice Dub and tie off. Apply water-based
head cement (regular head cement typically melts the Ice Dub).

Beaded Alevin - Step 8Beaded Alevin - Step 8.5

 

Step 8. Install the eyes by placing a drop of Platinum Bond Super Fabric Textile adhesive using
your bodkin. Once applied,use a cleaned off bodkin to pick an eye off its backing sheet and set.
The placement of this eye as demonstrated in the photo is between the bead and hook eye and
slightly elevated and helps sandwich the body/wing material and create the desired profile.

 

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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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Flashtail Whistler – Fire Tiger

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 12, 2012
Whistler Fly Pattern - Fire Tiger

Fire Tiger Whistler

Originally this pattern was designed by Dan Blanton for saltwater use, but over the years it has been adopted by freshwater anglers for its versatility and effectiveness. This pattern is one of the must-have flies that will work in various colors for various species – if it is a predator, it will eat the Whistler.

Beyond pike and musky, I have found various sizes and colors to work well for trout, bass and salmon. The color choices are endless and this particular scheme is a favorite of salmon when they first are in the river. Anglers using lures for these fresh salmon have an affinity for Storm Thunderstick lures in Fire Tiger and it’s effectiveness has led me to tying this fly pattern in a similar color scheme. Make sure your fly box is filled with yellow/red, white/red, chart./olive, olive/yellow, orange/olive, and gray/white to be
equipped and ready for various species in various situations.

Whistler - Blanton's - Assorted Colors

Assortment of Colors for an Assortment of Species

Like the name suggests, there is a liberal amount of flash tied into the tail that not only provides flash, but also action.

The bead-chain eyes “whistle” as you cast the fly through the air. The physical weight of this pattern makes it easy to cast and it retains little water helping to keep it light weight. The thin profile of this pattern causes it to sink slowly which is ideal for shallow water and floating lines while it allows for decent penetration of the water column when fished with sink-tips. Further, you can mitigate the bead chain eyes with other, heavy sinking eyes if you are looking to get the fly even deeper.

Recipe:

Hook:        Gamakatsu B10S, TMC 811S, 600SP; Size: 3/0 – 6
Thread:      Fly Master + or Uni 3/0 – Chartreuse
Tail:           Flashabou – A mix of Kelly Green, Green Glow-in-the-dark, and Chartreuse
Body:         Bucktail – Flo. Orange, Kelly Green and Black
Wing:         Chartruese Grizzly Saddle hackle. Krystal Flash – Chartreuse
Throat:      Red Dubbing (I like Pseudo Seal, Angora Goat or Simi-Seal) or Red Chenille
Collar:       Highlander Green Schlappen
Eyes:          X-Large Bead Chain – Stainless Steel

Tying Instructions

Whistler - Step 1Step 1. Wrap a thread base to above the hook point and take thread back to
behind the hook and tie in bead-chain eyes on the underside of the hook.

Whistler - Step 2Step 2. Tie in Flashabou tail – 3 times hook shank length. [The pictured fly’s
tail is a little shorter which was done for photographing reasons]

Whistler - Step 3Step 3. Invert hook and tie in orange bucktail so tips extend one hook shank length behind the bend
of the hook. Trim excess and wrap in between butts to get a good purchase and secure.

Whistler - Step 4Step 4. Return hook to normal position. Tie in top bucktail to same length as
bottom section, but slightly denser to ensure the fly swims right side up. Majority
of the top color is Kelly Green with some black on top to match the color scheme.
Trim excess and secure. Tie in a few strands of Krystal Flash on each side.

Whistler - Step 5Whistler - Step 5.5

 

Step 5. Prepare saddle hackle by trimming some of the fibers, but leaving the butts to
allow for a secure mount. Pinch the stem of the feather flat with smooth faced hemostats or
pliers to keep the feather from rotating when mounted. Mount on each side of the fly with
natural feather curves bending in. The tips should be the same length as the bucktail. Tie in
additional Krystal Flash over the hackle wings extending aprox. the same length as the hackle.

Whistler - Step 6Step 6. Loosely dub over the thread wraps with some red dubbing. This not only helps to protect the
materials, but also gives an appearance of gills. The original pattern was tied with red chenille, but I
prefer the low profile of dubbing which also makes for a textured surface to tie in the schlappen feathers.

Whistler - Step 7Step 7. Tie in 2 or 3 large Schlappen feathers by their tips between the dubbing and eyes. Be sure
to tie schlappen in where fibers are long enough (aprox. just larger than a hook gape).

Whistler - Step 8Step 8. Wind all the feathers together forward to just behind the eyes and tie down. Whip finish and tie off.

Whistler With Action DiscOptional: When fishing, try using a Wiggle Fin Action Disc on the line in front of the fly. This plastic
dish creates a unique wobble and imparts a lot of action when pulled slowly. The resulting wiggle/motion
of the fly and the flashabou tail is seductive. Click here for the Wiggle Fin website.

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The Boardman River

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 12, 2012

Boardman River Trout Fishing - Traverse City, MI

The Boardman River is a gem when one considers its proximity to Traverse City. Starting as two rivers, the North and South Branches near the villages of Kalkaska and South Boardman, they merge and become one, flow north and eventually drain into West Grand Traverse Bay. The river generally runs clear and cooler, resulting in insect hatches that can be delayed behind its neighboring rivers.

Beginning in 2012 and ending in late 2018 a total of three hydroelectric dams were removed on the Boardman River watershed after some controversy and a lot of work in an effort to return the river to it’s natural riverbed.

Brown Bridge dam – the furthest upstream – was the first to be removed, followed by Boardman Dam (Cass Road traveled over the dam) and lastly, Sabin Dam.  A small dam and fish ladder are in place in downtown Traverse City while the future of a proposed FishPass system works through the process of design, approval and implementation.

For the nostalgic history buff or interested angler, one of the most popular dry fly pattern used – The Adams, was originally developed by guide Len Halladay for angler Charles Adams who fished the Boardman River.

Upper Section

Boardman River Brook Trout

Brook Trout

The upper section includes both the North and South Branches of the Boardman and where they come together, the “Forks” and downstream to Brown Bridge Pond. This is the smaller water of the Boardman which experiences fair to good hatches. Ranch Rudolph is located in this section of river and there are a number of places to access the river including some State of Michigan campgrounds: The Forks, Sheck’s Place, Trail Camp and Brown Bridge Road. The river averages 25 feet in width and flows quickly over a gravel bottom. Not good with a roll cast? You will be soon as there are bank-side and overhanging trees in much of the upper section of river. Don’t look for real large fish in this section, but fun fish nonetheless. Fish slow and thoroughly and you might be rewarded with something a little bigger than and handful of brook trout – larger fish do exist in this water.

Middle Section

Boardman River - Fly Fishing For Brown Trout

Fishing Close to Traverse City

When Brown Bridge Dam was removed, so was Brown Bridge pond – the impoundment upstream from the dam. It’s been fascinating to witness this old lake bed become a river again as the water moves quickly through a valley of vegetation. Quick moving and relatively shallow water is lined with easy to read structure all the way to the former dam site. With additional time, the Boardman’s wild fish population should redistribute throughout what is essentially new river.

Below the former Brown Bridge dam’s location anglers will find the quick and swift water continues with the addition of some deeper holes along its gravely bottom. Hatches of Hendricksons, Sulphurs, Brown Drakes and Grey Drakes can offer the fly angler some great fishing for brookies and brown trout close to town. Public access is relatively limited to a few bridge crossings and Schumsky’s access.

Just below the Beitner Road crossing is some of the fastest and deepest water in the river and requires even more care when wading. In short order the river meets the former impoundments of Boardman and Sabin dam which have also been returned to their natural river bottom and offers great looking water with lots of potential.

Boardman River Brown TroutThe water in these sections are still in transformation as of early 2019 and it will take another couple of years for the banks to completely stabilize, the planting of vegetation to take root and spread, structure added and ultimately the fish to occupy it. While the fish are still learning the water, anglers will be doing the same because this water resembles nothing like it had for the past 70 plus years.

By removing the dams, the average high temperatures have already dropped significantly making for better fish survival in the warmer months of the year which will only help the non-stocked waters offer fly fishers an opportunity at brown and brook trout.

Lower Section

The water below Boardman Lake – specifically downstream of Union Street Dam located in Traverse City is considered the lower section. At this time, migratory fish are not passed above this dam as decisions on policy and a potential FishPass barrier and sorting system proposed for this location are made.

While considered “Urban Fishing,” steelhead anglers catch fish throughout the fall, winter and spring — often on their lunch break or just after work. In the warmer months, anglers can find Smallmouth, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Pike, Carp, Walleye and who knows what else swimming in it. Not a bad place to cast a line when in town with a limited schedule.

In late August as Salmon begin to move upstream, a weir is placed just below Front St. and is used for egg collection and processing. The fish congregate below the dam as do anglers making it a bit of a spectacle. Watching the fish jump up the fish ladder can be entertaining as is watching the fish processing – if in town this time of year, stop by and have a look.

Anglers can be found in the surf — where the mouth of the Boardman meets the bay — swinging flies or casting baitfish patterns which can bring a Steelhead, Salmon, Lake Trout, Cisco, or Smallmouth Bass to hand.

Boardman River Hatches

Boardman River - Fly Fishing and Matching the Hatch

Hendrickson

There are a number of insects that can be found on the various sections of the Boardman River, and the times of the hatch can depend on which section as the dams and the waters above and below them are affected. The most noteworthy of insects include Hendricksons, Tan Caddis, Sulphurs, Brown Drakes, Grey Drakes and The Hex.

The summer months can offer some good terrestrial fishing due to the overhanging vegetation along the river. When nothing seems to be working on top, try swinging soft-hackles, smaller streamers that imitate small fish or, when all else fails, go with a big streamer on a sink-tip.

Check out the Hatch Chart for specific bug emergence information.

Map & Directions

The Boardman is located in Traverse City and starts 20 miles east near the villages of Kalkaska and South Boardman. Most of the river is Grand Traverse County.

Map of Traverse City and the lower Boardman River.

Map of Traverse City and the lower Boardman River. Click to interact and scroll south for additional mapping.

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