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Posts tagged "steelhead"

Late April Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 23, 2019

As April begins to wind down it seems we are past the peak of the steelhead run on local rivers including the Manistee and Betsie. Last week’s rain brought the water levels up some along with a few fresh fish, but the majority of fish being caught are actively spawning as well as some drop-back/post spawn fish.

Water temps are in the mid-40s and are heavily stained, however there is still some visibility for fish to see your flies – especially if they are in the 40-inch window that they often need to be in to entice a fish to eat this time of year.

Natural egg colors and sizes have been working well and with the dirtier water, a little bigger and bolder pattern is starting to regain its effectiveness. Caddis and fry patterns have been the most effective nymph patterns for a while now.

Just a reminder that trout opener is this Saturday, April 27 – good luck as you hit the water again, practice traditions on and off the water with friends, and start off what looks like a promising trout season in 2019. With the recent warm weather you might want to have some hendricksons in your fly box just in case you need to cut your streamer off and tie on a dry.

Ted

Trout – May and June offers some of the best trout fishing of the year matching the hatch and fishing streamers.
Fall Steelhead– It’s not too early to look ahead to fall run of these fish. Hard fighting and a beautiful time of year.
Booking 2019 – Reserve your date(s) and schedule life around fishing rather than trying to fit fishing into life.

betsie river, fry patterns, manistee, manistee river steelhead fishing, Platte River, steelhead, tippy dam, trout opener

Mid-April Steelhead Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 15, 2019

Steelhead fishing continues on the local rivers, however the fishing has slowed recently with heavy angling pressure, a majority of the fish hitting spawn mode, and a lot of fish already having completed their annual task.

Water temps are in the mid-40s and bright days with lots of sunshine like today really help increase temps further. Clarity is good but that is likely to change with the rain that is forecast over the week; when that happens look for another push of fresh fish to move through the Betsie and Manistee river below Tippy Dam.

Productive flies have been mixed with green caddis, fry and smaller natural egg patterns being the front runners. Buggers and egg sucking leeches are picking up their fair share of fish as are some hex patterns.

Fish harvest continues to be more prevalent this year than years past – please conserve your catch and keep to ensure a future, sustainable fishery. Steelhead can return year after year but only if they stay off the rope and avoid the filet knife.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – May and June offers some of the best trout fishing of the year matching the hatch and fishing streamers.
Fall Steelhead– It’s not too early to look ahead to fall run of these fish. Hard fighting and a beautiful time of year.
Booking 2019 – Reserve your date(s) and schedule life around fishing rather than trying to fit fishing into life.

betsie river steelhead, caddis patterns for steelhead, guide trips manistee, steelhead, steelhead fishing, tippy dam steelhead fishing

April Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 7, 2019

Local rivers are holding their own thanks to a slow melt/thaw of the remaining snow in the woods and a lack of significant rainfall. Steelhead fishing has been good as water temps have moved past the 40 degree mark and fish are starting to come out of the depths and are nosing around gravel on the Manistee. With much of the ice off Tippy Dam Pond, temps should stay above 40 from here on out. Smaller rivers like the Betsie already have spawning going in earnest with more fish coming from Lake Michigan with the increase in river flow.

With natural eggs drifting down stream, the rivers the smaller, more natural looking egg patterns are starting to be more effective but keep those larger, bolder egg patterns when fishing darker, overcast days or seeking fresh migrating fish in the lower sections. Caddis and Fry Patterns have been the more effective nymphs lately and with the warm temps in the forecast look for some stonefly activity to make fishing small stoneflies more effective.

While the steelhead fishing has been good, it sure seems that there has been an increase in fish harvest/mortality. Keep in mind that steelhead make a number of returns upriver in their life-cycle and that 10-pound fish you catch this year likely wouldn’t have been possible if it were kept as a 5 or 6 pound fish last year. Please limit your kill rather than kill your limit – the quality of our fishery depends on it.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – May and June offers some of the best trout fishing of the year matching the hatch and fishing streamers.
Fall Steelhead– It’s not too early to look ahead to fall run of these fish. Hard fighting and a beautiful time of year.
Booking 2019 – Reserve your date(s) and schedule life around fishing rather than trying to fit fishing into life.

betsie river fishing, fly fishing steelhead michigan, guided fly fishing michigan, manistee steelhead, steelhead

Mid December Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - December 18, 2018

As we cross the mid-point of December anglers are finding fishing conditions to be in step with the season. Cold temps for a month and some snow have the fish in a winter mode and sitting in the slower water and eating a little less aggressively than we got accustomed to the previous months.

A decent number of steelhead are in the local rivers –Manistee, Betsie and Boardman and some days are playing along. This time of year any slight increase in water temps can be the trigger to getting the fish to eat so look for some sunshine in the forecast and/or higher overnight temps to put conditions in your favor. The water levels are typical for this time of year – a little low, good clarity but cold – just under 40 degrees.

With the cold water look for both steelhead and trout to be sitting in the deeper, slower water and in tail-outs that offer the protection of wood. Fish will still chase a slow moving, swung fly but it’s the dead drift of an egg pattern or nymph that is likely to get the bite. Smaller, subdued Caddis and hex nymphs are a great choice this time of year. The fish are a little lethargic,so you can get away with lighter tippet right now.

Streamer fishing for trout will still move some fish if you fish the slower water and near structure. Big, heavy sink-tips aren’t your best bet as smaller sink-tips and floating lines with weighted flies are. Slow your presentation down and keep it moving when that big brown slowly comes up behind it.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

Ted

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Early November Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 31, 2018

As we flip the calendar to November it is full-on steelhead season.  Almost all of the salmon are gone in rivers like the Manistee, Betsie and Platte but there are a few remaining chinook and coho salmon around providing an egg drop to help keep the steelhead focused on eggs.  Northwest Michigan hasn’t received significant rainfall in weeks leaving the rivers with fewer fish than we are used to for this time of year and the water low and extremely clear. Thankfully the sun hasn’t been out much giving us a chance at these hot fish.

With the clear water, water temps in the upper 40’s and well-informed anglers, the fish have scattered throughout the systems and where they are holding. Runs and holes directly below any last spawning salmon are a great places to focus on, but when those don’t produce, it might be time to look for fish hunkered in structure but still in position to collect the drifting eggs.  Bottom bouncing rigs, fishing indicators and fishing flies on the swing are all ideal right now. Natural sized eggs and beads continue to take their fair share of fish but a nymph bite is starting to build. The leaves are at a minimum, the days are getting shorter, the sun is at a lower angle – it’s all about the deep-bodied steelhead of 2018.

Trout fishing on the upper Manistee is pretty much a streamer game as the brown trout are mostly in a post spawn pattern.  As the salmon continue to drop off below Tippy Dam, look for the trout to not only look for eggs, but start to chase streamers as they have an appetite after gorging on a steady diet of eggs the past 5 weeks.

Good luck

Ted

Fall Steelhead –  Fall colors include chrome Steelhead until Winter gets here.
Fall Trout  Combo –  Target both steelhead and trout (streamers) on the lower Manistee
2019 Fishing – It isn’t too early to get next year’s fishing dates secured – booking through October

Betsie, egg patterns, eggs, fall steelhead, manistee river, Platte River, salmon, steelhead, streamer, tippy dam
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Ted Kraimer • Current Works, LLC • PO Box 333 • Traverse City, Michigan 49685 • (231) 883-8156

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