Posts tagged "steelhead"

April Fools

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 3, 2012

Now that April has arrived, I kind of feel like a fool – have the bulk of the steelhead already come or are there more fresh fish to come in the weeks ahead? Never accused of being overly optimistic but a realist, I am however thinking there are more fish to come.

Water levels are getting low and clarity is good with a slight stain. Temps remain right around 50 degrees so the lack of 80-degree days lately is helping to keep the water temp in this range. There still hasn’t been a surge of suckers or walleye in the Manistee River which serve as a gauge of where the steelhead run is at. Reports from the Betsie River is similar to the Manistee – that is, there are fish around, but they are skittish and some days fishing is better than others. Like last week’s report, what we need is a surge of water to bring more steelhead upstream and the weatherman isn’t predicting that to happen. He’s been wrong in the past.

Those looking to score fish are finding that sticking with the game plan, covering water and changing up flies is having success. Many of the fish are on gravel beds with the dark water near it (pockets and holes) holding fish – effective flies include a variety of smaller egg patterns in realistic colorations, stones, caddis and fry patterns. Drop back fish headed back the lake are in seams and runs primarily eating bigger nymphs like hex and buggers.

Good luck,

Ted

betsie river, egg patterns, manistee river, spawning, steelhead, tippy dam

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

Beaded Alevin

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 15, 2012

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.

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.

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

Hook:          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:

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

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

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.

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

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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).

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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Tube Sucker

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 14, 2012

Tube Sucker – Brown

This fly pattern is used when swinging for steelhead, commonly with a sink-tip fly line on either a single-handed or two-handed rod. The Tube Sucker is not a realistic imitation of a particular “thing,” but rather a pattern that suggests sculpins, gobies and small baitfish – all important foods to steelhead. The color spectrum, amount of flash, motion/action and silhouette are key characteristics that make this an effective pattern. The majority of the steelhead showing up in our rivers in the spring for their spawning ritual, or in the fall where they take advantage of the salmon spawning and their eggs dislodged and drifting downstream. With this in mind I have incorporated a plastic bead on the front that suggests and egg while adding a “trigger,” borrowing the idea from the egg sucking leech pattern which has been around for decades.

Swinging on the Manistee

This style of steelhead fly may be somewhat unique to many of you, since it is partially a streamer/wet/spey fly – different than what you might be accustomed to using for steelhead. Most anglers in the Midwest spend the majority of their angling time drifting nymphs and eggs, as no one will argue their effectiveness. Over the past five years or so, spey or two-handed (including switch) rods have gained popularity and more and more anglers are opting to catch fewer fish by using a more “traditional” presentation – swinging. I don’t dare proclaim which – if any, is a better or superior way to fish, etc. but I will say, this is a great pattern that can be used swinging for steelhead and the feeling of accomplishment after landing a steelhead on a swung fly is beyond satisfactory.

This fly also has a unique characteristic – it is tied on a tube. For those not familiar with the concept of tube flies, the angler runs the tippet/line through the tube which the materials are tied onto (think of a small, clear straw) and then ties on a bare hook. There are some advantages to using tubes including:

Tube Sucker – Olive

The ability to replace dulled or damaged hooks without discarding the fly
Using weighted tubes which provide the ability to penetrate the water column
Fish a large fly with a short-shank hook eliminating negative leverage
Choose to use your preferred hook style to a pre-tied fly
Save the fly if you hook a snag loosing only the hook by using particular rigging
Being able to adjust the hook placement – to the fly, hanging back, etc.
Using “Convertible” or Modular patterns by incorporating various tube sections
Painted/colored tubes that minimize tying materials and steps
And more……

Try tying on tubes – the blanks/tubes are less expensive than most hooks, and the vise adapter is easy to use and priced fairly – I prefer the HMH Premium Tube Fly Tool. Adapting some of your favorite patterns by tying them on tubes as well as creating new patterns – the possibilities are endless. Tubes are no replacement of traditional hooks, however they offer flexibility for certain situations which make them more than ideal. Have fun.

Tube Sucker Recipe

Tube: Plastic, 3/32” – aprox. 3 inches in length
Bead: Pucci – 8 mm Orange/Pearl
Thread: Uni 6/0 Camel
Tag: Simi-Seal Dubbing – Canadian Olive
Rear Hackle: Pheasant – Shoulder Feather
Body: Simi-Seal Dubbing – Canadian Olive
Weight: Lead Wire .030
Front Hackle: Pheasant – Shoulder Feather
Under Wing: UV Polar Chenille – Rusty Copper
Wing: Brown Sheep Hair
Flash/Accent: Wing ‘n Flash – Copper, Kelly Green, Dark Brown
Collar: Large Pheasant Shoulder Feather
Head: Ice Dub – Copper

Tying Instructions

Step 1. Cut plastic tube to length – 3 inches. Use a lighter and put a shoulder on the front
end of the tube. Do not touch the flame to the tube; rather use the heat to melt it, which will
eliminate black carbon in the tube. Insert bead on to tube & slide up to shoulder.

Step 2. Insert mandrel into tube and put into the vise/tube adapter. Wrap a base layer of thread from
behind the bend, back along the tube but not covering the last ½ inch. Dub the tag of about ¼ inch.

Step 3. Tie in a short, pheasant shoulder feather – it should be gold in color
with a black “V” at the tip. Wrap/fold the hackle forward two turns and tie off.

Step 4. Tie in lead wire about two-thirds of the way towards the bead. Wrap five times. Return your
thread back to the rear hackle and dub a “shaggy” body slightly tapering larger toward the bead.

Step 5. Choose a pheasant shoulder feather that is larger than the rear
feather used. Tie this in by the tip and wrap/fold two times. Tie off.

Step 6. Tie in Polar Chenille and wrap twice. Tie off.

Step 7. Choose a long piece of sheep hair and cut a clump off of the hide. You might find a comb
is helpful to straighten the hair. Cut to length (tip to butt should be slightly longer than the
tube itself) and tie in. If fishing slow water, consider using arctic fox fur rather than sheep.

Step 8. Use just a few strands of copper Wing ‘N Flash and tie in so it extends about the length
of the wing/sheep hair. Repeat with kelly green. I like to use a hint of flash, not a bold swath in
this pattern. If the flash is longer than the wing, trim it so it all isn’t the same length.

Step 9. Tie in another pheasant shoulder feather – this time one that is even larger
than the last. You will tie this in by the tip but you will need to strip the left side of
the fibers off so the hackle is more of a flowing collar. Wrap twice and tie off.

Step 10: Tie in a few strands of dark brown Wing ‘n Flash as a topping.

Step 11. Loosely dub copper Ice Dub between the fly and the bead. Tie off/whip finish.

Step 12. Turn fly upside down and trip the underside of the
front two pheasant feathers to accentuate pectoral fins.

Step 13. Add junction tubing over the rear of the tube. This will seat the hook to the fly and
when hooked-up with a fish, it pops out offering you the advantage of playing a fish on a short-shank
hook. I prefer silicone tubing as shown. The hook pictured above is a Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap – #4
– lately my preference has been a Gamakatsu Drop Shot Hook – #2 or 4.

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how to tie, leech, Sculpin and goby pattern for swinging, spey fly, steelhead, tube fly, two handed spey rod

Lower Manistee River (below Tippy Dam)

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 14, 2012

October Morning on the Manistee

Tippy Dam is known for its migratory runs of Steelhead and Salmon. The dam itself is the upper boundary of these great game fish that leave the big water of Lake Michigan and return to their natal river to take part in their spawning mission. Beyond steelhead and salmon, anglers will find healthy populations of both Brown & Rainbow Trout and Smallmouth Bass.

The river below the dam is some of the widest water in the state, varying from 200 – 300 feet in width. Depths vary depending on run, pool, tail-out relationship but all wading anglers will want to be cautious when on foot — especially in times of stained run-off conditions.

Spring Below Tippy Dam

Much of the land adjacent to the river is USFS property and is open to the public. As you move downriver and approach the High Bridge access and Bridge, private property becomes intermixed.

Those fishing the Manistee are typically best served fishing from a boat as not only is it a strong and often deep river, but a lot of submerged logs can trip you up, a reminder of the lumbering days of northern Michigan.

The Fish
Salmon

Chinook / King Salmon

Most anglers have heard of “The Big River” from stories told by a friend or articles in magazines. This river simply has one of the best salmon runs in the lower 48 states. Chinook (King) Salmon are the most common salmon, but Coho (silvers) numbers seem to be getting stronger each year.

While snagging was once legal years ago, the practice is no longer legal or acceptable. With the big fish come some crowds, so having the place to yourself isn’t a problem in the Spring and Fall. There are sections of the river that tend to be less populated and are some of my favorite sections.

Frankly, there are plenty of fish to go around in the Big Manistee.

Fall Steelhead

The Fall Steelhead follow the salmon into the river each year at the end of September and continue to build in numbers through the fall. When water temperatures are good and water/river levels are strong after a fall rain – things only get better. Hooking a fall steelhead that has been living on a steady diet of salmon eggs in 50-degree water can give you the hardest, most unpredictable and spastic fight you can imagine a freshwater fish could provide.

Throughout the winter anglers will find fall fish that become characterized as “winter fish.” With those hold-over fish comes trickles of new fish throughout the winter months, and those looking to get a cabin-fever-reliever can find some fish to play the game while getting away from the four walls that seem to close in on us during the Fall Steelhead winter months.

Spring Steelhead

Spring Steelhead are typically in the river system in good numbers from Mid-March through the first part of May. Fish that entered in the fall and winter join the newly arrived fish with their intent to spawn and thus the number/population of fish in the river are at their highest.

A Right of Spring, fishing for steelhead is one of the best times for people to get into steelhead and after a winter spent indoors, it feels good to get fishing again. Look for a warm rain to bring up the water temps and levels bringing up a fresh a “run” of fish in the river.

Brown Trout

Brown Trout

Throughout the spring steelhead run, anglers usually find their fly rods bent, but not by the sheer weight of a Steelhead alone. There is a healthy population of Brown Trout in this section of the river that remains here all year. And why should they leave? The dam itself creates a tail water fishery which equates to a food factory.

Large populations of scuds and sowbugs provide a healthy diet for the fish when the midges and baetis aren’t around. In the spring and fall there are literally thousands of pounds of eggs drifting down the river from spawning fish for the trout to eat.

If that isn’t enough, there are lots of fry from steelhead, salmon, suckers and walleye which makes this fishery an all-you-can-eat fish dinner for the resident trout. Ever see a trout with stretch marks? This is the place where they live.

Trout fishing below Tippy Dam is scenic, solitary and peaceful river setting compared to the spring and fall seasons when the migratory fish are in season. Fishing remains good until early July when water temperatures become dangerous for trout survival but turn optimal for Smallmouth Bass.

Smallmouth Bass

Smallies migrate into the river in mid-June as water temps increase and provides both great streamer and top-water action through August. Targeting woody structure and rocky drop-offs, these “bronzebacks” are fun to watch as you feed them a fly. And once hooked, they pull hard and often throw in a couple of jumps to make it more fun.

Gaudy baitfish streamers one day, loud poppers and sneaky sliders the next offer the angler a variety of conditions during the warmer months making them a great alternative to trout fishing in the Summer months.

Tippy Dam on the Manistee River

At one time the dam significantly fluctuated water levels on a daily basis when “peak electricity demands” required it. Through efforts of the Federation of Fly Fishers (Now FFI), Consumer Power and FERC, this now is a “run of river” where the amount of water flow above the dam is what comes out of the dam. This has helped eliminate some of the erosion and as a result has exposed a lot of gravel for both aquatic insects and natural reproduction.

Map & Directions

Tippy Dam is 25 miles West of the City of Manistee, just north of Wellston and East of Brethren 4 miles. Coming from Cadillac the drive is about 40 miles. It takes an hour from downtown Traverse City.

Map of the Lower Manistee River

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Matching the Hatch

Fall Steelhead

Spring Steelhead

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

Beaded Alevin Recipe

Tying Instructions:

Tube Sucker Recipe

Tying Instructions

The FishSalmon

Fall Steelhead

Spring Steelhead

Brown Trout

Smallmouth Bass

Tippy Dam on the Manistee River

Map & Directions

The Fish
Salmon