Posts tagged "streamer"

Trout Opener

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 25, 2012

After getting a significant rainfall, the water level came up, but a push of steelhead did not. The Manistee rose nicely, but is already falling back down and not much has changed as far as conditions. I guess I was optimistic and hopeful a bunch of fish would come in or perhaps I was stubborn to accept that they wouldn’t. While there are fish in the river many of them are stale and are doing their spawning with the few fresh fish that make their way upstream. Fishing for drop backs is still happening for the more aggressive fish, but they seem to be waning in numbers as well. To sum up the 2012 Spring steelhead run – it was definitely unprecedented and I’m pretty sure I won’t experience another early run like we had. At least, I hope not. Thanks to all of you that joined me and put in your time for much earned and memorable fish. In the meantime, fall steelhead are only 6 months away and there is a lot of other fishing to do between now and then.

Trout fishing continues to be decent on the upper Manistee with early hatches. The cooler weather of the past week or so has diminished bug densities but Hendricksons, BWOs, stones and caddis have been coming off with some fish feeding – look for some warmer temps to improve things. The much needed rainfall has pretty much come and gone and the river is still pretty clear. Look to both the inside and outside of bends to be holding fish as fishing pressure has been light and the fish aren’t necessarily bunkered in the deep wood.

Fishing below Tippy Dam on the Manistee for trout has been offering anglers an option when the steelhead aren’t playing along. Casting fry patterns and other small streamers with floating lines in the darker water and around wood is working as are big streamers on sink tips in the deeper runs and holes. More and more caddis are building in the afternoons and the fish are just starting to look at them on the surface.

This weekend is “Trout Opener” – good luck, be safe and have fun.

Ted

hendrickson, manistee, opening day trout season, streamer, tippy dam, trout opener

Upper Manistee River (above Tippy Dam)

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 15, 2012

Upper Manistee River – Scenic Spring Creek

The upper Manistee River is where we do the majority of our trout fishing. Like a big spring creek, the waters of the “Mana” tend to run clear due to the sandy soil around it. With sections of gravel and riffles, sand bottoms and some silt beds the Hex nymphs call home; there are simply lots of different bugs that hatch on this river.

Majority of the fish in this section of water are Brown Trout and Brook Trout with the occasional Rainbow Trout. Ever seen a Tiger Trout? This is a natural occurring hybrid of a brook trout and brown as both spawn in the fall. These fish are rare but they do exist in the Upper-Manistee.

The flows of the Upper Manistee river are moderate and depth changes – common sense will tell you what side of the river to be on, possible places to cross and also what side will most likely to hold the fish.

Structure includes submerged logs, overhanging trees, deeper holes and combinations of them all. Just when you think there aren’t any fish in the river, you will either move a significant fish out of a holding lie or witness a hatch that suddenly turns the river into a jacuzzi with rising fish. Don’t ever give up, just try something different.

Where

The CCC bridge and the CCC Bridge campground are focal points of the fly fisherman who fishes the Manistee. The bridge is the lower boundary of the “Flies-Only” section of water with M-72 being the upper boundary. This water is open year round and has special regulations.

Much of my guiding and fishing takes place from M-72 downstream to the Rainbow Jim’s and I have been known to fish other sections when conditions are right.

Come float sections of water on the upper Manistee and experience the fishing the water around Yellow Trees, the Miracle-Mile, The Settlement, King Trout Ranch, Burnt Cabin (BKZ), CCC Bridge, Dutch John, and Smithville. The Upper Manistee offers anglers a variety of water and fishing conditions for all experience levels.

Brook Trout

Experience not only great fishing, but a river that is not over-developed or over-used. Because of it’s remoteness, canoe and kayak traffic is not a problem on these sections of river like they are on other areas or rivers in the region.

Located about 40 miles east of Traverse City and 25 west from Grayling.

See the map at the bottom of this page for directions.

Manistee River Hatches

The Hex

The best hatches on the river and the ones to fish are many. Starting in April, the early black stones get going, and beyond that it only gets better. From the end of April through mid-May Hendricksons are the first prolific mayflies to emerge and often are mixed in with Black Caddis (Mothers day Caddis). Next come the Sulphurs, Tan Caddis, March Browns, Black Quills / Borchers Drakes, Little Yellow Sallies, and Mahogany Duns – all in the month of May and into June.

Read about some of the great insects that hatch prior to the Hex Hatch »

The big bugs of June are what dry fishermen get excited about: Brown Drakes, Isonycias, and The Hex. Into July and August the Manistee experiences Tricos, Olive Caddis, Light Cahills, and more Isonycias.

Beyond these emerging aquatic insects anglers will want to pay close attention to the terrestrials: ants, flying ants, grasshoppers, beetles and more. Size does matter on these bugs – try to match what you see on the streamside vegetation or on the water and try larger and smaller if you aren’t having success. Throughout the year anglers can expect to see lots of Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) in sizes ranging from 16 to 22; these are a staple for just about any trout fisherman — and trout!

Obviously there are more types of bugs that come off on this river, but the above mentioned are the ones any fly angler and fly tier should be most concerned with.

For more information regarding our hatches, check out the Hatch Chart.

Streamer Fishing on the Manistee

Modern day streamer fishing for trophy sized trout was developed on this river by its pioneer Kelly Galloup, former owner and guide of the Troutsman fly shop once located in Traverse City. As a way to catch big fish on those bright days without a hatch or when trying to target big brown trout, streamer fishing gives anglers a great technique which has become not only popular here on the Manistee and other local rivers, but has caught on in popularity throughout the other regions of the country and trout rivers.

Beyond effective, this method also is exciting to watch a fish over twenty inches pounce on the fly before your eyes. Not to give the illusion that catching a fish is easy using streamer techniques, but any angler fishing this river will want to be prepared to cast some big flies (up to six inches long) to pull that lazy fish out of his lair when surface activity is null. Try fly patterns that imitate: sculpins, chestnut lampreys, smaller trout, chubs, and of course that generic fly that not only will move some water, but simply looks too good not to eat. Look to streamer fish all-year with the best times being April-June and September-November.

To learn more about streamer fishing, read Tips For Better Streamer Fishing »

Directions and Map

The CCC Bridge is located about 40 miles East of Traverse City, 20 miles South East of Kalkaska and 25 miles West of Grayling, Michigan. Anglers fishing the Au Sable River in Grayling often spend time also fishing the Manistee.

Map of the Upper Manistee River (above Tippy Dam)

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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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Flashtail Whistler – Fire Tiger

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 12, 2012

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.

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

Step 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.

Step 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]

Step 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.

Step 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.

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.

Step 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.

Step 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).

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

Optional: 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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Where

Manistee River Hatches

Streamer Fishing on the Manistee

Directions and Map

The FishSalmon

Fall Steelhead

Spring Steelhead

Brown Trout

Smallmouth Bass

Tippy Dam on the Manistee River

Map & Directions

Recipe:

Tying Instructions

The Fish
Salmon