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Posts tagged "traverse city fly fishing guide"

Late December Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - December 22, 2023

Steelhead remain the target of anglers headed out this time of year and with the seasonal forecast calling for mild temperatures there should be windows of opportunity to get out and into some fish.

Steelhead numbers remain low after a slow fall season but are slowly building. If mild temps continue, fish should trickle in over the winter on the Manistee. Water levels remain low and have been remarkably clear. Any runoff/rain will change things and likely mix things up in the river so monitor those opportunities, especially if fishing smaller rivers like the Betsie. Or, simply look to get out when it’s going to be comfortable to get rid of any cabin fever that has set in.

As water temperatures settle into the 30s, look for fish to be in the slower water off to the side of the seams and if there is some structure and/or deep water – all the better to hold a winter steelhead.

Eggs are almost always fished on a nymph or drift rig and this time of year a nymph is usually fished with it. Those fishing a swung fly will still find some fish, just make sure the speed of the swing is going slow as fish get a little lethargic in these conditions.

All the best to you and yours this Holiday Season and great fishing throughout the New Year!

Ted

<< The end of the year Newsletter and recap on the years fishing just went out – click here to read or subscribe >>

Spring Steelhead – Most of the season is booked – get your dates for March and April while you can.
Trout Season –
Late May into July offers the best match-the-hatch dry fly fishing of the year.
2024 Fishing – 
Get your dates secured to ensure your time on the water. Booking all seasons thru September.

betsie river, manistee river, nymph rig, steelhead, swung fly, traverse city fly fishing guide

Bluegill / Panfish / Bass

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - January 9, 2023

Bluegill - Panfish - Bass - Fishing -Traverse CityBluegill and Panfish on The Fly - Fun for All Levels of ExperiencePanfish are simply a lot of fun with a fly rod. Often considered Bluegill, they are just one of the many species in the panfish family, along with pumpkinseeds, crappie, rock bass and others.

What makes these fish so desirable to catch with a fly rod is their population density and eagerness to eat. Another reason this a great species to pursue is the number of lakes in the region that are home to “gills” and other species – there are lots of places to fish close to Traverse City.

Bluegill - Panfish - Rock Bass Fly FishingBluegill - Bass Fly Fishing

Beginner to Veteran

Bluegill - Beginners and ExperiencedPersonally, I think these fish offer new anglers the best opportunity to learn how to fly fish – maybe because that’s how I got started myself. If you are looking to learn, or want to introduce someone to the sport, panfish are a great choice — they require you to cast, strip and manage line, set the hook and bring fish to hand — all without the fastidious nature that trout often exhibit. There is no moving water to worry about a drag-free drift, or that your fly size is off just a bit which can be a deal-breaker when trout fishing.

Bluegill and Panfish are forgiving and simply fun and like to eat giving you lots of action providing repetition as you develop your fly fishing skills. And once hooked are the best fighters pound for pound — which is why accomplished anglers who have fished for years still go after them.

When to Fly Fish for Panfish/Bluegill

Bluegill - Fishing May through AugustEach May the fish move from the depths into shallow water to spawn and can repeat this cycle up to three times in a year – it’s no wonder why there are so many of them. Their beds are often easy to locate, but not always. This is when the bigger fish are at some of their most aggressive state of the year and will defend their territory. The smaller, immature fish are all around the spawners and they are eager to eat flies too.

As the season progresses, the fish move into the deeper waters and take refuge in and around structure like weeds, drop offs and fallen in trees and can be targeted through July and into August. Bass almost always share the same water and catching a large or smallmouth bass on a light fly rod is more then a lot of fun.

Spend a half-day in a boat and learn to fly fish or, if you already know how, just catch some of these fun fish on one of our many beautiful lakes and ponds. It’s a great way to practice or spend an afternoon on the water.

Bass

Bluegill and Bass Fishing Lakes

Since Largemouth Bass share a lot of the same water as panfish and offer yet another species to catch in our waters.

Whether by sneaking a slider along the surface, pulling a swimming/diving fly seductively under some lily pads or causing commotion on the surface with an obnoxious popper, fishing for bass puts smiles on anglers as the fish climbs all over it.

Often visual, typically with jumps and always a steady tug – hit the weed beds and drop offs in the warm summer months for some bass fishing on the local lakes and ponds.

Bluegill and Bass - Smallmouth in LakesSmallmouth Bass inhabit a number of our local inland lakes, too, and these might just be the mid-weight fighting champs of species we chase.

Since smallies tend to be in a little deeper water, we typically adjust our approach to increase our ability to hook up. And when we do, they usually come out of the water to try and shake your fly. The better fishing for smallmouth in lakes tends to be mid-May through mid-June before they go deep and are harder to reach with flies.

If you are interested in Smallmouth Bass and have some fly fishing experience, consider fishing them in the rivers. We leave the lakes later in June and focus on rivers  through August – you can read more here.

Bluegill on the Fly
Bluegill on the fly!
Smallmouth Bass Lake Fishing
Largemouth Bass - Fish 3
Largemouth Bass

bass fishing, blue gill, bluegill, fly fishing, learn to fly fish, pan fish, panfish, traverse city fly fishing guide

Early June Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 6, 2022

Sorry for the lapse in fishing reports.

Fishing has been mixed, especially on the trout rivers like the upper Manistee. Bug emergences and spinner falls have been fickle and spotty as the weather has been bouncing around. Some days there are some bugs with the fish looking up and eating, other days leave you wondering if there are any bugs or fish in the river because the water clarity is too good allowing us to see everything below surface. Today’s rain should help cool off the water into the low 60s and recharge the system including putting in a little stain/tannin which should also help fishing.

It’s headlamp season on the water as many of the bugs can be on the water up until dark and this will likely be the case for the next month. On days with cloud cover, bugs can surprise you with emergences and spinner falls and show up just about any time throughout the day. You can expect to see Mahoganies, Sulphurs, Isonychias, Medium Brown Stones and maybe a Brown Drake. Other bugs can show up this time of year also, and a good way to cover your bases is to have a handful of Borcher’s Drakes and Robert’s Yellow Drakes in sizes 10 to 16.

If looking for an alternative to the trout fishing and their discriminating ways, fishing ponds and lakes has been really good for a mix of fish: smallmouth and largemouth bass, bluegill, rock bass and the occasional pike. Fishing the surface with poppers scratches the trout angler’s surface action itch, while a smaller streamer fished on a floating line near structure results in a few more fish that are often bigger.

Good luck.

Ted

Match the Hatch  – Late May and June offer dry fly anglers some of the best trout fishing of the year.
Learn to Fly Fish – Book a half-day trip with the idea of learning the basics in how to cast and fly fish.
Fall Steelhead – Although the Spring Season just ended, think fall steelhead good dates available in November.

bass, fly fishing report, mahogany dun, manistee, smallmouth bass, sulphus, traverse city fly fishing guide, trout fishing alternatives

Seductive Streamer Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - December 9, 2012

Seductive Streamer Fishing Brown Trout Success IThe days of casting a large streamer to the bank and stripping it back aggressively with fish attacking in territorial response are diminishing.  Sure, fish still move into the shallows of low light and stained water, and even play our game some days. But years of angler conditioning has some of the larger fish a little smarter, or laying a little deeper, and often in more structure.

Always adaptive, we now fish with heavier lines and have developed even larger flies — heavily weighted and often accessorized like a Dallas Trophy Wife. While effective, this extension of trophy streamer fishing often goes beyond some anglers’ abilities and/or preference to fish. Considering there are more days when conditions include clear water and plenty of daylight, it pays to have an alternative approach — “Seductive Streamer Fishing.”

Tournament Bass Fishing and Trout Fly Fishers

There seems to be a dichotomy between the fly fisher and bass angler, but yet, the two have so much in common. The fly angler can learn a lot from the guys in the glitter boats, since they often have more at stake when fishing in large-purse tournaments and gathering sponsorships. They simply can’t afford not to catch fish.

Seductive Streamer Fishing - Bass Angler Crossover

Chris Sausman, sales rep for Shimano & G. Loomis,
applies his bass fishing skills to fly fishing trout.

If you have watched fishing shows on TV you have seen where large, flashy spinner baits (think big streamers) catch aggressive and often big fish. But if you have watched enough programs, specifically tournament coverage, it’s the plastic bait presentation (worms, tubes, grubs,  salamanders, etc.) that seems to be the bread-winner time and time again. Why? When conditions change or when fishing pressured water, having a kinder, gentler presentation is effective, especially when fish aren’t aggressively feeding.

How often do you get to the river after a cold-front moves in, when an east wind is present, water temperatures have dropped, or  when “sterile ditch syndrome”  sets in — when the fish are simply in an ornery mood, and you aren’t even sure there are any fish? Adapt your streamer presentation to get fish to eat despite these conditions.

Seductive  Presentation

Seductive Streamer - Target Rich

Pull fish from cover with subtle but seductive retrieves.

If you have ever watched a runway model move down the platform, you know they aren’t running, but rather walking and “working-it,” often seductively to garner attention and a desired reaction. The angler’s finesse of a twitch, the drop of the presentation, the erratic flutter and motion of plastics tends to seduce fish to eat, even when not in a feeding mood. Why?  Because it looks natural and is easy to pounce on without having to chase it.

This is where seductively presenting a streamer, slowly, thoroughly and with a lot of movement and action in and around structure or other likely holding water brings fish to the net – even when the heavy-handed approach of big flies can comes up short.

Presentation and Fly Tips For Seductive Streamer Fishing

Seductive Streamer Fishing - Lighter Lines II

Use lighter density & shorter sink-tips or floating lines.

Use lighter Line. Presenting these flies on lighter, shorter sink-tips helps keep they fly from going immediately to the bottom and allows you to dance, twitch and otherwise flutter the fly. Readjust and fish specific portions of the water rather than trying to cover as much water as possible.

Get jiggy with it.  When fishing shallower and/or log-infested water, I often fish a floating line with a bead-headed fly and longer leader (9-plus ft.). When accompanied by thoughtful mending of the line, this keeps the presentation vertical — moving up and down the water column (like a jig), as opposed to streaking across the river (fast moving spinner bait). The floating line option is also a great approach for anglers wading and switching back and forth between dry flies and streamers. Just remember to tie your streamer on with a little stronger tippet as the structure and size of the fish typically demand it.

Seductive Streamer - Flies with Weight

Fish flies of various weights and sizes
with lots of movement.

Work it. Often the flies fished on lighter sink-tips and floating lines are visible, so you can watch your fly and manipulate it by mends, rod-hops and short-strips. Work the fly as needed and pay attention to how the fish react. When you find something that works, continue that approach, and if a fish is following the fly but not eating, try small variances in your retrieve/strip to elicit the strike. This isn’t much different from the saltwater angler presenting to fish on the flats — “check” often results in “check-mate,” but it takes two to play that game. You want to be the one with the upper hand.

Don’t forget the middle. Depth and structure can be found in the center of the river, so be sure to swim a fly broadside and dance it through these overlooked  areas. Not only does the center of the river hold fish, but most anglers are programmed to only cast to the banks, leaving many of these fish unpressured and uneducated.

Seductive Streamer - Fish The Middle

This fish was caught in the middle of the river.

Go Slow in cold water. As water temperatures cool in the fall and remain cold throughout winter, fish are often lethargic and almost hibernating state. The slow moving fly that stays in their zone longer and looks inviting tends to be more successful than the quickly stripped streamer.  If you are going to serve them up something big to eat, make it easy for them.

Fish natural to flashy. Flies for this type of streamer fishing can vary from realistic patterns of a natural food sources, to suggestive patterns of multiple food sources, or to something bright and attractive that aggravates the fish. My go-to strategy is usually to imitate the natural food source first. Then, if not overly successful, go to something a little more provocative. lethargic and almost hibernating state. The slow moving fly that stays in their zone longer and looks inviting tends to be more successful than the quickly stripped streamer.  If you are going to serve them up something big to eat, make it easy for them.

Seductive Streamer - Motion Enhanced Streamer

Weighted flies with materials like rubber legs
or marabou help provide a lot of action.

Use flies with lots of action. Using a fly that incorporates materials with inherit action and motion is key.  Rubber legs, marabou, flashabou, soft hackle, bunny-bou strips, schlappen, wispy synthetics and countless other appropriate materials make fly tying limitless in design possibilities. Consider taking your favorite big-ass trophy streamer and down-sizing it. A well-stocked fly shop should offer non-tiers a variety of streamers to fit your needs.

Use weight.  Seek out the weighted patterns that incorporate cones, beads or dumbbell eyes. The jigging motion created by weight combined with the current’s force on action-packed materials is deadly. Having a few flies with tungsten weights incorporated can really help to get a fly down if necessary.

Seductive Streamer Brown Trout Success II

Add worm weights.  Take a page out of the bass fisherman’s playbook – add seductive lift and drop motion to the retrieve by using sinkers designed for fishing plastics. Slide on the line and let the sinker either rest above the fly (put a small plastic bead between it and the knot), or peg it to the line with a toothpick above the fly for even more action. The larger the weight, the more difficult the casting — seek the lighter 1/32 and 1/16 oz sizes.

Lighten up. You can still use the larger rods associated with streamer fishing, but the smaller flies don’t require power. The need to be more responsive and deliberate with the presentation often is easier with a lighter rod – 5 and 6 weights are ideal.

Change it up. Some days big streamers fished on heavy lines is really effective, but suddenly it can stop working. After your rotation of favorite patterns fails to turn the good fishing back on, adjust your tackle and implement the seductive streamer technique. You might find the fish are still on the bite, just not as aggressive as they were earlier.

Seductive Streamer Fishing Stillwater

Use these techniques for more fish than trout.

Fish stillwater. Use this approach when fishing stillwater – for more than just trout or even bass. Fish are fish, and the versatile, adaptive and observant angler is usually successful. Adding significant action near structure can result in takes for the same reason the plastics angler catches bass  — it stays close and looks tempting.

With streamer fishing really becoming more commonplace the past 10 years, it seems the fish have taken note of those big flies and have become less participatory. When faced with clear conditions and/or cold water, alter your approach. Adjust your tackle and target specific waters to work fish out of structure when they aren’t aggressively feeding. Slowly and seductively moving your fly in likely fish holding water can mean the difference between possibly catching an aggressive fish or just catching fish.

More tips for streamer fishing »

bass, current works guide service, fly fishing, fly pattern, manistee, presenting a streamer, streamer fishing, traverse city fly fishing guide, trophy streamer fishing, trout
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Ted Kraimer • Current Works, LLC • PO Box 333 • Traverse City, Michigan 49685 • (231) 883-8156

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