Posts tagged "traverse city fly fishing"

Early July Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - July 2, 2024

The Hex flies have mostly finished a really heavy hatch period this year on the local rivers including the Manistee. This steady stream of bugs has left the trout fat and happy and like many of us after Thanksgiving dinner – second guessing that last serving.

The rivers are in good shape: height, clarity and temperature are all where they should be. After a significant hatch, the fish usually sulk for a little bit and wait for digestion to take place, but they’ve been known to eat a hex fly as a few late bloomers either hatch or spinners fall. Isonychias on the cloudy days can make for some fun fishing, but mostly it’s time to think about attractors, wets and small streamers as most of our hatches are over. It also means you can take some fly boxes out of the gear bag/vest since there isn’t as much match-the-hatch fishing going on.

You can read more about fishing following the Hex Hatch here.

The really good lake fishing for bluegill/panfish has slowed some with the fish going deep again after another round of spawning. Look for them in the drops near weeds and other structure. The largemouth bass fishing is ramping up as they are starting to look up at diving bugs, poppers and attractors that get their attention. Small streamers, too, fished on a floating line can also bring some fish to the net.

The smallmouth bass fishing in rivers continues to offer some good streamer fishing for those looking to change gears from the evening and night trout fishing we seemed to have been doing for the past 6 weeks. Once temperatures warm back up, I suspect the surface/popper bite might begin.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout, Tricos & Terrestrials – July & August offer fun dry fly fishing on the upper Manistee river.
Smallmouth Bass – Fish the lower Manistee with streamers & poppers this summer for fish that can pull.
Learn To Fly Fish – 1/2 Day trips are perfect for beginners! Learn how to cast before hitting the water to fish.

bass fishing, fishing report, hex hatch, learn to fly fish, smallmouth bass fly fishing, traverse city fly fishing, trout fishing, trout fly fishing

Mid-June Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 18, 2024

The recent and ongoing hot weather has only accelerated our fishing and seasons.

With the lack of rain and high temperatures, our trout fishing is experiencing warp speed hatch cycles. It seems that most hatches condensed and have taken place with the exception of the annual Hex hatch which started last week – a good week early and remains going strong. These nocturnal bugs bring out the big fish and more anglers so be sure to share the water. With the forecast, I don’t suspect they will go very long as the hatches have been relatively dense with all the sunshine and heat.

As water temperatures increase and get above 68 degrees, the fish get lethargic and playing any hooked trout as temps near 70 can be very lethal. While a fish may swim away, they may end up dead soon after due to the lactic build up from the experience. Take the night off when water temps are high – it is what sportsman do. We need these fish to survive for future generations and since MI DNR continues to manage our cold water fisheries so poorly we need to do our part.

<< You can monitor local river temps through these links:
Upper Manistee near CCC Bridge and various Great Lakes basin tributaries >>

Alternatives this time of year include fishing lakes for bass and bluegill. Weed growth, too, has accelerated and have created some good weed lines and structure for fish as water temps increase. Add a depth change to the equation and you have a formula for some good fishing. Surface activity remains strong especially in the mornings and evenings. Small streamers for sub-surface presentations and bigger fish seems to be the advantage.

Smallmouth bass in rivers is an increasingly popular species to chase when summer comes around. Fishing streamers and/or poppers in daylight seems to be the antithesis of technical match the hatch trout fishing, however, you still need some experience to make the most of this fishery. Watching these fish eat your fly, then pull on your 6 or 7 wt. makes folks wonder why they haven’t done this before.

Good luck & stay cool.

Ted

brown trout, fly fishing, fly fishing report, hex hatch, learn to fly fish, manistee river, smallmouth bass, traverse city fly fishing, trout

June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 11, 2024

River conditions in the region are ideal with temps cooled and their levels filled. There is a little stain to the river to offer the fish some comfort and anglers some stealth.

The recent rains and cooler weather has corrected the advanced mayfly emergences on the rivers to a schedule that’s closer to what is should be for this time of year. If headed to the Manistee river, you can expect to see Gray Drakes, Brown Drakes, Isonychias, Little Yellow Sallies, Yellow Cahills, BWOs and medium yellow/brown stoneflies. After a few years of low-density hatches, it appears that certain mayflies are rebounding – specifically the brown drakes and Isos.

With the stained water and a cloudy day, smaller streamers fished through riffles and runs are producing some fish between emergences and any surface activity.

With the forecast of warmer days and sunshine, pack that headlamp because it’s likely going to be the last couple of hours of the day that gives you match-the-hatch fishing as bugs either emerger or the adult spinners fall – either way, it’s time for some tactical presentations for some memorable fish.

You can read more on fishing before the hex hatch and the bugs you are likely to see, here.

Bass and bluegill on the local lakes are back to eating flies on the surface but most of the really big gills are staying deep until late or early in the day. There is something about low light conditions that all species really like….

Good luck.

Ted

Gift Certificates – It’s not too late to get dad a gift certificate for Father’s Day – half/full day trips or lessons.
Smallmouth Bass – Fish the lower Manistee with streamers & poppers this summer for fish that can pull.
Learn To Fly Fish – 1/2 Day trips are perfect for beginners! Learn how to cast before hitting the water to fish.
Trout, Tricos & Terrestrials – July & August offer fun dry fly fishing on the upper Manistee river.

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Mid April Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 14, 2024

Not much has changed since the last report as a trickle of fresh fish move up the rivers as others spawn, while those that already have drop back to the lake.

We have had some rainfall but not as much as we were hoping for to really test the hypothesis that there are a bunch of steelhead ready to migrate once conditions ripened with warmer, higher and dirtier water. Temps on the Manistee are mid to upper 40s while the Betsie is hovering around 50 degrees.

While the Manistee hasn’t yet had the push of suckers to swim upstream, the Betsie has a lot of them below the old Homestead dam site. These help as indicators of the steelhead run. Typically (and this no typical year) a second, smaller run of steelhead occurs after the sucker run on both rivers.

Successful patterns have been smaller eggs, small caddis, fry and small black stones, however, the latter are starting to diminish in density when hatches do occur which should reduce the pattern’s effectiveness going forward. With water temperatures what they are, it isn’t a bad time to swing a small streamer looking for aggressive fish headed upstream or one putting some weight back on as they return to the lake.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout Season – Mid-May into July offers some of the best match-the-hatch dry fly fishing of the season.
Learn To Fly Fish – 1/2 Day trips are perfect for beginners! Learn how to cast before hitting the water to fish.
2024 Fishing – Get your dates secured to ensure your time on the water this year. Booking all seasons/species.

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“Winter” Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - February 15, 2023

It sure has been a see-saw winter with plenty of ups and downs, dramatic shifts in weather and, well, not much snow on the ground. The past week we had an unusual string few of sunny days and that really knocked out any snow that was lingering. Don’t worry, more is in the forecast.

A lot of the snowmelt has gone into the unfrozen ground which helps keep the rivers in check. It also refills a water table to assist with maintaining cooler temps later in the year when we focus on trout. But with recent rains the water levels should bump up and create some movement of steelhead in the local rivers like the Manistee and Betsie.

After months of being poked, pushed, pressured, and thankfully released, the steelhead that entered in the fall and have been around since, like to move when we get these hints of spring-like weather. Look for them to stage near spawning gravel so when ideal conditions occur (water above 40 degrees) they can get down to business and back to the lake. The longer days, too, help let fish in the lake know they should think about getting closer to river mouths and get ready for a swim.

Water temperatures are still in the mid 30’s so the slow, drag-free drift is the most effective approach. But rather than focus only on deep holes, look for tail-outs on the softer side of bubble lines to give up some fish, too, as they shuffle and ascend river systems.

This time of year a tandem rig of a nymph and egg is a staple. Look for the first of the little black stoneflies crawling around or fluttering on the water on those days that the sun helps warm things up. Hex nymphs and caddis are perennial favorites, too. Egg color and size are dictated by water clarity and sunlight – dirty water, a little bigger and bolder, clearer water – the opposite.

Good luck.

Ted

2023 Fishing – Get your dates secured to ensure your time on the water. Booking all seasons.
Trout – May’s streamer & dry fly fishing turns to the big bugs of June. Good dates to choose from.
Fall Steelhead – Just a few prime steelhead dates remain available in 2023 – finish the fishing season strong.

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