Posts tagged "trout fishing"

Mid – September Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 12, 2022

Nearing the mid-point of September, it feels like the seasons are thinking about transitioning. September can be a continuation of summer or the end of the summer – just depends on the day. With the weather changes comes changes in fishing.

Trout anglers will find that they have the rivers to themselves. Hatches are relatively non-existent but this time of year you should always have a selection of BWOs, flying ant patterns and small Isonychias as they can show up. Like May, this time of year you should hit the water with the ability and willingness to fish both the surface and below.

Larger terrestrial patterns continue to bring some fish to the surface but on days when fish aren’t looking up or there is too much debris (leaves and pine needles) floating on the surface, go subsurface with some smaller streamers. It’s been a long season of the trout being pressured by anglers, but with fewer people on the water lately, they are starting to move out from their bunkers where can present some flies to them once again.

Salmon have moved into the usual rivers in decent numbers but as salmon do, they can be in a funk; weather and conditions can make the difference with bright and sunny – tough, overcast – ideal. With the abundance of baitfish in Lake Michigan, the fish are running a bit larger this year so hold on when you hook up.

The bass and bluegill fishing is winding down as it typically does this time of year. It seems they go fairly deep this time of year proving a little difficult with the fly rod, but somedays they will be along the drop offs and other structure willing to eat on the surface and more so, bellow.

Good luck,

Ted

Fall Steelhead – Finish the season with what started the season – Steelhead! Good dates available in November
2023 Fishing – Get your dates secured to ensure your time on the water. Booking all seasons thru September.
Gift Certificates – Quick and easy gifts of a half-day, full-day or casting lesson for friends or family.

betsie river, learn how to fly fish, manistee river, salmon, salmon fishing, steelhead, streamer fishing, trout fishing

Late July Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - July 29, 2022

The trout fishing has been decent lately with a mix of Tricos hatching in the morning and mostly smaller trout rising; it’s a lot of fun with a lighter weight rod. Other times when bugs aren’t on the surface, terrestrials will bring some fish up and sometimes decent sized fish so, having a little bigger rod makes casting the larger flies and bringing in larger fish easier. Mornings are still the ideal time with the sun still low and the water temps still ideal from the cooler evening temperatures. Water levels are still low and clear but considering July is coming to an end, that’s typical. It’s just a nice way to start a nice summer day.

Anglers with an ability to fish a streamer are finding the smallmouth bass a lot of fun on the end of the line. Targeting these on the lower sections of rivers is a great way to hone a number of fly fishing techniques as we often are using lighter sink-tip lines and “selling” the fly to interested fish that come to look at it. And when they eat, they pull. Baitfish patterns have been most productive, but smaller crayfish patterns have taken their share of fish, too.

The smaller lakes and ponds still have bluegill and bass willing to eat your fly both on the surface and below. Perfect for those learning how to fly fish and a lot of fun for those who already do, especially when fishing diving bugs, small streamers and popping a popper. Mornings and evenings are best when it’s a sunny day, but overcast is always best and can offer good fishing throughout the day, especially around weed beds, drop offs and other structures.

Good luck.

Ted

Learn to Fly Fish – Book a half-day trip with the idea of learning the basics in how to cast and fly fish.
Tricos and Terrestrials – Start your day on a cool river fishing for trout with dry flies from July into September.
Fall Steelhead – Although the Spring Season just ended, think fall steelhead. Good dates available in November

bass fishing, bluegill fly fishing, blugill fishing, guided fishing trip, learn to fly fish, manistee, manistee river, smallmouth bass fishing, terrestrial fly fishing, the northern angler, traverse city fly fishing, trout fishing

Mid-July Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - July 15, 2022

It’s mid-July and the major hatches have come and gone on the Manistee and Boardman Rivers. With the lack of rain the past two months, river levels are low, and so is the water table, resulting in significant daily river temperature fluctuations. Our spring-fed rivers need a supplied water table to moderate our water temps but since we didn’t have them, our hatches (and fishing) never quite got into the grove where hatches were dense and/or predictable. Thankfully we have mostly had cooler evenings to keep water temps safe for fishing as trout don’t like water north of 68 degrees and experience higher mortality after being caught in temps above that.

As we progress through summer, look for mornings to offer the best fishing with hatches of Tricos and some terrestrials bouncing around for feeding brook and brown trout. The number of deer flies swarming make imitations of them a good choice in fly patterns when the Tricos aren’t around. Grasshopper and beetles, too are around and are worthy of imitating the next time you hit the water. This time of year you always want some BWOs, Isonychias, Lt. Cahills and Little Yellow Sally Stoneflies in your box as they can show up sporadically.

<<More on trout fishing After the Hex Hatch>>

River smallmouth fishing continues to be good most days. These are fickle fish with weather systems that might be moving through, but typically they are only moody for short periods of time so keep fishing streamers and poppers and your fishing is likely to change without much notice. When they eat, they demonstrate why we use heavier rods; for their size the pull and fight of a smallmouth bass is impressive.

Fishing on the lakes and ponds has been good most of the spring and summer. The larger gills have mostly gone back to the depths after another round of spawning, but they will surprise you from time to time. Plenty of smaller fish are around to keep action happening if learning how to fish or just enjoying some low-key time on the water. The largemouth bass have been sassy and are eating both on the surface and below so mix it up.

Good luck.

Ted

bass fishing, fly fishing, hex hatch, learn how to fly fish, traverse city, tricos, trout fishing

Mid June Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 16, 2022

With the dog days of June upon us, the trout fishing has been tougher than we have come to expect for this time of year. The big bugs of June have been fickle – as have most hatches so far this year with the spastic and erratic extremes in weather and conditions. On top of that, water temps on rivers like the upper Manistee and Au Sable have recently been hitting that crucial 70-degree threshold in the evenings which keeps us off the water in an effort to preserve/conserve the fish. You should too.

Water levels are decent with a slight stain to them. Weed growth seems to be lacking but the purple irises on the riverbank are blooming right on schedule which means Isonychias and Brown Drakes should be your primary bugs in your fly box. Have some gray drakes with you too, in addition to the last of the Sulphurs. A good probing pattern this time of year is a medium brown stonefly or wet skunk. And with the recent rain, I suspect the mosquitoes will begin to show up too so don’t forget the bug spray.

Bass and bluegill fishing continues to be really good. With the current moon phase, the bigger panfish are in the shallows again for their second spawn on a lot of lakes. Fat and sassy and surface oriented, they will take something subsurface if it’s choppy or there is too much pollen on the surface to bring attention to your dry. With the trout fishing being so fickle, a lot of folks have been hitting the lakes to bend the rods and discovering how much fun this option can be. And without the need of a headlamp.

Good luck.

Ted

bass, bluegill, boardman river, guide, lake fishing, manistee river, traverse city fly fishing, trout, trout fishing

Mid September Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 12, 2021

Water levels are in good shape as nice, pleasant weather continues through September. Water temps on the upper Manistee are in the high 50s and with some sunlight, it creeps into the lower 60s. Getting a little later start in the morning helps to allow the fish to wake up and terrestrials dry out from the night’s dew fall.

Sub-surface twitch flies and smaller streamers are also a good approach. Seems that the brook trout have shuffled through the river moving closer to their favorite spawning regions and the bigger browns are starting to come out from cover after a long summer of playing hide and seek.

Salmon have entered most of the rivers in west Michigan as have salmon anglers. With the warm weather runs likely will be stagnant until the next episode of north/northwest winds push some fresh fish into the river mouths and an increase in river levels from rainfall draws them up. If headed out, please share the resource, pick up after yourself and lead by example. Or go trout fishing instead to avoid that scene which seems to only get worse each year.

Bass and bluegill fishing has pretty much come to an end with most of the fish hanging in the deeper water off the shallows as it offers them the best thermocline. After 3.5 months of pleasing anglers, I supposed they earned to have the rest of the fishing season off.

Good luck.

Ted

September Trout Fishing – Cool nights and warm days, this time of year you have the river to yourself.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain in November and into December. Finish the season with some chrome.
2022– Booking next year’s fishing seasons through September. Don’t miss your favorite seasons and good dates!

betsie river, Platte River fly fishing, salmon fishing, salmon fishing the betsie, september trout fishing, trout fishing, upper manistee

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