Posts tagged "trout"

Labor Day Weekend Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 29, 2014

With Labor Day weekend here, we find ourselves with summer like conditions which might be fitting considering how long it took summer to get here.

The trout fishing on the upper-Manistee has improved especially when combined with overcast conditions. Most days though when the sun is high and bright the fish are gone into the wood piles making for mornings and evenings the best time to be on the water. The Tricos are still around mid-morning but they are winding down – like most mayflies this year their emergence was spotty. The smaller streamers have been working well when fished with a floating line and rapidly twitched. Terrestrials and rubber-legged attractors have been fun to fish with some days the fish really responding well to them – especially twitched.

Because of the nicer weather and lack of rain, the migration of salmon into the local rivers (Betsie, Manistee, Boardman) has been very limited. While we have had some rain – and more is expected – we haven’t had the winds to congregate fish near the river mouths that combined with the wind bring the fish in. Each year is different with the run so you have to be flexible even though in the past this time of year has been great. I suspect that with the lake temperatures being what they are and the fish scattered, fish will trickle in until conditions unify. Look for the salmon run/migration to be long lasting and prolonged this year.

Good luck,

Ted

The Fall 2014 Newsletter just went out – click here to read and/or subscribe.

Trout – With Labor Day behind us, have the Upper Manistee River and its trout all to yourself.
Salmon– A few great dates remain in mid-September for salmon fishing on the Bestsie River.
Fall Steelhead– From the end of September through November – this is the time of year for Steelhead.

Betsie, labor day weekend., manistee, salmon, terrestrials, traverse city, tricos, trout

Sparrow Nymph Pattern (Gartsides)

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 26, 2014

The Sparrow Nymph fly pattern is impressionistic and suggests a number of food sources to fish but nothing specifically. While Jack Gartside originally designed this nymph/streamer/wet fly for trout fishing, I have found it works on a number of species by changing up the body colors, hook size and presentation.

Each year as salmon season comes around, I find myself tying a number of Sparrows to stock my fly box. This classic, tried and true pattern works well on when salmon are resting in staging holes early in the migration/season. I’m not sure what the fish consider the pattern to be, but they really seem to like them some days – then again they are salmon, and some days they just won’t eat anything you try.

I prefer to fish the Sparrow for salmon as a nymph but sometimes I will get above the fish and barely swing it into the hole where fish are staged. When fishing for trout, fish the Sparrow like a soft hackle or even “greased-lined.” If tied in white/gray/grizzly or other baitfish imitating colors, strip it back after you have swung it for aggressive takes.

Tying the Sparrow is quick and easy with just a few basic materials and can be fished wet, as a nymph or in certain colors as a small streamer. The materials provide a lot of motion which I think really contributes to its effectiveness. For Coho/Silver salmon, try tying them in purple whereas classic colors for King/Chinook salmon seem to be olive, dirty yellow (think hex) and black. Body colors for trout include hare’s ear, peacock herl and orange (think sedge). Play around with body colors and dubbing materials – use some with flash or sheen to provide a trigger.

Recipe:

Hook:       TMC 3769 #6 (salmon) Daiichi 1560 #8-12 (trout)
Thread: Uni 6/0 – Gray
Tail:           “Tuft” Marabou
Rib:           Krystal Flash (optional)
Body:       Dubbing (your choice)
Hackle:    Pheasant Rump Feather
Head:       Pheasant Philoplume/After-shaft Feather

Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Wrap a thread base from behind the eye to above the hook barb.

Step 2. Tie in the tail so the natural ends extend back 1-1/2 times the hook gape’s distance.
This material can be found on a pheasant’s skin and is usually just below the wings.
Another source for this material can be cut from the stem of the hackle feather used in Step 5.

Step 3. Dub a generous body that tapers slightly towards the hook eye.
Stop about a hook gape’s distance behind the eyes.

Step 4. Chose a hackle feather from the pheasant rump patch or skin. Notice the
secondary Philoplume Feather? Remove from the stem and use for the head in step 6.

Step 5. Tie in the hackle by the tip and wrap two to three times tightly.
You want the feather barbs sized so they extend to just beyond the body.

Step 6. Carefully tie in the Philoplume Feather by the base and
cover the remaining head area with multiple wraps. Tie off.

Finished Sparrow Nymph – with optional Krystal Flash rib.

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coho, early salmon fly pattern, early season salmon fishing, fish, fly box, fly tying, gartsides sparrow nymph, Jack Gartside, salmon, salmon pattern, silver salmon, sparrow nymph, sparrow patterns, swing, trout, trout sparrow, wet fly

Summer Continues (or is it just beginning?)

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 21, 2014

After some significant rains on the Upper Manistee, the water levels have receded and cleared up – it was odd to see the river like it was since this time of year the water is typically low and clear. The dry fly bite had diminished a bit with all the food being washed into the system subsurface but the Tricos most mid-mornings brought up some fish to the surface. The warmer weather in the forecast should start those hatches a little earlier in the a.m. as the forecast is calling for summer like temperatures as we near the unofficial end of Summer and August.

A variety of patterns deserve a place in your box this time of year. Besides male trico spinners, you will want terrestrials including hoppers and flying ants. It seems the fish want more action in the flies than normal – mix it up as each day’s preference is different. Other attractor patterns like mid-sized dries with foam and rubber legs give the fish a reason to eat on top, but fishing some small streamers sub-surface on a floating line can save the day.

The salmon that entered the Betsie and Manistee rivers a week ago have mostly dispersed throughout the river systems and aren’t as concentrated as we would like. Without favorable cool, n.w. winds on Lake Michigan to congregate fish near river-mouths and with warm weather in the forecast it might be a while before the number of fish improve. As “fall” and early fall-like weather approaches in September look for things to change as more fish migrate upstream.

Bass and bluegill fishing on the inland lakes have improved after last week’s cooler weather. Action around the lily pads is where once should focus on casting their flies – large poppers and sliders for the bass and smaller terrestrial patterns for the bluegill/panfish near the structure – woods, weeds, and depth changes.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – August fly fishing with terrestrials and tricos on the Upper Manistee River.
Salmon– A few great dates remain in mid-September for salmon fishing on the Bestsie River.
Fall Steelhead– From the end of September through November – this is the time of year for Steelhead.

attractors, bass, betsie river, flying ants, manistee, salmon, terrestrials, trico, trout

Cool-Down and Warm-Up Coming

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 14, 2014

A bit of a cold front came through the region slowing the fishing a bit, but providing continued cool water temps and a bit of rain that the rivers and fish both liked. You will still find the rivers in good shape and fishable including the Manistee and Boardman.

Hatches have been pretty much limited to Tricos in mid-morning – with late morning being the case after a cold night. Attractor patterns and terrestrials (hoppers, Foam and Rubber) are bringing some fish up to the surface and more often than not they are looking for that bug to be chugging, twitching and skittering rather than dead-drifted. Below the surface, look for medium sized streamers fished on either floating lines or small sink-tip lines to tease some fish into playing our game.

Bass and bluegill fishing on the lakes is still a good bet with water temperatures staying cool. Some days are better than others and I suspect the forecast over the next 10 days will provide some stable and warm conditions ideal for getting these fish back on the feed. Surface and subsurface flies are working – it’s just a matter of which or what they want any particular day.

With the recent rains, cool down and northerly winds, a few salmon have staged at the river mouths and even a few have slipped into the local rivers. The warmer weather in store should put a hold on the migration until later but there is no doubt fall is right around the corner – what happened to summer?

Good luck,

Ted

Tricos and Terrestrials for Trout – July and August fly fishing for trout on the Upper Manistee River
Salmon– Fresh fish can enter rivers as early as mid-August and offer great fishing through September.
Fall Steelhead– From the end of September through November – this is the time of year for Steelhead.

attractors, boardman river, fishing, fly-fishing guide, manistee, salmon, steelhead, traverse city, trout

Tricos and Terrestrials for Trout

Posted by Ted Kraimer - July 30, 2014

Our cooler summer is keeping water temperatures nice and cool and the fish sassy. Ranging from the upper 50s to low 60s and with a good flow, the upper Manistee and Boardman look a little different for this time of year.

Mid-morning hatches of Tricos have been taking place but vary a little based on how long it takes for the air to warm up; some mornings it takes a little longer for those small bugs to hit the water and the fish to look up. There aren’t many other bugs on the water right now except for a light hodge-podge of mayflies – including Cahills, BWOs and Isonychias. More on <<Fishing After the Hex Hatch>>

With fewer bugs on the water and hatch to match, now is a good time to transition into the terrestrial fishing – that is hoppers, ants, beetles, cicadas and most patterns tied with foam and rubber legs. As the summer extends these land-loving bugs find themselves on the water and vulnerable to trout. Fish them dead-drift with the occasional twitch and if that doesn’t work, put a lot of twitch and motion in them (not necessarily drag) for some reaction. More on <<Terrestrial Fishing>>

Small streamers, too, are working when the surface activity isn’t taking place. Work the structure with weighted patterns on a floating line and see if you can’t tease some fish out of their bunkers.

The lake fishing remains good for largemouth bass and bluegill fishing. The bigger poppers and sliders have been fooling the larger bass where the small spiders, swimming nymphs and streamers are working for the bluegill/panfish. Weed growth and lily pads have been a great place to start as is structure near breaks in water depth. More on <<Largemouth Bass Fishing>>

Smallmouth fishing in the lower Manistee remains an option for those looking to fish streamers for these fun fish. While they aren’t as big as the fish in the Bay, these bass keep it visual and are often eager to please. This is not the ideal species for the beginner but for the angler who has the basic skills and looking for a fun way to further develop your skills.

Good luck.

Ted

bass fishing, boardman, fly fishing, fly-fishing guide, lakes, manistee, panfish, rivers, smallmouth, terrestrials, traverse city, tricos, trout

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