Posts tagged "trout"

May Days – A Month of Fly Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 12, 2014

May Fly Fishing - Streamer Fishing Michigan

Brown Trout caught in May

It is no secret that northern Michigan’s fly fishing is one of a kind when you consider the variety of species in our local waters. The first popular season of the year is Spring Steelhead from mid-March through April, and Trout fishing in June with its hatches of big bugs aren’t missed by many. But in between is the month of May – a great month to fly fish Michigan – filled with a number of choices for anglers of all skill levels at a productive and less populated time.

Below is a brief summary of the various species, time of month and common approaches we take to fishing through May.

Steelhead

Drop-back steelhead caught on the swing

Most years, the steelhead on rivers like the Manistee below Tippy Dam continue to migrate in early May although, typically not in the numbers found in April. Considering how few anglers are out there and with water and air temps much warmer, this can be an ideal time to target drop-back and up-stream bound steelhead with nymphs, swung flies and streamers. Just because the crowds are gone doesn’t mean the fish are.

Steelhead & Trout

May Fly Fishing - Late Season Steelhead in Michigan

Late season Steelhead hooked while trout fishing

Waters like the lower Manistee containing both steelhead and trout, can offer a great one-two approach. That is, focus on steelhead until the sun gets high, then target trout. Or spend the day targeting trout with nymphs and streamers and hold on tight should you hook onto a steelhead in the process. Streamer fishing is a good way to cover lots of water and focus on predatory trout and the drop-back steelhead looking to eat before heading back to the lake. During the second half of the month steelhead are usually gone and anglers focus on trout with all types of presentations – nymphs, streamers, wet flies/soft hackles and dries. Since trout are stocked in this water, it can be an ideal place for a beginner or kid to learn while making their trout fishing experience a positive one.

Trout

Depending on the length and severity of winter, the first part of May usually offers good hatches of mayflies and caddis and build throughout the month on local rivers making for great dry fly fishing. The upper Manistee and AuSable are known for their dry fly fishing for brown, rainbow and brook trout. Watching them eat your hendrickson or mother’s day caddis in daylight is what it is all about for a lot of us anglers. Water conditions can vary from year to year – it can be clear or it can be stained, but regardless, the fish are there and usually looking to eat. Hendricksons to sulphurs and lots in between, don’t miss out on hatching bugs and rising fish.

May Fly Fishing - Michigan Mayfly Hatches

Late afternoon mayfly hatch in Michigan

A well-rounded angler who can not only cast a dry fly when an emergence takes place but can fish below the surface with a sink-tip fly line and a streamer can really maximize May’s potential. May is – in my opinion – the best month to focus on the big trout with big flies. Since the trout haven’t been pressured, this is a good time to feed them a streamer pattern as they are not only hungry but also territorial.

On those first warm days of spring having your favorite dry fly rod strung-up with a dry in the boat as you cover the water with a streamer is great approach. May trout fishing often occurs during “Bankers Hours” – from late morning until early evening – which further appeals to anglers.

Additional Articles:

Tips for Better Streamer Presentations Dry Fly Fishing Do’s

Panfish/Bluegills

Nice Bluegill/Panfish caught on a small streamer

As the sun gets even higher, the days longer and warmer, so do the waters on the many local ponds and lakes. Mid-month, panfish (Bluegill) typically leave the depths and come in shallow to spawn providing a lot of fun for fly anglers. Ever catch a bluegill the size of your hand on a 3 or 4 wt. rod? You won’t forget it when you do. And you won’t forget it if a big bass or pike eats your bluegill as you bring it in. Rarely will you land both, but you will have a great fish story to tell!

Like most fishing – a versatile angler who can fish for bluegill on top with dries and subsurface with nymphs and small streamers will be the productive angler. Being visual, fishing on top is always fun but you can create your own luck and being able to swim a small nymph slowly near structure increases your luck as this usually gets you that larger fish. Big bluegills are smart and are trophies in their own right making them not only fun to target, but worthy of bragging about.

More on Fly Fishing for Bluegill/Panfish

Carp and Smallmouth Bass

Carp fishing Grand Traverse Bay

May’s winds blow the warm surface water of Grand Traverse Bay into the shallows bringing the first of the carp and smallmouth into the flats to eat or sometimes just sun themselves. With carp steadily becoming more popular with fly fishers, the angler who finds the pre-spawn fish before others does well – especially because they aren’t preoccupied with spawning. It can be tricky, as water temps are influenced by wind direction, sunlight and night-time temperatures, but knowing when and where to go will make the difference between finding fish and not. Being able to cast and manipulate a fly and watch them eat brings a saltwater-like fishing experience closer to home.

October Fly Fishing in Northern Michigan

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 3, 2013

With the flip of the calendar, a look at the fall color in the trees and chrome in the water- the only thing wrong is we only have four weeks to enjoy what the month has to offer.

October Fly Fishing in Northern Michigan is one of my favorite months to fish. Cool mornings, clear days and big fish. Steelhead fishing has picked up a little on the Manistee as they take full advantage of the salmon eggs drifting downstream. There are still good numbers of King Salmon in the Betsie and Manistee Rivers with the majority of the fish on gravel doing their thing. Steelhead take note and residence in the holes, pocket water and slots below them taking advantage of the “protein drip”. Egg patterns have been the most effective patterns lately with a few nymph patterns also proving worthy – caddis, pop’s buggers, and pheasant tails. The water is still clear demanding light leaders and the steelhead have been hard to land with water temps being as warm as they are – the fish are spastic to say the least.

Even though trout season has closed on a number of rivers throughout the state, certain sections of certain rivers like the Manistee remain open. Brook trout fishing remains solid and the brown trout are becoming a little more responsive to our antics now that they are getting closer to their spawning season and angling pressure has dropped off. The streamer bite has picked up a bit – still smaller patterns with the clear water vs. the really big stuff and on top: BWOs and terrestrials like ants and beetles and the occasional smaller Isonychias.

Good luck

Ted

Steelhead -A few fall steelhead dates remain and it’s not too early to book your Spring 2014 Steelhead dates.
Trout – Late fall trout fishing can be some of the best streamer and nymph fishing once the salmon leave.
2014 Fishing – It’s not too early to start booking your 2014 dates – reserve you place in the boat today.

betsie river, brook trout, egg flies, egg patterns, king salmon, manistee, october steelhead fishing, trout, upper-manistee

The Unofficial Start of Fall

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 2, 2013

Now that Labor Day is behind us, the kids are in school and the salmon are in the rivers, it’s time to look forward to a long fall season of fly fishing.

While summer-like temps are usual throughout September, the cool summer brought the salmon closer to river mouths and into rivers much earlier this year. The Betsie, Mansitee, Bear and Pere Marquette all have fish in them and should throughout mid-October. The salmon – so far, have been on average a few pounds bigger than years past but the past week we have started to see some smaller fish swimming with the big ones. The big ones – while fresh, were hard to hold onto! We are a ways from spawning so look for fish to be in the deeper holes and eating nymphs and eggs and the occasional streamer fished on a sink-tip. Being salmon, some days they just don’t want to eat anything – mix up your fly patterns and put in your casts – it only takes a fish or two to make it a great day – more than that, even better.

There has been no shortage of anglers with this year’s early start and with the big fish come less than desirable anglers and their methods used to “catch” the salmon – program your cell phones with the DNR’s RAP Hot line (Report All Poaching) and report any violators you see: 1-800-292-7800. It only takes the word of a few tickets issued to curb some of the activity so your call can make a difference.

The warm weather over the past few weeks has warmed the trout waters but they will start to drop again with the cool down and cooler evenings. The Manistee and Boardman are running very clear right now but still have trout fishing going on. Terrestrials like hoppers, flying ants and beetles are a good bet as are some attractors. Sub-surface, try your bead head nymphs in the runs and slots and a small streamer twitched will keep you in the game. Look for the brook trout to get feistier as their spawning season approaches later this month and their colors become even more vibrant. You should have the trout rivers pretty much to yourself so enjoy the solitude and some technical fishing – there has been a decent BWO hatch on the upper Manistee in the early evenings and some remaining trico spinner falls in late morning.

Good luck,

Ted

– Sorry, at this time all salmon dates are booked. Be sure to act early next year to reserve your dates –

Steelhead -Just a few fall steelhead dates remain and it’s not too early to book your Spring 2014 Steelhead dates.

Trout – Late fall trout fishing can be some of the best streamer and nymph fishing once the salmon leave.

2014 Fishing – It’s not too early to start booking your 2014 dates – reserve you place in the boat today.

Betsie, DNR, fly fishing, guide, manistee, michigan, Pere Marquette, Rap Hotline, salmon, traverse city, trout

Summer Returns – Late August Traverse City Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 23, 2013

It appears that Summer has started again with warmer temperatures and plenty of sunlight.

These conditions have been good for the trout fishing on the Manistee and Boardman as terrestrials thrive in these conditions. Hoppers, ants, beetles and foam and rubber leg attractors are the ticket for those fishing on top. Windy conditions can make it difficult to cast, but blow some bugs in and the fish are waiting. Very little is hatching: Tricos in the mid-mornings with smaller trout rising to them making for fun “target practice”. Have a few small Isonychias in your box as well as #14 tan caddis and #18 BWOs. Smaller streamers fished in the little runs and cuts around wood have been producing some fish also and days that are mixed with sun and clouds have tended to be better.

The cooler weather made for good water temps at the river mouths and some salmon moved up the area rivers. With the warmer weather the fish aren’t as eager to come upstream, but the ones that did over the previous weeks are scattered throughout the river systems. Egg flies, small streamers and classic nymphs like sparrows, stones and buggers have been producing. A good N.W. wind and some rain would really get fish moving upstream again.

Bass and bluegill are still eating the fly on local lakes. The bigger gills are harder to come by but there are plenty of small ones to keep you busy and the bigger bass have been eating the larger flies – both on top and bottom. The warm weather will improve things further for those looking to fish the weed lines, beds and structure for largemouth bass.

Good luck,

Ted

Trout Fishing – Morning Trico s and fishing terrestrials is a great way to start a day in August
Bluegill & Bass – Fishing for both species is a great way to spend some time on the water over summer.
Salmon & Fall Steelhead –Salmon season is all booked and just a few dates remain for fall steelhead.

bass, fly fishing report traverse city, salmon, trico, trout

Fly Fishing Report – Traverse City Mid-August

Posted by Ted Kraimer - August 15, 2013

Trout fishing has been consistent these past weeks as water temps have been much cooler than normal for this time of year due to the mild air temperatures. The Trico hatch has been going a little later in the morning on the upper Manistee River once the sun gets higher and warms things up a bit, however the water is very clear and too much sun is a good thing. Not much else is on emerging on the Manistee and Boardman but attractors are working well for the brook trout and smaller browns where the larger terrestrials and foam and rubber patterns are bringing up some bigger fish. With the weather forecast calling for warmer conditions, look for the terrestrial fishing to get even better.

Bass and Bluegill on ponds and lakes has slowed a little with the cooler weather, but fish continue to play the game and eat flies – poppers, sliders, diving baitfish and baitfish streamers. The warmer weather should bring things back to where they should be for this time of year. Bluegill and panfish are taking smaller dry flies – small terrestrials like beetles, ants and small hoppers are great places to start. Smaller streamers fished just below the surface have been working, too.

The cool weather and water has brought some salmon closer to the river mouths and some fish have slipped up some of the local rivers but they are still low in numbers. It appears the fall run of salmon should be a good one this year.

Good luck,

Ted

bass fishing, bluegill, boardman, fly fishing, manistee, salmon, tricos, trout

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