Posts tagged "trout"

End of July Fly Fishing Report – Traverse City Region

Posted by Ted Kraimer - July 25, 2013

As much as we appreciate the cooler weather this past week, it takes a little while for the fish to get use to the change in water temps. Cooler water temps are good for the fish and after a day or two off relative consistent weather they are happy and playing our game again.

The hatches on the upper Manistee and Boardman have been quite limited lately with just a few bugs around including Isos, Cahills, Big Olives, and Tricos. Fishing a bead head nymph in runs has produced some fish as they aren’t looking up too much with the bright sun. A very small streamer fished on a floating line has been a good approach, too. When those two presentations don’t work, try small terrestrials and the big rubber leg and foam creations – hoppers, Chernobyl Ants and other large profile bugs that have a little motion in them. The rivers are pretty quiet and a morning spent on the river this time of year is not only a great way to stay cool, but have it to yourself while catching brown and brook trout

Fishing on the lakes and ponds has been good for those looking to cash in on bass on large swimming diver bass bugs and large poppers. Weed beds and lilly pads have been the ideal place to target these fish especially when they are adjacent to cover like wood and drop offs. Keep in mind leader size is important when casting those big wind resistant flies. Bluegill have been playing along too and closer to the shallow water since the big fish in the deeper water tend to eat them – small dries like hoppers, ants, spiders and beetles have been working on top with small baitfish streamers working bellow.

The Smallmouth Bass fishing on the Lower Manistee continues to fish well. Medium to large streamers with lots of flash fished on both floating lines and short sink-tips have been the ticket. Crayfish bounced along the bottom and twitched are always good around rocks especially with the big moon that is out right now. While they aren’t as big as the fish we catch in the bay, the river smallmouth fight hard, get us on the river and make us better fly anglers.

Good luck,

Ted

Trout Fishing – Evening hatches should transition to morning trico s and terrestrial fishing as July sets in.
Bluegill & Bass – Lake fishing for both species is a great way to spend some time on the water over summer.
Fall Steelhead – Its not too early to start thinking about fall’s best fishing fish. Late Sept. – Nov.

bass and bluegill fishing in lakes, boardman river, fly fishing, fly fishing report traverse city, guide trips, manistee, smallmouth bass in rivers, tricos, trout

Top to Bottom, Rivers, Lakes & Bays – It’s a Diverse Time to Fly Fish

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 30, 2013

There is a lot to choose from right now for those fly fishing the Traverse City / Northwest Michigan region. The rivers, lakes and Grand Traverse Bay offer anglers everything from graceful trout to the temperamental and brutish carp – from dry fly fishing rivers to bottom bouncing weighted patterns on the bay.

The trout fishing has been decent on the Upper Manistee and Boardman Rivers. There is a diverse collection of bugs on the water most days making for some of the fun match-the-hatch chess games and head-hunting.
There have been some prolific Sulphur spinner falls the past week as well as the last of the light Hendricksons, mahoganies, caddis, bwos, black quill/Borchers and a few stones – both little yellow sallies and medium browns. Look for more of the same bugs to emerge over the week and pay real close attention to what bug and what stage the fish are keying in on. Emergers and spinners – flies fished in the film, seem to be working best. The smaller flies can be tough to fish in the dusk light – look for smooth water and slight dimples and underwater bulges for your targets as the broken water can make it tough to find fish. The streamer bite has been up and down with the cloudy days being ideal, as usual. Water levels are good – the rivers are full, have great clarity and temps are hovering around 60 degrees.

Smallmouth bass have moved into the shallows in the bay – many of the large rocks that offer some shade hold some fish, but keep your eye out for cruisers on the flats. Crayfish and minnow imitations are standard patterns you should have in your box.

The pre-spawn carp have move in, but remain transient with the weather changes, fishing pressure and low water of the bay. Water temp is key and if we continue to get warm weather, mild nights and favorable winds, it will only improve. The shallow water of East Grand Traverse Bay is a great place to look for the “golden bone” right now.

Bluegill continue to be in the shallow water offering the fly angler great opportunities and some great fish. The fish took a bit of a beating over Memorial Day weekend with many of them taken home, but the strong survive and require additional stealth to catch them.

Good luck,

Ted

Trout Fishing – May & June offer some or our best streamer fishing & great hatches!
Bluegill – Experience great fishing on the ponds and lakes in mid-May and June
Father’s Day – Ask for or give a gift certificate to dad this Father’s Day – June 16 2013
Hex Fishing – Some ideal dates are still available for the big bugs and big fish in mid/late June
2013 Fishing Season – Now booking for all 2013 seasons – don’t miss out on this year’s fishing

carp, fly fishing, grand traverse bay, guide, hatches, l, manistee river, smallmouth bass, trout, trout fishing

Spring Fishing Progresses

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 16, 2013

Last week’s great weather was interrupted by cooler weather complete with snowflakes and rain over the weekend leading to a drop in water temperatures. Now that the sun is out again and warmer weather is back, water temps are climbing again and the bug emergences are a little more predictable with fish often taking advantage offering decent dry fly activity.

On the local rivers like the Manistee, AuSable and Boardman, look for Hendricksons to continue (both light and dark), March Browns, Black Caddis, a few BWOs, little brown stones, Black Quills and a trickle of Mahoganies. Spinners have been collecting above the riffle sections but the time of day they hit fall to the water varies on the bug and the conditions of the day – it’s been all over the place. Keep some sulphurs in your box because they are on deck. As mentioned in last week’s report, fish streamers between emergences and cover water – one bend can be void of fish while the next bend can have good bugs and rising fish. Streamer fishing has improved, but it still requires a lot of casts and changing of the patterns between fish. Having a rigged dry fly rod in the boat is a great way to be prepared when a trout snout breaks the surface.

The bluegill action continues on the local lakes and ponds as the bigger fish move from the depths to shallow water to spawn. Very small streamers and “swimming nymphs” do a great job sub-surface where various dries have been effective on top especially when the water is calm. Largemouth bass are swimming and lurking in the shallows but are mostly sub-surface eaters this time of year including small bluegill that may have eaten your fly.

Good Luck,

Ted

Trout Fishing – May & June offer some or our best streamer fishing & great hatches!
Bluegill – Experience great fishing on the ponds and lakes in late mid-May and June
Father’s Day – Ask for or give a gift certificate to dad this Father’s Day – June 16 2013
Hex Fishing – Some dates still available for the big bugs and big fish in mid/late June
2013 Fishing Season – Now booking for all 2013 seasons – don’t miss out on this year’s fishing

au sable, boardman, fishing report, hatch, hendrickson, manistee, trout

Trout Opener, Steelhead Fishing Continues

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 25, 2013

This Saturday marks the opening season of trout fishing but I think it is safe to say that anglers won’t be seeing any Hendricksons emerging this year on the opener. Being spoiled by two mild winters the previous years, this year’s winter has held on longer than average and spring has been real slow to start. The good news is the forecast is calling for seasonal or at least greatly improved conditions to be the norm going forward. The ice scrapper will remain in the car for a few weeks longer just in case.

Because of the cool temps, water conditions are still cooler than normal and the steelhead continue to be the primary quarry and interest of anglers right now. The Manistee below Tippy dam is still high, but has dropped 1k cfs since last weekend and the clarity has improved slightly but are still far from ideal. Water temps have inched up towards 44 degrees. Some fresh chrome seems to trickle in but majority of the fish have been in the river for a little while. Look for fishing for drop back steelhead to improve as water clarity returns closer to normal. The successful flies have been mixed with smaller egg patterns in natural colors being best and the nymphs to include caddis, small stones and fry patterns.

Those of you looking to get out and trout fish this weekend should plan to fish low and slow with nymphs and streamers for your best luck. Conditions on local rivers are cool and high with a stain however they are improving with no forecast for significant rainfall. Smaller tributaries to rivers seem to be closer to normal than the bigger rivers. Be careful wading and know that better trout fishing conditions will be here soon. Those of you that are successful, please practice catch and release. Be sure to check any new fishing regulations that may have gone into effect on your favorite body of water.

Good luck,

Ted

The Spring newsletter just went out – click here to read and/or sign up for delivery.

Steelhead – Spring is already booked but it’s not too early to get your fall dates secured. Late Sept. – Nov.
Trout Fishing – May & June offer some or our best streamer fishing & great hatches – its closer than you think!
2013 Fishing Season – Now booking for all seasons in 2013 – Don’t miss your place in the boat.

fishing, fly fishing, steelhead, trout, trout opener

December Steelhead and Trout Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - December 13, 2012

With Winter pretty much set in, it’s time to fish like it. Steelhead numbers remain decent in the Manistee river but few fish are in the Betsie. Water levels and clarity are in step with the season – that is low and clear and it’s the stealthy angler who will have the odds in their favor in these conditions. As the steelhead are tucked away in the deep and slow holes be sure to target that water and on those rare days when the sun is out, look for fish to be in tail-outs actually sunning themselves. You will also find some fish near bubble lines close to slow moving water and in and around wood making suspended flies under floats/indicators ideal. Swung flies on heavy sink-tips work well in these conditions, too, as water temperatures hover around 40 degrees; look for an undulating spey or streamer pattern to peel some fish from the wood.

The trout fishing below Tippy Dam is picking up now that they are not solely eating eggs in various stages – look for midge, scudsow bug and small mayfly/bwo patterns to accommodate an egg pattern on your tandem nymph rig. Slow sinking streamers with lots of action make for some good streamer fishing this time of year for some of the bigger fish looking to put the feed bag on before Winter really sets in hard – just remember to move the fly slower this time of year as water temps remain cold.

Happy Holidays and Good Luck!

Ted

— The Winter/Holiday newsletter just went out – click here to read and/or subscribe —

Winter Special: Take advantage of warm-ups this winter! 5 hours of fishing and lunch – $250
Gift Certificates: Ask for or give the gift of a guide trip or casting lesson. It’s a quick and easy gift! Click here.
Spring Steelhead: Mid-March isn’t that far away – get your dates secured and reserve your place in the boat.
– – Currently Booking for all 2013 Seasons – –

betsie river fishing, indicators, manistee river, river, spey, streamers, swung flies, trout, winter steelhead

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