We finally received some rain to knock down the dust and pollen while helping things finish greening up after an early start to the process. The rivers are still low and running clearer than normal for this time of year, but that’s been the story since late February. Water temps are stable in the mid-50s on the upper Manistee where this time of year we like to hit the water armed with a dry fly rod rigged in the event of an emergence while we cover water with streamers.
With the back-and-forth weather, the hatches have been sporadic. A warm day or two (anyone seen the sun lately?) can make a difference and get those water temps into the upper 50s which is ideal for the bugs and fish to be more active. If headed to your favorite trout water – be it on the Manistee, Boardman or Au Sable, make sure you have Hendricksons, small Black Caddis, BWO’s and Black Quills.
Mix up your streamer patterns – size, color, what they are representing (baitfish, sculpin, accessorized triple articulated pattern you saw on-line) as the fish have seen a lot of streamers with more people hitting the water again this year and the mild March and April.
Folks looking to try something different might look to fishing a lake for smallmouth and even some pike. Just mix it up and think subsurface for your best results. It’s still a little early for the bluegill but after a hot day or two of sunshine the shallow, dark bottoms of bays and coves should have the fish in shallow doing a little pre-spawn feed. The month of May offers some unique angling opportunities and variety – learn more here.
Good luck.
Ted
Trout Fishing – May and June offer some of the best streamer and dry fly hatches of the year.
Learn to Fly Fish – Tailor a half-day trip to learning how to fly fish –
perfect for beginners or those looking to dial in a new technique.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain in November and into December