Your search returned 5 items (most recent reports for all waters in ) Now showing items: 1 - 5.
Manistee River - October 15th, 2011
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:50 °FISHING: Excellent
MICHIGAN
Chinook salmon have been the focal point in northwest Michigan rivers for more than a month, and with very good reason. The fish are larger than at any time since the mid-90s, and also are exceptionally plentiful this year.
Why? Nobody knows for certain, but a rich biomass of food in Lake Michigan is what the biologists believe. And, since they’re supposed to know more about it than me, I’ll take their word for it until proven otherwise.
My clients have certainly enjoyed Cast & Blast days chasing grouse early, then switching to salmon when the air temps made it too tough on the dogs.
Andy Adamo wasn’t fortunate enough to hook up the afternoon he was tossing flies at them, but Loren Larson nailed a bunch of them last week.
“This is super,” he said after beaching his third or fourth fish (he and I both lost count of how many he tickled, but it must have been close to a dozen). “I haven’t had this much fun since I was in Alaska!”
His pal, Scott Nelson, wasn’t as fortunate with the king salmon, but he already had “made his mark” on the day by dropping a couple of woodcock over his Vizla, Riley.
“Actually, it’s my daughter’s dog,” he admitted, “except for a couple of months during the fall when I get to use him on birds.”
Loren had driven to Chicagoland from Iowa to pick up his old buddy, and come through The Yoop to Michigan’s Grouse Capitol--Grayling. The only problem was, they were having trouble pinpointing birds.
“We got your name from a guy at the tackle shop (Skip’s),” Loren said when he called. “He told us you could put us on birds.”
Which is precisely what happened last Wednesday morning.
They didn’t shoot any that day, but birds were flying and the guys were happy.
“Can we do this again tomorrow morning?” Loren asked as we lounged at the trucks after our morning walk.
Yep.
And the following morning we put up three grouse and eleven woodcock before heading to the Boyne for salmon.
David Lang is in town from Indiana, and we were supposed to be pounding through the grouse coverts even as my fingers glide over these keys.
But high winds (which knocked out our power at four this morning) and driving rain put the kibosh on THAT plan. At least, until we see what happens later this afternoon. If things settle down, we’ll be able to walk in the woods during the “Golden Hour” before dusk when the grouse are doing their end-of-day feed.
Fortunately, Dave’s here tomorrow and Monday, and the weather’s supposed to be perfect for grouse hunting: a minimal prospect of rain (but still damp), with temps in the mid-40s.
FLORIDA
Spanish mackerel, tunny, trout, and redfish are all hot, hot, hot nearshore and in the backcountry right now.
King mackerel are staging in deeper water, along with amberjack and even some sailfish. Grouper are in 80 feet of water over reefs and structure, but the grouper season closes Nov. 14.
Which is just when Kate and I expect to be back in Venice!
I have a few days open here in Michigan at the very end of October and during the first week of November if you can get away for grouse (don’t forget that woodcock season closes Nov. 6th).
If that doesn’t work, perhaps some time in the sun chasing those saltwater species (plus some resident tarpon in my “secret spot”) might fit into your holiday plans.
The Best Western Ambassador Suites at the 193 exit off I-75 in Venice gives my clients super rates for a huge room with two queen-sized beds.
And don’t ever forget what Sparse Gray Hackle wrote more than 80 years ago: “The fish do not rise in Greenlawn Cemetery.”
AuSable River - July 28th, 2011
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:83 °FISHING: Great
WHEW! Water temps are falling to normal levels after that week of 95+ daytime weather, and tricos are starting to pop in early hours.
Jim Powers, the Manistee's unofficial Riverkeeper, has been working his stretch above Yellowtrees religiously every morning and has been doing quite well.
"Nothing huge," Jim said, "but it's steady action for as long as I want to stay out there."
Hoppers, ants (big black ones seem to be everywhere right now!) and BWO duns and spinners on cloudy days all have been producing fish. Keep your eyes peeled for flying ant hatches during the next two weeks--the fish absolutely go CRAZY for winged ants!
My two-week jury duty obligation is over, so now I can get back on the water most every morning. So much for Good Citizenship (wasn't that a Merit Badge I earned more than, uh...a lot of years ago?).
ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE
Heart, God bless his 4-year-old soul, is doing great. He's absolutely the quintessential "Camp Dog." And the nicest part is that he not only minds his manners but finds birds, too!
He's been having a ball playing with Tug, and teaching her (mostly right from wrong) how things operate around here. She, on the other hand, has a tendency to sometimes live up to her nickname of "Thug."
She's having a blast chasing butterflies and bees, and has been VERY intent while watching Heart point mourning doves. And, I'll be danged if she hasn't already taught herself how to honor his point!
I'll be taking them to Jim Avery's game farm as soon as the weather cools off a bit, so she can get scent in her nose and feathers in her mouth! I have high hopes for her. We'll see.
Upper Manistee M72-CCC - October 11th, 2006
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:43 °FISHING: Excellent
October 11, 2006
MICHIGAN
This is absolutely the ULTIMATE time for a Cast & Blast getaway in northern Michigan. King salmon have filled the rivers, and the upland gunning for grouse and woodcock has been superb.
In fact, Steve Shihanian is driving north from Lexington, KY, even as I type, exactly for that purpose. He’s packing fly rods, shotguns and a couple of English setters for five days of blissful fishing and hunting.
The fact that the “S”-word is in our forecast daunts him not at all. “I need to get away from the horse country for a while,” he said earlier this morning. “I don’t mind a little snow on the ground.”
Great attitude!
Great conditions, too. We’re averaging more than seven birds per hour (grouse and woodcock combined), which has given my clients a lot of excitement.
Jo-Jo Dorian was with me last Saturday, and he experienced the best we have to offer. The sunshine turned the aspen leaves a brilliant gold, the maples were flaming red, and the oaks were a deep burgundy.
Ghost and Ben found plenty of birds for him, and he managed to take home one woodcock. “I am fulfilled,” he said, as we shook hands goodbye. “What a great day to be in the woods.”
Don Schulz echoed that comment Sunday evening and Monday morning after I squired him through several different coverts. He was especially happy that he could contribute a bird to the woodcock pate that he will help consume at my wild game dinner November 4.
Yesterday, Bob Benz (who’s heading back home to Houston next Tuesday) got a thorough walkabout and took a grouse home for his dinner. We saw eight grouse and nine woodcock throughout the day, but Bob had trouble picking them up in flight so his Beretta didn’t go “bang” very often.
He and Jo-Jo are planning on hitting the Hexagenia hatch with me next June. I just hope the weather NEXT year is better than last June.
Overall, I’d have to rate the fishing season as very good. Not excellent, since cold temps (down to 35 degrees at night in late June) mostly wiped out the Hex hatch and spinner fall.
But our Isonychia hatch was long and productive. Same for Dorotheas and Baetis. Caddis, of course, are always prevalent.
The other strange thing about this past fishing season was that the big browns took a looooong time to key in on grasshoppers. Normally, we’re sticking nice fish during the daytime beginning in late July. This year it was nearly September before the big guys started gulping hoppers.
John Jepkema certainly had a blast the day he fished the Manistee with me and nailed an extremely fat, hook-jawed brown just before our takeout at Yellowtrees Landing. It measured 18 inches, but was hefty enough for a 21-incher!
Best of all, Kate was pretty much back to normal after her bout with cancer! She didn’t fish quite as many days as she’d like, but much of that was due to her itch to plant a bunch of trees, flowers, and bushes this summer.
“NEXT year,” she vowed, “I’ll get out at least four evenings each week!”
FLORIDA
Thank goodness we were spared hurricanes this season! Conditions are excellent throughout southwest Florida, and most all of the species are eating flies very readily!
Look at your schedule and get with me to reserve some Winter Getaway days. I’m taking delivery of a brand new Hewes Redfisher 18 November 22, and it’s a real snazzy fishing platform!
I’ve also found a couple more spots that hold baby tarpon, so we’ll have even MORE fun this winter!
Pere Marquette River - February 27th, 2006
supplied by: Silverside Outfitters & Guide Service RECORDED:30 °FISHING: Fair
Steelhead fishing has slowed the last few days on the lower Pere Marquette. Went on a picture trip today with good friend Andy B. and floated a lower section of the P.M. Managed to land a couple steelhead on small Oregon cheese nuke eggs and hooked a few resident browns. Water levels are normal and clear with afternoon water temps. near 36. Stoneflies have been active and the first few salmon fry have been spotted close to shore. Look for fishing to pick up again with the next warm-up.
Patterns to try include:
Stoneflies- small black Tiny Dancer's, Pheasant Tails, Fuzzbusters, and sparrow nymphs. Salmon fry-B.T.S.(Better than spawn) Hex.-rabbit strip Hex., wiggle-Hex. Eggs-nuke eggs in grapefruit, Oregon cheese, and cream delight. Estaz eggs in peach, and orange.
Check out our site (www.silversideguide.com) for recent pictures, and the most updated, honest, fly- fishing reports on the Muskegon, Pere Marquette, and Manistee river systems. Tight Lines! Capt. Fred
Muskegon River - February 20th, 2006
supplied by: Silverside Outfitters & Guide Service RECORDED:20 °FISHING: Good
Rain, snow, hail, lightning & thunder along with single digit air temps. started this past weekend's weather and kept all but the hardcore(i.e. crazy) off the water. The lack of fishing pressure with decent numbers of fish thru-out the system, have made for overall good fishing lately.
The water temps. barely made it above freezing on Sunday but surprisingly the fish didn't seem to notice. The fish we hooked came right away or not at all in each new spot. The chartreuse clown egg hooked most of our fish but the B.T.S. also hooked a couple. The B.T.S.(Better than spawn) is a salmon fry imitation, originally developed by Feenstra, that can be very effective at this time of year. I'll have to admit I was a little skeptical the first time I saw this pattern in a friend's fly box, but have since become a believer in it's effectiveness. Fished dead-drift or on the swing, steelhead, trout and the occasional walleye all find the B.T.S. to there liking once the salmon fry start to hatch out.
Check out our site(www.silversideguide.com) for recent pictures, and the most updated, honest, fly-fishing reports on the Muskegon, Pere Marquette, and Manistee river systems. Tight Lines!
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