Your search returned 6 items (most recent reports for all waters in ) Now showing items: 1 - 6.
Manistee River - April 28th, 2013
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:68 °FISHING: Excellent
Hendricksons are hatching on the Manistee and Au Sable despite high water and quick flow. But, temps reaching 70 and dry sky will bring things back to normal pretty fast.
In Florida, the tarpon are showing up off the beaches and snook are gathering around the Passes in anticipation of spawning.
Normally, I'd be chasing the Silver King relentlessly, but I had a rather tough winter. I had to do hand-to-hand combat with esopageal cancer for four months. I kicked Mr. Cancer's ass big-time! Unfortunately, my vocal cords were damaged, leaving me talking in a near-whisper, so I have to undergo out-patient surgery in Michigan at the end of May to correct that.
Therefore, I'll be ready to hit the sulphers, drakes, Hex and hoppers in Michigan this summer. Let's go fishin'!
Jordan River - October 23rd, 2012
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:53 °FISHING: Excellent
One of the trout streams Kate most loves to fish in northern Michigan—when she’s not weaving a fly between the tag alder branches in front of our house on the Manistee River—is the Boyne.
It’s a tight little “crick” that bubbles through what essentially is a cedar swamp, but she loves to wade it in hip boots and catch foot-long steelhead smolts during the summer.
Right now, however, the place is filled with brawny Chinook, which make the seven-mile run from Lake Charlevoix to the dam near the Boyne Mountain ski resort to spawn a new crop of wild salmon every fall.
It’s a hoot, really, to watch those big fish moving over gravel bars so shallow that sometimes their dorsal fins are cleaving the surface. Of course, hooking them—or more aptly PLAYING them after hooking them—is the biggest challenge.
I must say, though, that Bartow McDonald, Gil Feltel and Ray Berryman did a pretty marvelous job of it when they were here last week for a Cast & Blast.
Bartow, truth be told, loves fishing more than upland gunning despite the fact that his in-laws own quite a lot of acreage near the Ocala-Orlando area where he looks for quail. Gil, from Jacksonville, and Ray, who flew in from Flagstaff, enjoyed both the gunning and fishing portions of the two days we spent together.
In fact, they had quite a few points over Tug, shot some woodcock, and took home a bushel-basket of salmon. We had considered hitting the Manistee down near CCC Bridge, but that would have entailed breaking out fly rods and the guys were just as happy to use spinning gear on the Boyne.
Bartow did mention, however, that he still hasn’t actually landed a tarpon—on any type of tackle. “So, maybe we need to start talking about some time together when you get back down to Florida,” he said. “Landing a tarpon still ranks WAY up there at the top of my To-Do list.”
Speaking of Florida, the Spanish and king mackerel are still crashing bait pods off Siesta Key, Casey Key and Venice. Bonito are everywhere, sheepshead are beginning to show up at the Venice Jetty, and a couple of cobia in the 40-pound-class were hooked off Sarasota last week.
Redfish are lurking around oyster bars in excellent numbers, snook have rebounded very nicely from the Big Freeze of 2010, and spotted sea trout are fatter than ever. If the weather treats us as nicely as it did last winter, 2013 will be another Fine Time In Paradise!
Actually, the weather up here has turned practically balmy. Dick White, from the Detroit area, was here hunting with me last week after the Florida contingent left, and his young setter—Winston—got an education in the wily ways of grouse and woodcock.
Winston’s bird-time has been spent at Hunters Creek Club in Metamora, sniffing out pheasant and chukkar. This business of crashing through thickets and blackberry snarls was an entirely new and different experience for him. I must say, though, that he caught on fast and was rewarded with feathers in his mouth both days we hunted together.
I still have a couple weeks of bird hunting before heading to Mike Beatty’s farm for my annual venison harvest, then I’ll load Kate, Heart and Tug into the Tahoe for the trek south.
So, if you’ve got a yen to follow an English setter through the woods, OR schedule some Fun in the Sun, it’s time to call 231-585-7131. Or, email tonypetrella@verizon.net right now!
Tight Loops, Capt. Tony
AuSable River - July 11th, 2012
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:85 °FISHING: Excellent
Hoppers, hoppers, and more hoppers make this a wonderful time to prospect for large brown trout during the middle of the day!
The only caution is that water temps can be dangerously warm, so pick your spots carefully. Look at places like the Jordan--which is technically the toughest river in America to fish (see my attached Article for the details)--or hit the headwaters of your favorite rivers.
Water temps will be cooler farther upstream--especially on Michigan's spring-fed rivers--and the trout won't be as stressed after being hooked.
Another option is the Trophy Water of the Au Sable down below the Mio Dam. The steeper gradient there speeds up water flow in a lot of places, making it more oxygenated.
There also are a lot of rainbows in the 10-12-inch class that have been planted near many of the bridges and access points. That's great fun for the kids, especially!
Another option, of course, is to hit places like Wakeley Lake, or bluegill ponds that will provide plenty of action, good casting practice, relaxation, and unharmed trout!
Upper Manistee M72-CCC - June 27th, 2012
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:82 °FISHING: Excellent
It’s safe to say that my 2012 tarpon season ended with a bang. Literally.
Capt. Jeff Mayerle, who’s a corporate pilot for a Cincinnati developer, had flown his boss to Venice and was going to be staying in town for a couple of days. Since he’s fished with me several times during the past few years, he decided a tarpon trip would provide some great fun.
I had fished another of my regulars, Ron Boehm, and his pal Bill Sanford, the previous day in the Gulf off Casey Key. The weather had been pretty good, with hardly any wind, and some fairly-gentle swells.
We even bumped a few fish. Ultimate success eluded us, however, and finally it was time to head for the ramp amid gathering wind and the beginnings of Miss Debby’s ill-tempered visit.
Jeff and I talked on the telephone several times throughout the late afternoon and early evening, debating, as pilots will, whether or not the forecast had any semblance of validity. The forecast, of course, being quite bleak.
Finally, we decided that caution was the better part of valor, and settled on trying my “secret spot” instead of taking our chances in the Gulf. Turns out, that was a darned good call.
Jeff and his fellow pilot, Derrick Burchett, met me at 6:30 the following morning and we set off in search of tarpon. We found them readily enough, but they stayed juuuuust that far out of shooting range. Mostly.
The guys were tossing some crabs that I’d managed to scrounge up after an exhausting search, and finally they each had a bump. Neither, however, managed to get a good hook-set.
Then it happened.
The crab Jeff had pitched out was merrily swimming around—apparently looking awfully enticing—when Jeff felt “something like a vacuum cleaner pulling on the line.”
I had cautioned the guys at the outset that “if you feel anything unusual, hit that tarpon as if he owes you money.”
Well, let me tell you that man and fish immediately had a simultaneous confrontation of momentous proportions. Jeff whaled back on the rod like a man possessed. The tarpon—which obviously was a huge old female pushing 180 pounds—reacted predictably. Which is to say, with extreme outrage.
In an instant, pieces of graphite were flying across my Hewes like shrapnel from a claymore mine. When the commotion ended, I found that two stripping guides were completely shattered, and a third was missing its ceramic insert. The rod was a splintered mass just above the ferrule, and two inches of the tip-top was broken and dangling on the line.
The tarpon was, of course, gone.
All three of us stood there in utter silence for what seemed an eternity—actually a matter of seconds—before each uttered an appropriate oath, curse, or exclamation of shocked surprise. I’m not sure what that tarpon was thinking at the moment, but I’m certain it was awfully smug.
Oh, we hung around for a while after I more or less got things reorganized, but we all knew the day was done, so in a little while we puttered out of there. Still marveling at the absolute power of that tarpon!
Now I’m back in Michigan, and in a few hours I’ll be waving a four-weight trout rod, explaining the basics of fly casting/fishing to a group of wannabes at Otsego Lake State Park, ten miles from my house on the Manistee River.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources asked back in May if I‘d do this demo, and after debating the matter in my mind for a few days, I agreed. Turns out it was a good call, considering the torrential mess that Debby’s made of Florida’s Gulf coast.
Besides, Heart’s thrilled to have me back home. And Tug—the puppy—is afire with the light of hunting instinct in her eyes. She’ll be two years old come October, with it’s glorious grouse mornings, and I think she’s gonna be a good one.
Oh, probably not another Ghost—but I doubt there ever will be another Ghost! Speaking of which, the book I wrote about our 14 fabulous hunting seasons together—Ghost! Field Journal of a Bird Dog—has been selling quite well through Amazon.
I’m also scheduled to do several book signings this summer at various bookstores in Traverse City and Gaylord, as well as some signings/dog training events at a couple of the shops that handle upland bird hunting tackle.
I hope to see you at one of them. And don’t forget that it’s getting verrrry close to Hopper Time and large, hungry brown trout!
Tight Loops, Capt. Tony
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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