| FISHING REPORTS |
ARCHIVE: |
Your search returned 2 items (most recent reports for all waters in )
Now showing items: 1 - 2.
|
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
|
|
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!
|
|
Your search returned 2 items (most recent reports for all waters in )
Now showing items: 1 - 2. |
|
|
|
|
 |
RIO FLY Lines
Central Oregon Fishing
Entire RIO INVENTORY of Lines in Stock!!!
Special: FREE SHIPPING and NO SALES TAX
More
info >>
|
William Joseph Retractable Stripping Basket
Fishwest Outfitters
The hottest product in fly fishing...
Special: 10% off
More
info >>
|
C&F Design Fly Boxes
Fishwest Outfitters
Free shipping on all C&F Design fly boxes...
Special: FREE SHIPPING
More
info >>
|
| view all specials >>
|
|
|
|