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March 2010
Spring steelhead season is here folks and that means good numbers of fish with often times good numbers of people. Remember that there is usually plenty of room for every angler but it's always important to practice good etiquette while fishing. Give plenty of space between anglers and never cross the river in close proximity without their permission. Please also throw away or recycle your used monofillament after fishing and remember to pack out what you have packed in. We need to continue to keep our rivers and banks clean and trash is not only unsightly but does a lot of damage to the waters and the aquatic life as well. Have a great season everyone and please remember to not keep more fish than you can eat and practice catch and release as often as you can. Go get em'!
February 2010
Well folks, we have just about made it through another Michigan winter and that means spring steelhead to soon follow. February can be a very good month for steelhead as many of these winter fish will start to feed. With their several month stint in the river system, these fish often gain the urge to feed and the instinctual pre-spawn mode is usually evident. There are a few species of winter stone flies that begin to hatch in January and throughout the month of February. Steelhead will key in on this hatch activity and will take the nymphal stage when presented correctly. Try fishing stones in sizes 10 through 14 and be prepared for a few good hook-ups. Remember that a few days above 40 degrees with some possible rain in the mix can trigger these elusive creatures into taking your offering. Best of luck out there, keep your lines wet and FISH ON!
January 2010
Happy New Year Everyone! With this new year means new fish to pursue and some old ones. Winter has set in and hunting has slowed down as well as the fishing to some degree. However, the fishing can be quite good if folks are willing to brave the Michigan elements. All we can say is pound the water and move around and tiny flies are usually on the menu for these lethargic steelhead. If fishing indicators remember that the bite is often light as well as for light line nymphing. With the indicator bite you may see a small upstream twitch or a subtle stop and with light line nymphing you may just feel a pause in between the tick or the line may stop for a second or two through your drift. Good luck out there, stay warm and keep your lines wet. FISH ON!
December 2009
Well folks we have all made it through the summer and late fall and the fall fishing was quite good for the kings not to mention some decent steelhead action as well! This time of year the fishing can slow a bit for trout on open streams and rivers but the steelhead action can remain good. Try fishing smaller egg patterns with small nymphs and concentrate your efforts in the softer water. Look for a few days above 40 degrees for outside temps to raise the water temps a bit and the 3rd day or 4th day after some warm weather and heavy rains can really turn these fish on. Remember to cover a lot of water and your efforts may just pay off. FISH ON!
November 2009
Fall is most definitely here with the chill in the air and cold night time lows. November can be a great month for Michigan steelhead folks. As many outdoor folks are concentrating their efforts on deer hunting or duck hunting our rivers can be less crowded with anglers and the steelhead bite can be on! This is a fun time of the year to indicator fish as many stream run fish are still looking to feed quite regularly and a more vertical drifted presentation can be deadly. Remember to layer up with the proper attire out there and concentrate your efforts in the runs and holes. The bite can be light or it can be hair raising and rod jolting depending on water temps and the mood of the fish. Remember to take plenty of pictures of your Fall run steelies as these fish are quite spectacular in color this time of year and feel free to post your pics on our Forum. Great Fishing Everyone!
October 2009
The salmon fishing continues to be quite good for many western Michigan rivers. The coho will also start to run this month and you will find them to be very aggressive toward the properly presented fly. Flies of choice for these october coho are green caddis, pink nuc-eggs, egg sucking leeches and hex nymphs. There should be a good number of steelhead entering many river systems as well and late October can be a good time to search these fish out. The steelhead that may not be positioned behind salmon will more than likely be in the holes and certainly watch for some aggressive resident browns to be gorging themselves on salmon eggs. Best of Luck out there and FISH ON!
September 2009
Fall salmon season is here folks for Michigan and that means great fishing with sometimes great numbers of people. Please remember to give plenty of room to your fellow angler out there and remember to use good etiquette. You may want to concentrate your fishing efforts on deeper holes early season as this is where the salmon like to pod up and hold awaiting their spawning efforts. Flies of choice would be black stoneflies and egg sucking leeches. Have a great fall salmon season everyone and FISH ON!
August 2009
This time of year and always make sure to watch the river flow rate and the temps (both ambient and water). As we near fall salmon and steelhead season it is important to note water temperature and ambient temps. Remember that many steelhead will come into the river system to feed on salmon eggs and many will stay over as fall/winter hold overs. Fall temps can provide very good fishing for steelies and as winter approaches the water temps below 40 degrees some times make it hard to feel or get that good bite. Look for fall steelies to be positioned behind spawning salmon and as late fall approaches try fishing deeper runs and holes. Good Luck and Fish On!
July 2009
When fishing streamers remember to keep the strip going when a trout begins to follow your fly. Often times we get caught up in the excitement and as the fish follows we stop our strip retrieve therefore turning the trout completely off and losing the hook up. Good Fishing!
June 2009
This is my favorite time to fish for bass and trout. When bass fishing remember to concentrate your efforts near the shallows as this is prime spawning location. Try fishing baits that match the vegetation and suggest natural aquatic life. When trout fishing remember to match the hatch the best that you can. There is a large variety of bugs this time of year and fish are keying in on all sorts of bug life. Light tippets in the morning and afternoon are key with heavier tippets at night to fight those trophy sized night predator browns. Folks, this is also the Hex month with evening fishing often times becoming spectacular with good dun hatches and spinner falls. Remember to fish a short leader with strong tippet and get ready as you may tangle into a trophy sized brownie past the hour of midnight. Good Fishing Everyone!
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