On the strip.. finally

With the recent 'buzz' in the air [o.k, more like on the forums] concerning whether Steel will take a stripped fly very often or not.. it had me wondering. I'd seen it one time prior in 08 and had a very brief hook up of my own the following season.

The Buck Charles took has stuck with me every since.. and left me a little envious. Fishing a long cast he was starting his retrieves slow short and teasingly. It resulted in him getting blasted big time, his shout still rings in my ears. What a grand fish! Such a distinct predatory profile.. he certainly looks the part of MEAT EATER. Anyone recognize the 'Rockstar' posing with fish ..lol..

At last, on Weds 11-16 I got one of my own. Fly swimming ever so nice in and throughout a small pocket pool John Hayes had chosen for me.. from a few seconds of dangle the short tease strips began.. and BLAM hooked up just that fast! In the end it only seems to require such a short amount of time.. it's the journey thats endless.

Warm water = HOT fish on the Muskeegon

Originally john and I were supposed to meet Charles and share a float on 11-01 but in the end like so many plans.. it didn't work out. Charles had been on the river 10-30 and 10-31.. they found a few fish but I never was in contact with him until later in the week.



Jamey with a nice lake runner from 10-30



Charles and Chromer from 10-31



John and I met early at a remote rural gas station and shared the ride down, narrowly missing a nice Buck that pressed his luck by crossing between us and an on coming vehicle.. there was no margin for error. John states "well I was a little sleepy but not anymore!" It was that tight..

Arriving just at first light were all grins as temps have stayed high enough to hold off the dread hoar frosts.. simple things so greatly appreciated! Checking the water temp reveals a startling 52*! ..Highest temp I've ever fished here in late fall. Very light pressure at the launch, just as were dropping the drifter in a power boat comes up and anchors on the first location I had in mind. As we glide by we see it's Matt Supinski schooling a woman on the art of drift fishing an egg down through the run. Conditions looked great.. I wouldn't doubt that they had some action there.

We drop down continually, clearing another boat anchored well below Matt and head for a good bend pool. I'm on the oars, John first up caster. The water looks super sweet, that perfect 'Steelhead Green' so often -and appropriatly- referenced. Lots of late run Chinook staged and spawning on the gravel at the head. This river is the last to cool in the fall and stays cold longest into spring.. offering extended opportunities over other area tribs.

We worked the run hard with no reward.. not an uncommon result but I'd had that feeling about it.. dropping down another section into the head of a straight drift of depthy pocket water we set up to try it again. Not far into the head of it John comes back with a nice sweeping set and I see a good fish roll well below the surface. Game on.. She ripps down the pool and slugs it out a while, enough I considered dropping the boat, then comes up.. a lucky break. Nearing the gunnel John gets her head up and skillfully skates her right into the net like the true troutsman he is. Doesn't get much easier.. The other side of the coin was about to come up though.

Poor pic, but shows the size well. Nice diameter tail wrist, bright fresh henfish near 8lbs.



After the dust settles it's now my turn up front. I'm pretty optimistic as were not even 1/3 the way into the run and still high with our success. Ever notice how your sometimes reminded through various painfull ways that NO ONE is immune to rookie mistakes no matter how bullet proof they have been allowed to feel since last humbling incident.. Johns says six but I think closer to 10 swings in I get picked off with a nice assertive take and come up with a perfect lift / set into heavy throbbing weight. The fish is instantly airborne [a NICE Buck!] then back up and wallowing in the surface, a move that never fails to make me very nervous.. I drop the rod and let him rip out line downstream, the old Loop Traditional is really sizzling! "their playing our song" ..lol.. Another high leap crashing back into the surface.. I ask John to move us over onto the bank to finish playing and land the Buck. Current is really ripping as I work him in.. two more nice jumps on short line then a hard dart into a pocket as he senses the shallows.. the bend in my rod straightens as the leader shoots back over my right shoulder. John looks at me, net in hand, ..I can read his mind.. "WTF??"



I'd been dealt the deserving blow for employing a classic 'rookie move'.. taking a short cut by tying on to an old tippit section. I was pressed for time running the boat for John and rigging my rod. I use Flourocarbon so felt safe from deterioration but failed to consider the 'used' nature had likely left it weakend through a couple nicks here and there. Don't think I didn't hear about it for the rest of that run, another, and another, before 'another' incident trumped mine ..lol..

With the water temps above 50* I anchored at the head of a swift tight chute created by boulders both sides and preceded with considerable gravel bars decorated by active spawning Chinook.. an 'egg dump' in full functioning mode. John seemed a bit skeptical but worked out his line and started swinging the head of the throat.. maybe a dozen and a half swings and one boat drop in, he gets absoloutley CRANKED.. The fish is up surface wallowing bigtime in that fast current.. It's a big fish, Buck, with slight color.. I all but screamed at John to drop the rod, but knowing the amount of experience he has, couldn't imagine him doing anything but. I was wrong, he came back again, harder.. and popped the leader off.. We were both shell shocked beyond disbelief. The way he explained it to me he felt the take but was unsure if he's gotten a good set on it, hence the second lift. The way I saw it, he didn't expect a fish there to began with and was kinda blindsided by the power grab.. I looked at him and laughed "You got Buck fever" thats all.. Good to have close friends with a sense of humor! In his defence he has been fishing a lighter actioned rod long before the current powerhouse came along. The fish would have been near or just above 10lb class. Very nice for our tribs. I didn't hear so much ribbing about tying onto a used leader for a while..

Same run, I assume casting station. Once more within 10 swings I feel an assertive rap..rap..rap.. as the fly comes across. I'm thinking this water is WAY to fast for me to be tapping stones and by default lift my line ..a bit early.. into next cast. Instantly I see a mirror flash and profile of a mid sized Steelbow turn and shoot back into the run. It never came back.

The clock was fast gaining on noon.. What scant cloud cover we'd enjoyed was burning off and into sunshine. We gave it the old college try fishing mostly known cold water pools but no more players. In retrospect I wish we'd have fished some more broken water sections. They aren't nearly as well known to me though, as it's so uncommon to fish this late in the year and still have warm'ish' water temps. Certainly would be worthy of learning a few more just in case those stars ever align again.

Pick'n pockets on the Pere Marquette

It had been a while since either John or I had wet a line in the Pere Marquette. When mentioned on the tele I got an instant "let's do it" so a quick agreement for Sunday 10/30 was made.

Arriving on schedule there was only a hint of light off in the east. VERY heavy frost made for a long morning of iced guides and cold hands. We didn't cover much river until the air temps rose enough to aleviate the handicap. The river looked fairly low considering the amount of rain we've had. There was a slight stain yet which we were grateful for.

Eggs were on the menu, the plan was to play around in the abundant pocket water high up in the system. The fish showed no love for enough time to make us nervous, this river is anything but a pushover. Finally John lifts into the first good take of the day, it's a bright henfish instantly airborne. After a heated give & take both up and down I make a lucky shot and gain control of her, right hand under the pecs and left on tail wrist.. both arms in up to the elbow! I jokingly told John I don't do that for just anybody. Note to self: next time be sure net is put in.



Surprisingly there is quite light pressure.. an uncommon gift on this popular water. Early; two guys in a drifter and one guy on the bank that came back out after only an hour or so. Pleasant fella from Illinois, cited his tele had rang.. wife was ready to go. Had it been me I think would have conveniently 'forgotten' my phone when I left for fishing ..lol.. He stated repeatedly "I will be back" and "what a gorgeous river". Not uncommon quotes from first time visitors.. the river is a true jewell.

Not much action, I'd given up my egg rig for an 8' tip on a Wulff Ambush and was swinging a small leech. Meantime, John had picked off a couple fat trout. We reached a premium pool that is of the sort you salivate over in anticipation.. about the third cast John gets picked off by a nice Buck Steelbow which shredded the pool for several seconds before coming unbuttoned.. oh well, no worries.. just nice to come in contact with them.

Swinging my leech through a sweet looking stretch of bend water I finally get cranked by a decent Brown trout, the only one for the day, I was glad for the coup.

Gaining on dark thirty so we rowed out and through some of the best pools.. good mojo to save some for later.