Home Waters

With the holidays present it's been pretty easy to get lax.. visit with friends family and over indulge at an alarming level. We're still enjoying very light snow condition for this time of year. Have had a couple 'fishable' days [temps that would have kept guides from icing or at least been minimal] that should have been capitalized on.. but weren't.

Today I managed to laze around all of the morning before looking at the thermometer again.. 39*F! Trouble being that a good brisk breeze had picked up, not good on the wide open marsh - estuarys of my favored haunts only a stone toss from Lake Michigan. Thinking of the 3 hour round trip drive.. even my weak math skills brought things into focus. Jumping into some cloths & tossing gear in the truck it would, at best, be after 2:00 p.m. before getting the first cast off. Plan B was implemented.. fish the home waters. This is no small placid trout stream, she's all river, just lacking runs of potomodrous fish.

The winter of 2011 is the first one since regulations and general season have been in effect [unsure what year that would have been] that I could legally fish this huge section of water. The pull of 'connected' tribs is always strong but there are some very good residents -mostly Browns- living local. With dry flies and stripped streamer I live for and on this water ..spring summer and fall.. seldom going anywhere else.. no need.. but never the chance to fish it in winter.

It seemed the drive had hardly started and I was there. A bit of a bushwhack in to where I'd mentally slated to start. All kinds of tracks.. none of them men. I love this remote area and feel unbelievably fortunate to have grown up and continue to live here.

Casting the little CND was going well, I fell into a rythem and stepped down the run covering some very good looking water. Not a nip lip nor half hearted grab to show for it 40 minutes later and at the tail. My guess; it was just a touch quick paced for holding.

More bushwhacking across a couple flats into the head of a nice run, just below a sweet split, surface heavily broken by submerged rock. Quite a stretch of straight before turning into a bend. I'd covered most the straight with again no pulls. Just into the head of the bend as I'm daytripping casting on auto pilot I get cracked.. manage to put in a decent set and am now hooked up. Fish is instantly airborne once, then twice. Probably about a pound and a half but I'm unsure just what variety. Cast was long and my eyes that never were that great are less now.. couldn't define. No matter it was off. Guessing a Rainbow purely by the instant acrobatics and snow white clean belly. I've seen plenty of Browns go ariel but not really in same fashion.

I start wondering about the hooks barb, or lack of. I'd crushed it as soon as knot was in place. A few more swings and I'm right into the 'gut' of the bend, theres a little soft spot on a midstream seam where the fly slows and all but stalls. I'm giving it the slow teaser strokes through there and sure enough it gets blasted HARD. Whatever it is is weighty.. the big wide head shakes reverberate up through the rod right down into the grips! Fish is just sulking mostly while I try to get on the reel. he makes a sudden run at me and I strip hard but no avail.. he's gone. This hurts, that was no 18" fish.. I'm getting my tail kicked! Having second and third thoughts about crushing that barb. Getting down into the tail of the bend something grabs on as I began stripping in. Feels like a minnow in comparison to that last one! As he comes in he turns into a decent little Brown, very healthy and fat. Good signs. He was even kind enough to hold there near the rod while I fumbled for the camera.. the fly had fallen out again ..lol.. Not sure what to make of that.. I've always enjoyed very good luck fishing crushed barbs. Sun was dropping below the ridge so I called it a day with the one to hand. I'll be back on it though.. there are some BRUISERS here ..lurking & hungry.

New Trout Spey ~ Winter Seasons kick off

How bright he is.. even outshining the reel seat!


It's been an odd fall early winter so far but you'll hear no complaints from me! Water levels are up considerably with the good fortune enjoyed from earlier multiple significant rain falls.. also leading fresh fish up the tribs. No accumilation of snow ..yet.. An unusual circumstance for my home front.

Sunday, 12-04 I made first journey of the fall season to a smaller river that fishes best [for me] latter november into winter. It was obvious flows were increased but I was about to be confronted with just how much! Getting in at a normal realiable crossing point and approaching the channel I wasn't long finding the tops of my heavy neos . No worries, I simply dropped down a few yards and tried again with same result [feeling first pressure seeps in groin area.. YIKES] Getting impatient, I dropped several more feet and assertively started fwd intent on crossing.. almost at wader tops and midway into next step the fact was borne home that I was not yet on floor of channel but that there was another step down still. I teetered on the brink a second thinking this might be a very short day.. With the current pushing there wasn't much time so with a leap of faith I turned hard and made a big bouncing tip-toe step back.. and luckily came up with solid footing above water line. First lucky break of the day and though I didn't know it at the time ..not the last.

Today was Maiden fishing voyage for my new 'Trout' rod, CND Speytracker 12'2" 5wt line. Caught on opposite bank forced me to restructure my pool route and I was unsure if I'd be able to make the cast needed to reach the holding water, a tight deep outside bend with considerable depth. Not easy wading in the head of my casting station either, always a challenge even in low water. Nearest line fit I had on hand was a 9/10/11 Windcutter ..Yes I'm serious.. well most of it anyway, being one of the older versions I'd disconnected both fwd tips one and two leaving only the body of 23' @ approximate 330 grain. A mini integrated skagit thats been around and in use gaining on a decade. 8' of sink tip then the fly, a black UV bodied skulpin with orange throat. Casting was sketchy getting going but I'd tried a couple combos on my test water 5 minutes from home. I knew it would be passable with right stroke combination. Fished length of this pool without a pull but benefit of casts improving. That was good news as one of best pools was next on roster.

Starting next pool I considered changing out tip and fly, the water was up that much. Opted not to and not long in, just at the head of the Steelbow bucket portion, I get good solid 'plucks' twice. I knew there was no way this was bottom.. Backed up a few steps and came at it again ..No go.. Dissapointing. Continued down through the long pool arriving at a deeper slow center channel thats always appealed to me but never produced. About midway down the fly stops.. and I lift into solid headshaking weight. The Zenith sounds off, back and forth a couple times and my suspicions of the powerfull bulldog antics are confirmed as I get first glimpes down in water collum. It's a Brown, a very nice Brown! My luck held and he was landed.. what a beaut!









Went back up to head of pool, wanted to try the plucker again. Re-tied with a fairly loud Temple Dog tube friend Forrest had gifted me last year. Right in the fish zone he came again, once more a couple good taps was all he gave. Oh well, save some for seed.

Crossed the stream at 'old reliable' [more groin seeps] nip & tuck but made it, thankfully. Swung same tie through a known producer with no plucks offered. By this time the wind is picking up, chilling big time. One more pool.. it's a bastard to fish but has produced enough to make it worthy of effort. Funky mid-stream back eddy, considerable depth.. current seam and undercut bank on opposite bank. Could barely get in the water with extra flows.. brush tight to back. Made a quick pass that left me feeling less than satisfied with my presentation. This pool changes hugely with water height, it's almost like an entire new set of rules each time. Starting back up at head of bucket trying a couple things different on about fourth cast it's the one you occasionally recognize as 'it'.. Just as I was thinking 'that should get cracked' BLAM it did! Instantely tearing up the pool and jumping, the nice fresh skipper pictured at front of this post. A fine gift to close out the day.. and illustrating how big of a factor presentation is. That fish had seen the same fly multiple times and only with the change did it turn him on.

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.

Another email ghost..

3.5" Reel in pic

Due the lack of fresh material, another 'ghost' from june of 07

"Fishing was pretty grande for a while, before all the out of towners got clued in. The hex came on beautiful starting june 15 [early] i missed that night but was on it the 17'th for a nice emergence into light spinnerfall. Stuck a god awfull hog casting my S3 4wt, havent felt that kinda power in quite a while. Naturally had a piss poor knot to the fly that let go not long in as he surged up stream [luckily as he was only 6-8' above a massive jam] going into a deep undercut bank. You know the sick feeling, one sec your into a hot massive fish and the next.. PLINK.. they're off. i did put one just over 20" on the bank that eve and one more around 14"

Things kinda turned off for afew days after that and word never really got out that there had been some big bugs already. We fished every night which was surprisingly blank. On the afternoon of the 20'th the weather preachers were all revved up calling for a HUGE storm, high winds, lightning, golf ball hail, regular rip-snort. The GF about threw a fit when i started carrying gear out, she's big on the weather 'religion' i just laughed and told her i'd wear my hardhat. Pard shows up, off we go, sure as shit rain... We get up there, still rain, getting into waders, harder rain.. Get in river to make sure we dont get cut off... DELUGE.. 40 minutes all done and the sun lightly peeks out. Hex spinners way early, i lost count of the NICE fish i cast over.. put one on the bank about 14" early, pricked a good one putting him down.. moved upstream nailed & landed one 19.5" moved up, worked a riser from tight no backcast area finally getting him to go, fat 22" er. Its well into dark by now, drifter comes around the bend, pro boat with two guys on board, we speak ~ they're pleasant. i hook an elbow over the stern and tail their boat riding down to where i heard one feeding, killing two birds with one stone, keeping them moving and masking my approach. Standing waiting.. pard is wading up, he gets close enough i ask him to stop. I've heard wings twittering and am sure theres a emergence going so tied in a store bought i wanted for pattern reference. Fish feeds again, one lucky shot in the dark...SLURP.. he takes! By some stroke of luck i get him steered around a long sweeper thats halfway across the river and go down. Pard puts the light on him at my request for a look and tells me he'll go 15-16"... "yeah right" get him into the bank @ pards feet and hand him the rod, take the leader & get my hands on him.. 23" beautiful male, kinda lanky, but what a dandy!

Thats the best night i've ever had for multiple big fish. Should one of those lightning bolts struck me down i'd have went out smiling. Son [pard] had his biggest fish to date @ his feet after long fight when hook popped out. Estimated 23-24"

Things got worse for him, his wife had worked herself up pretty serious over the weather religion / reports and the fact that she couldn't reach him via cell [no service up there]

Next night, 07/21, we went back to same spot with John Hayes. Had very nice spinner fall, I took a approx 15" fish then got on and got to go a nice one, 21" People are starting to show in the area, there were a couple guys just above where i fished and while we were suiting up a drifter pulled in and anchored downstream on the exact pool Son had planned on fishing. Time for plan B

Fri 07/22 we made long drive north to a diff river i had an idea might be doing something by now... Things shaping up bad in yard while i was putting gear in his truck.. he's on phone with wifey.. xtended convo... We go fishing anyway but was beganing to wonder.. Right @ dusk water surface lights up with nervousness.. seconds later hex start popping off so fast it was unreal. The duns didn't ride the surface at all.. up & out. Trout were going balistic, i stung a couple and peeled one 15" er. Freakin BLANKET spinnerfall starts.. unreal! Totally covering the surface, trout hot-n-heavy ..some BIG fish.. no way to compete with the little ripples/reverberations the naturals give off. I keep thinking the bugs will thin out then a guy will be able to do something. Never happend... spinners kept coming & fish started dropping out one by one... even the most gluttonous trout gave up. Still blanket of spinners on water still after 1:00 a.m. Wierd..

Havent seen Son since. Apparently he got grounded

Went up on the rapids [Sault Ste. Marie] not long after. Drove all night hit the river at daybreak. Didn't find any Atlantics but did get one nice resdient rainbow 17" , and about a 5lb male steelhead. There was a small pod of bucks attending late henfish, HUGE male in the mix. Swung a few differant flies above them 3 passes each, had some short chases but no go. Let them be after less than 1 doz casts.

Well better give up on this novel for now.. Hope all is good with you."

In the breakers..

A week later and another monday fishing opp. The weather is right to give the beach a try. Storms have proven themselves to me as a good time to be there.

Some crazy breakers rolling in but it isn't long before I see some green shadows sharking by. Nothing like a visual to boost your confidence. Occasionally conditions would shift slightly, bigger waves or showers pelting the surface racing in towards me off the horizon, and at times both together. This would bring a pod or two of fish in everytime, riding in on a bruiser wave followed by confusion of the shallows. Even though I was never touched by a fish it was such a great time.. my state of mind is completely refreshed. I wish now I'd concentrated on getting a decent shot first instead of attempting to hookup. Once in particular, a pod of eleven fish almost collided with me. When I turned quick during the retrieve it spooked them and they sheared off towards open water throwing some acceleration spray, darting and diving. There was one, an oversized hen Chinook of solid light rust color that lifted her head and shoulders from the surface for an instant making eye contact with me at no more than six feet.. It was what I call a 'moment' ..something totally undefined.. but still very real and tangible.

Things were getting even more extreme, an occasional big one would slam hard enough to drive you back a step or two.. enough for today. Stopping on some lower river pools found them stacked with freshies, much as I'd mentally predicted. Coho were rolling and porpoising as I walked down. Best time to attempt a dry I've had yet. Stalking the gin clear bend I crouched down in the sparse grass cover and tied on a small Bomber. Working out a cast I touched it down at the head of the pool just above some holding there and immediately began a slow strip. This excited them in a big way and over the course of the next few casts several fish moved to the fly chasing and boiling on it, but no takers. I re-tied with a quite small Comet and swung it in front of them executing short smooth strips a few times with absloutley no interest shown. By then it was starting to get dark. Not connecting with a fish didn't bother me in the least.. I'd gotten what I came for out in the lake earlier.




A small pod I saw coming while walking in and crouched down for a shot.








Stalked an outside bend for shot.

The amount of rain has been pretty substantial lately. I took a wet afternoon on 09-19 to scout / fish some local water. I've played on this section my entire life chasing trout, deer, grouse, girls and following big game hounds or beagles up & down both banks. This is some pretty remote area in comparison to other sections of same river. Finding your way in to a specific pool or run on foot can be quite a task.. and if you stay well into dark fishing the spinner fall getting out can become a real adventure. 'bushwhacking' is how we call it.. not many care for it's flavor. Thankfully.



Anyway, I was amazed at the amount of fruits and feed in evidence! High bush cranberries, crab apples, thorn apples, wild grapes and dog wood berries all in abundance. Sure enough before long I jumped out a nice adult bird drinking from a small rivulet created by a fresh beaver dam. Later in the day three more went out as I worked downstream casting a run. Promising..

Fishing started off quite slow until it started to rain again. This kicked off a nice emergence of mayflies, some epherons and approx #16 mahoganys. This really jump started the trout and I took a couple smaller ones. Finally I made the target pool and made a good call reading the water, fishing an inside slack seam with depth. The fishpounced on my streamer pretty hard and pulled strong. Once he broke surface I thought it looked a bit different and sure enough it was a nice Brook trout, one of the better ones I've taken in quite a while. That reel is 3 3/4" diameter and I guessed length at 13.5 - 14" ..full bright spawning colors, very pleasing.





The pool spills nice into a long boulder broken run that looked decent so down it I went.. early in I had a smashing grab but came up empty. Midway down I got picked off and landed a decent Brown to finish out a well spent afternoon.

Email Ghosts

I tend to run a lot of searches. My email accounts, various forum boards, Ebay, Google.. the list goes on. It can be quite interesting what turns up unexpected.. much like cleaning my room as a child, I'm easily sidetracked [big smiles]

I'm going to go ahead and post a couple.. I hope you enjoy them too. First up is an excerpt from good fishing friend John H from 05-16-2009, fishing the Upper Manistee River.

Pic of John during some night time mousin.





"I came up last night and stopped on the upper. At first, I thought I was going to hosed with the weather. Light rain fell for a minute or two. Luckily, the weather cooperated and I started to see some bugs. I guess there were black quills, the larger mayfly sipiloplection basilae (which is a about the size of brown drake), hennys , mahagonny's and bwo's. Time was going by and no fish were feeding. Finally, one nice rise. It was just below the *****, below the log pile and in front of a small sticker. I'm sure you know exactly where I'm talking about. Anyway, the fish fed two more times and wasn't interested in my henny comparadun. I tied on a henny spinner and after a handful of casts, wham! Game on.

I should first say I was using a 4wt with 4x suppleflex with my sage reel which has turned out to be my go to reel now. I love it. The fish immediately took off and found the main seam and started up river like it was chrome. I thought to myself this might be interesting. Then the fish stopped, shook it's head several times and stayed planted mid river. I thought this could be easy and maybe the fish is a healthy 18". Well, just as I started put a little muscle in it, the fish responded with a long run downstream with me following. I was literally running mid seam in high water after this sucker without regard for all the shit on the bottom and the water being up and that section is loaded with a lot debris and troughs. The fish made it into the shoot briefly and for some unknown reason came back up stream. Finally! I thought wrong. The fish promptly wrapped itself around some major wood and there I was thinking to myself this can't be happening. At this point I knew this special fish and really wanted to land it. I could feel the fish still on, but in the back of my head I was thinking I was fighting a log and the fish pulled a drive-by and lost the hook. I worked as delicately as possible to get the fish free, but figured I was hosed. Then, after a minute of so and just seconds before breaking it off, it freed itself and shot downstream into the shoot with me high-stepping all the way. I figured I was going to get wet...thankfully I'm tall 'casue I had about an 1" to spare. The minute or so the fish was tangled gave it time to re-energize and I didn't think was going to be able to land it. At this point, my hand was getting pretty sore. The Winston doesn't provide much leverage especially with reel with no drag and fighting a large fish in a pretty respectable flow.

I finally managed to get the fish to shore and net it. It didn't fit into my net! It twice jumped out with me both times catching it mid air. After all that, I laid it on the shore and admired my catch. I though I was going to be longer...it was 23"... but I have never caught a fish as heavy. That was the thickest river brown I've ever seen let alone caught. Unfortunately, my camera was in my truck that was less than 100 yds which I was looking directly at with utter contempt. Oh well. No pic can replicate the fun that was had. Once I got the fish on shore, I quickly got the hook out and put him back in the water. I revived the fish for 2-3 minutes as I knew it was really tired. I wish I could have brought it in quicker, but that wasn't going to happen with him wrapping up in the wood. It swam away with lots of energy and I feel confident it's going to be fine.

Three more fish were rising, two dandies and one nice one. I went to the biggest fish and he wouldn't come up. The smaller fish, just up was making some noise, so I cast to it and wham. That was a quick battle and a nice 18" or so was in the bag. I went up to the last fish rising and got two really late refusals. If I'm right, the last fish is bigger than the 23" I caught. Right where the shoot starts, there is a birch clump and beaver work river right. In that stuff is a dandy. I've never been able to get it, but not for a lack of trying.

The light got low and the fish shut down. Just one of the those nights that keeps me coming back and makes me take those am trips back home."

j

A 'Dry' week..

This summers time on the Miramichi was a bit different from past seasons. The river had recieved an incredible run of fish earlier but was now falling off hard, much like the water levels. Fish were around though, just a bit 'finicky'. Within the first couple days it was evident the fish had enormous preference for the Bomber.

Erl R came up from Maine with Mike, a great guy and experienced fisherman. He fished hard the entire first day with small bugs and wets.. with never a pull. Being a quick study he wanted to give the Bomber a try. Late morning he recieved his first rise and hooked it. The fish was played for what seemed to me a considerable amount of time on a Sage Xi2 8wt by a guy with A LOT of salt water fish fighting experience. Midway in I heard someone say that it was running hard up stream. I knew right then that it was likley a BIG fish. Eventually they subdued the beast and according to length conversion [43.5 inch] it would make 23.5 lbs easily. It was as big a fish as I've seen landed on the pool since I've been spending time on it. [pic to be edited in later]

He had a fantastic friday eve with two very nice Salmon on Bombers from up high on the south bank. One was a sweet kyped Cockfish that was full of attitude.. a very nice fish.



































Charles and Frankey Storey with a nice heavy Salmon.



















Had my best fish minutes of noon on a bright ~ slow a.m. Was fishing Charles 1107 BIIx on a long line down through and into slack softish lower water. I had a boil on the fly WAY down as I began stripping in which was repeated on next swing just as stripping began. Two cast right through same lie produced nothing on a straight swing.. Still standing in same tracks next cast came in the zone and I put some life in it with smooth even strips and WHAM solid assertive take. They seemed to want some sort of animation to the presentation. I took a couple grilse and moved other fish by casting straight out around submerged rocks and smooth short stripping a bug while working down at a brisk pace.



















Bright one on the Bomber. [Dickie Storey & I]



















Other high lights; Finding the Curtis fly shop downtown Blackville, a very nice place. Only a short hop downstream from our Blissfield camp.


Meeting Jerry Doaks Son Mathew, a very pleasant positive change of shop atmosphere.

The time was gone in a surreal haze..

Trout time..

My fishing so far has been tough! Had a grande fish to cast over a few nights ago. He was in a very tough slackwater lie tight to the bank under a bush. When my cast shot in and momentarily entangled the bush, then dropped to the surface like a dandelion seed drifting perfectly over him [with me holding my breath] and no take, I thought I might not get this fish which dissapointingly proved true. He was a good one.

Finally got into my first decent trout last eve, which started off tough because the repellant was forgotten. Not good. I had killed five to six mosqitos with one light swat many times when the no-seeums made the scene. I can't take those and was considering leaving when I thought I heard an oar clunk. 10 minutes later a guide I know from Traverse City rounded the bend and saved my evening. His client had taken a 24" Brown on the strip earlier.. quite a feat anytime let alone in the bright sun conditions. Fish were tough, random rises, and I'm pretty sure weren't taking from the surface. Cast sparingly over a nice trout for close to an hour that was head and tailing only 25' quartering upstream. As time went by the water became blanketed with smallish rusty spinners [Sulphers, I assume] Earlier I had a #12 biot spinner tied on as there were some big Quill Gordons in the air. Changed to a #16 and was losing faith in it when he finally rose on it. I was taken by surprise and swung on him like you were setting on a Muskie boatside! I waited a bit while cursing myself for such a rookie reaction.. he never rose again. I eased downstream as it was getting dark and lucked into a pod of fish working the spinners. One was right under the leading edge of a half submerged sweeper. Using the old shoot the cast in deep then draw it out to the line you need he was on with third shot. This rod is new to me, an 8' 2wt Redington DFR 3pc breaking my postal scales at a whopping 2 ounce flat. Very nice quick little rod, feels powerfull with fast reaction but bends nice with a fish on. The fish turned out to be smaller than I thought he might be but I was still well pleased.. lucky to even land him with all the wood he was in and tore around initially. When he moved out from that he went upstream hard tearing line off ..very cool.. but a mistake on his part, he was landed soon after. Picture of health, a good solid well fed fish of 15" - 16"

The good folks at our secretary of state had bungled my mail in licence plate renewal. I'd been waiting for tabs to arrive for weeks. Finally an envelope from them which stated [in a hand written perturbed script] I'd given them the wrong card info.. which was 100% matched / accurate. They didn't bother to return my only proof of insurance. Oh well, i'd be driving 1/2 way to a good fishing stretch to reach a branch office.

Tied a nice black sculpin with an orange throat and gold flash for the occasion. New to me System 8 reel and a 5wt Wulff Ambush line I'd traded a forum board member for over winter.. Wired the reel on my light 10' 6wt [3.4 ounce] Scott STS and left.




This section is what I consider 'early' so was not very optimistic for Steel but often there are some good Browns waking up and willing to play. Midway into the morning I feel the familier pickup and lift into good solid weight. The reel sang loudly on a hard run downstream.. no Brown trout here. Getting on the bank and changing my angle convinced it to run back upstream. Two jumps and a little short line work brought it bankside.




My luck held with the branch office stop on the way home, first good luck I've had there in a long time.

A breath of fresh air

Winter has not been kind this season.. Granted, there were a few days around the holiday week that were pretty nice.. but with my only sister [from Spokane] and only niece [Seattle] back on the home farm for a few days I passed on the fishing. Normally we recieve some sort of thaw in January but New Years day was the end of anything even resembling one. I should have, and even could have, went early on new January 1 but it was real easy to convince myself staying home might be a better option. It was a mistake.. Peeking at the flow charts later glared in my face just how much.. conditions appeared to be perfect. This little trib has fished best in December by far over the many years I've been on it. Oh well.. opportunities missed.

The next fishable day was Feb 05 and off I went with high expectations. There were no tracks in evidence on the old road.. a good sign.




I access the river from a remote county road service pull out and snowshoe in. I'd actually gotten over 3 miles from home and remembered I hadn't put in the shoes. Almost went on without them.. that would have been a BIG mistake. Most efficient few minutes I spent all day was returning to get them. The water was quite low with big wind blown drifts and plenty of shelf ice along the banks. Fishing went fairly well until the banks began caving in and icebergs started flowing thickly. The first few times a crack or crash rang out I jumped pretty good, they come out of nowhere amidst otherwise total silence. Fished hard over about 5 hours, took a nice 19+" resident Brown not to far in then nothing for a long time.




Last run, and one of the best, I had a good grab in the gut and some light little nips /nibbles down in the tail.. just the sort that reverberated rainbow up the line, through the blank, and into your hand. No go though.. I changed flies and went back to the head of the gut where the good grab came with no further interest. On the long walk out in the dusk I reflected on how lucky I was to encounter the Brown.

Feb 23 is the next good chance for fishing. While it's still cold outside I tie a grey skulpin streamer. I'm somewhat superstitious and fresh tied flies seem to possess good charm. Go over some tackle and I'm off. What a grand day, it's got a totally different feel to it than a couple weeks ago had. Second pool I fish reveals a startling phenonema I've never witnessed to this degree before. The banks / shelf ice had all settled and with bright sunlight thawed snow creating perfect rows of miniture ice sickles, each one an exact replication of it's left and right hand neighbor.. A lense couldn't possibly capture the wonder and awe they presented.. row after row.. all the banks within eyesight up and down, hundreds of feet. They reminded me of piano keys or possibly some sort of ornate brick a brack lace. Anyway, it was quite stunning. Had I been there in the early a.m. the suns position would have offered a much better shot.








Unlike the last outing there was life evidenced both visual and audio. A solitary Eagle soared through not that far off and the Crows were brash and brassy.. early signs of spring. One of the coolest things was a small flock of Bufflehead ducks that came upstream like rockets, in tight formation just inches off the surface. I stood immobile and when they reached me, timed to a micro second, the flight split each side blistering by @ Mach III.. their wing primarys making a tearing sound as they carved air with maneuvers.. I felt the breeze on my face.

Casting is going well, the slight wind is over my right shoulder and quartering downstream.. the fresh grey skulpin is swimming well.. Perfect. Just reaching the prime of the pool I fire one of those casts that for some reason you just know is the one.. sure enough just as it starts the turn I feel the pickup. Dropping the rod tip with it for what seems an unbearably long time I then give a good lift into.. solid shaking weight. About the time I decide it doesn't feel that heavy it comes up and never slows, shooting airborne, a bright silver missle of approximate 4.5 lbs. Back down in, a couple headshakes then running at me hard.. the line never tightened up again. Resting the pool for 10 - 15 minutes was easy, looking around at the piano keys and shooting a few more pics.. heard the spring song of an unrecognised bird but could never get an eye on him. I re-started just above where the fish took. On about the fourth swing below that marked spot the pickup replays itself, once again I lift into solid life.. only this time the connection remains. This fish never jumped, he might have at one time but I didn't encourage him. A nice Bulldog built Buck still cocky and full of attitude.





I finish my day out with one more good grab that came up empty. The fish would not comeback.. I was fine with that. The sun was dropping below the tree line as I fished the last pool. My guides really started freezing up then. They had been slowly closing all day, even with the direct sunlight, but only needed cleared occasionally. The problem was solved when I struck wood and broke off my fly. There was still good amount of daylight left but rather than push it I reeled up and went out.. it was more than enough to put the soul at ease.

Fall finally gives one up

It was a tough fall this year. Normally even I manage to stumble onto a fish but so far zeroed out. Even the day Charles and I spent with Pete on 11/13 never made the boards.. I could tell he was a little skeptical when we arrived at his cabin before daybreak. The water was low.. real low. The good folks up at Croton Dam hadn't let down any water for a couple days on an already skinny river. State contracts and free flow laws be damned I guess.. We at least had cloud cover. We gave it a hell of a go and managed to briefly hook one and one other good pull for the day. For some reason I wasn't surprised, I just had that feeling going in. Still a grand day with great company. Time well spent.

Two days later Charles is on board with Kevin F and has an absolutley BANNER day, four great fish with two of them well in excess of normal weights. It's also day one of our firearms Deer season so they have the river mostly to themselves. Word was that the same section we hit up with Pete two days prior was fishing very well too.. Again, I'm not surprised.




Earlier in the fall friend Forrest let it be known that he was going to have a few days leisure time around Thanksgiving and wanted to hit up the river. Charles is still on cloud nine from his last big day on the water and hungry for more, so he's in 100%. I'm a little more cautious knowing this state and the weather that can, and does, occasionally, completely and ruthlessly stomp out the best laid plans of mice and morons. I join in.. but with the weather clause held in reserve.

The date is set for 11/24 and wonder or wonders, by the forcast it shapes up to be decent enough to make me nervous. Meeting them at the boat storage early a.m. of the 24'th we pick up Forrest's drifter and get underway. Spirits were high, the day held promise.

Three in the boat is an ideal number.. it just works. Pitching big streamers for trout, around home or travel, it allows two guys to totally concentrate on covering the water while the third devotes his efforts navigating. Trading off periodically in a very informal rotation everyone gets a shot up on the bow, on the oars or from the stern. Swinging flies for Steelhead isn't much different. It's a full time job running the boat. Get it spotted and anchor where it needs be, and within only a couple swings from each caster, it's time to drop it a boat length. Anyone thats ever done this knows how much more complicated this is then the couple simple sentences imply! They can be a bitch to handle in fast water, get the anchor to bite, stay on the correct track.. the list goes on. The guy on the oars and anchors earns his keep.

Casting spey rods from any boat is a art in it's self and requires everyone to be familier with it. If so, things go without a hitch. It's nice to have attained that level. Forrest and I had agreed prior to share his LeCie 13'7" 9/10 rather than have a third and unnecessary all rigged taking up valuable space, under peril of someone losing their balance going down driving a knee into it. A spare was brought but left in the tube.

Forrest and Charles both tie excellent flies, I was set for the day so left my junk in the vehicle. Forrest has been honing his skills on Petes version of the Temple Dog Tube. He's about got it nailed.. it is a fish catching S.O.B.

Not long into the day we anchor on a great looking piece of water. This drift is one I'm not overly familier with but am fast becoming interested! Some very top shelf looking runs / pools. Charles is fishing the stern and gives out a shout, he's hooked up. Seconds later I see it flash gold, when it hits the net sure enough it's a nice resident Brown, a little malnourished, but still a good fish.. were on our way.




We leisurely fish our way downstream.. arriving on some broken gravel bar pockety type water. A few drops into it I get lightly picked off.. lowering the tip to it for a bit of slack and then sweep into throbbing weight. It's on.. finally. A fairly heavy spirited fish ripping off line, several times. Forrest puts the boat on the opposite bank so I can get out and land it. What a gorgeous fish! approximate 8 lbs of super fresh hen.. I'm so elated to finally see one up close again it's surreal.







The day is great by calender standards.. it is still quite cool with some breeze picking up. We drop downstream fishing, now I'm on the oars with Forrest up front. His casting is nice.. it's interesting being on board with two of the people you've started out with from scratch spey casting. We've each came a long way, working hard for any gains. Forrest is hooked up.. his nice cast paid off. I began moving the boat back towards the north bank, get the net out and at the ready. I get apprehensive netting fish, always afraid of some mismanaged or botched job.. not that there have been any but.. there were some tense words spoken many years prior on a remote Brooktrout lake in Ontario. A good friend had a dandy hooked and brought it by a bit deep but still within range.. the fish was green yet, I let it go through and recieved a silent glare.. just as it's coming back around getting in range the knot pops off and it turns down dropping from sight.. a confident sweep and lift the fish is netted, we are all glowing with the second score of the morning, a nice fresh 6+ pound Buck.




Continuing on, Charles is now front and center. We are all on cloud nine, the day is huge success and were basking in the sensation of no pressure just enjoying things to the fullest. Charles hooks up.. We are really excited now, these fish just don't come that often, and now a third is hooked. Gorgeous henfish.. shades of lavender on her lateral line. These fall run hens are so pretty they can burn your eyes.




The wind keeps gaining.. our casts still go out though not quite as pretty. It's getting to be a struggle but were unconcerned.. We fish out the day with no more takers, but again.. unconcerned. The day is a gift to each of us.

By the time we reach the launch it was really rocking, back to the latter November I know so well. As Forrest winched the boat up on the trailer we hear a big jet coming, it's already close but the wind had masked it. It's Pete, at first we thought he was alone but there was someone hunched down on the floor below the deckline out of most of the breeze.. we had a good chuckle over that, glad to see that it wasn't just us.