Spring Streamers

First, I'd like to extend an apology for the faithfull who have continued checking for fresh posts. It's greatly appreciated. I ended up A LOT busier this past winter than planned. Weak excuse but true. The local rivers are in great shape, right now on a big spike since multi days of rain totalling over 3" Sunday, May 6 turned out to be a great day chosen. John Hayes & I hit the water bright & early for a day of Streamers on the Upper Manistee. One of those all to rare occasions when the weather actually cooporates. It stayed cloudy / overcast all day with only a few sprinkles of rain. Only once did I think seriously about reaching for my rain shell but never did. The fish were grabby, after the first couple hours chartreuse established itself as colour of the day. We never hit any 'big' fish but plenty of nice ones in low to mid teens, john had one to hand that would have hit 15" - 16" and I had a good chase by one we had no qualms labeling NICE. John had afternoon obligations and no time to spare after hitting the skids of our takeout. I left my waders on and rod rigged, placed in backseat. John's the 'up high' guy on the upper river sections.. me, I cut my teeth on waters quite a bit lower and had a couple runs in mind if I could summon the energy to stop on way back down. As it was I'd convinced myself to just call it a day and go home.. until I drove past my turnout road and there were no tracks, old or new, only a blank slate. It was more than I could let go, so hooked reverse, backed up and turned in. A modest hike put me into and area that just feels like arriving home. The river is up and rolling at good brisk business like pace. I wondered if I'd be able to cross where I [almost] always have. It's hairy, enough push to shove you lower threatening to up-end me. What a relief to start back up out of the trough. She's reminding me of the old days when you didn't just wade with impudence but better be on top of your game on all points. Raining again now.. just a nice sprinkle occasionally settling back to mist.. sweet spring scents in the air. Starting at the low end junction of a nice split my streamer isn't really getting down quite the way I'd like it to. This water is MOVING. I start casting a bit higher and mending.. instead of stripping just animating the fly with light pulls. It's helping but I'm getting more sceptical with each cast, the water is fairly cold still. Almost convinced to reel up and move on I get whammed out of the blue by a strong tough customer. The water speed is really working to his advantage, rod is a GLX Classic 9' 6wt.. no weak kneed willow wand but he's still putting a big time bend in it! Finally I get him steered into some softer water and after a couple hard burst runs he's mine. What a gorgeous Trout. Pictures could never od justice at some moments and this is definetley one of them. The cold high water, his supercharged strength, golden buttery red spotted flanks & metallic 'dime' spot on cheeks with prominent kype all came together to represent quite a specimen and forge a moment I won't forget. Not many fish have that effect, this one is among that cadre. Pic is decieving as most of him is hanging vertical. Took one other about 15" and left with a new lease on state of mind.

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."