PMRL guide Chris “Uber” Raines recently joined Steve Haigh on his podcast, “The Destination Angler,” to drop some knowledge about fishing our beloved Pere Marquette River.
“Having a free-flowing river [the PM] that the fish can go from lake all the way up into the tiniest tributaries is unique, and the fish take full advantage of it,” Uber said.
There are 90 fishable miles that allow for small-stream fishing at the headwaters and spey casting in the lower river, according to Uber. “The river has a lot of different faces to it,” he said.
This two-part report focuses on what hex fishing is all about, but more importantly the etiquette of night fishing. Making the hex hatch can be a bucket list item for many people across the world. Hex is short for Hexagenia limbata and Hexagenia Ricovada, which are the largest mayflies in North America. The hex hatch can be one of the best chances to catch a trophy brown trout.
Planning ahead for the hatch can be difficult because it is so dependent upon certain weather conditions. Generally we see the hex hatch peak sometime in mid June, but this year it is about two weeks behind due to the constant rain and cold nights. For a hatch to happen we generally look for at least three consecutive days of warm weather, ideally over 80 degrees and around 65 to 70 degrees at night. In addition to the warm weather, we also like to see the temperature of the water at or above 60 degrees. High and stained water can be less than ideal for fishing the hatch as it can make it more difficult for the fish to see what is happening on the surface. Luckily the Hexagenia Limbata is a massive mayfly that can be two-plus inches at the body with a long forked tail which still can be seen even in the milky stained conditions like we currently have on the Pere Marquette river.
What to look for in your fly selection:
There are a multitude of patterns to choose from for hex fishing. Picking your fly can be based on a few different things. Hex nymphs can be fished throughout the year as they spend the majority of their lifetime in the nymph stage. During the hatch itself you can fish emerger patterns early in the hatch, then the dun patterns, and lastly the spinners. The term emerger refers to the time in which the hex is working its way out of its nymph shell; its body will be half in the water and half on the surface. The term dun refers to the hex when it’s on the water, but still has its wings upright. Last but not least, the spinner. Hex hatch in mud-like sediment and will fly upriver from the swampier bog-type areas to mate. After they mate they will land on the water to lay their eggs. There may be a one to three-day period in between the time in which they mate, lay eggs, and eventually have a spinner fall. Hex will fly upriver in abundant numbers, then as they mate and die their wings will fall horizontal and they will float down the river. Spinners represent the dead hex with its wings down horizontal laying flat to the water. Spinner patterns can also be modified into crippled hex’s, which may have clipped portions of the fly, missing wings, or bent bodies. If fish are refusing your fly you can always bend it or cut it to give it a different look.
It is not rare to see so many hex spinners floating down the river that it completely covers the surface of the river like a layer of carpet. Emerger patterns can be fished early in the night, duns can be fished for about an hour when the hex are still lively, and then the spinners can be fished for hours and hours through the night as dead hex will be everywhere.
Fly patterns can either be made from natural materials that require some floatant or can be constructed of foam-like materials, which easily float on their own. Different tiers use a variety of materials to create different looks for wings, such as rubber legs or clear plastic material to imitate the translucent wings of the hex. Have a variety of different patterns in your arsenal that can be used for different situations. Some patterns use a translucent material to create a glow post which makes it very easy to see your fly even in the pitch dark. Scientific Anglers even makes a magnum glow line that can be extremely helpful to be able to see your cast.
The touchy etiquette of night fishing:
Now to the important part: the etiquette of fishing at night. When fishing at night your senses are dialed in; watching for bug activity and listening closely for rising fish. Being loud or shining a white light can be a huge disruption to other fishermen and can easily cause tension on the river. Keep in mind, that a lot of fishermen wait all year and come from far away to fish the hatch. With hex fishing being some of the best fishing of the year, it only lasts for a short duration of time, and having sensitive conditions often leads to more tension on the river than any other time of year. Everyone is out there with the same main goal and there is plenty of water for anyone.
Here are some key tips:
1) Communication between fishermen is key! If you are floating down the river and know there are fishermen below you, it is always best to ask what side of the river you should float on to avoid wrecking their spot. Rowing stealthily will not only up your chances of seeing rising fish, but will also keep other fishermen happy. If you are in the water and see people upstream, you can let out a light whistle or turn your red light on when they are still far away. These can be courteous ways to let others know where you are and not disrupt their fishing.
2) Do not shine the water or other people with your light! Words cannot explain how frustrating it can be for someone to sit on a rising fish for a while and have another fisherman flash their light and not only scare the fish, but blind the fisherman. It takes a long time for your eyes to re-adjust after having a bright light flashed in your eyes.
3) If you need a light, always avoid using any white light and instead use a red or green light. Many headlamps have a red light which can be used to help navigate tricky water, trails, and tying knots. If possible, avoid using any light.
4) When at all possible do your best to spread out on the river even more than you normally would. With limited visibility you are more dependent upon hearing to locate fish. With this being said, having other fishermen around can be quite annoying when you are trying to listen for fish and you can hear someone else talking.
5) Again, communication is key! If you see someone out there who might not not fully understand the etiquette of night fishing, try and make them aware of what they are doing. They won’t ever learn unless we teach them. With that being said, help them learn in an encouraging way. If you are rude about it then most people will often not respect what you are saying and will continue to make the same mistakes. Lack of communication and animosity on the river will always result in a frustrating night of hex fishing.
With all of this being said, the world famous hex hatch is here. Get out there and have the time of your life! We just ask that you do it in a way so others have that opportunity as well. Again, if you take anything away from this article the two best things you can do is not flash lights on anyone and do your best to communicate with other fishermen. The hex will generally be happening for about one to three weeks. Hex doesn’t last long and trips are booking up quickly, so give us a call at the shop to reserve your trip of a lifetime!
As always, if you have any comments or questions in regards to this article please reach out to us at the fly shop by emailing us at staff@pmlodge.com or giving us a call at 231-745-3972.
Every spring we experience high water from winter melt-off and continuous rainy days that seem to overwhelm our river. This year we have had a lot of rain late in the season that has kept water levels high. Many people are off-put by high flow rates, dark stained water, and gloomy rainy days and wonder if it’s worth fishing.
This guide will provide some tips and insights that will help you better understand how to read USGS flow data, stain of water, and upcoming weather conditions. With this information you can make better judgement calls on where to be fishing under certain conditions, what fishing techniques can up your chances with spring high water, where to fish in high water and, most importantly, help decide the answer to the question, “is it worth fishing today?”
FLOW RATES:
Each state records their streamflows and logs water data through flow gauges strategically placed on rivers throughout the state. Depending on the gauge and data relay system, river flow rates are real-time reports updated on 15-60 minute intervals. This data is collected and posted through the US Geological Survey (USGS) website. The flow is posted in cubic feet per second (CFS), which is a calculation of how much water is flowing by the gauge at any point in time. Without knowing a river’s seasonal averages as a point of reference, the CFS often means very little to most people. You can get a better idea of the average or even expected seasonal CFS rates by contacting your local fly shop or looking at the data logs on the USGS website for past seasons. Keep in mind that rates in spring may not be comparable to rates in fall. In addition to that, the average rates vary significantly from river to river.
A big tip for reading a gauge on your local river is to first know where your gauge is! Is the gauge in your river right where you fish or is it 50 miles downriver? (On the PM, the gauge is significantly down river in Scottville.) There is a lot of water in between the flies-only section of the river and where the gauge is located. When we first get a big rain the gauge might read under in Scottville compared to what is actually happening far up river in the flies-only section. On the flip side, it takes some time for the water to run off into the river and for the first big ‘push’ of water to reach the river from its contributing tributaries. Therefore, a day or two after a really big rain the gauge might actually read a much higher CFS rate at Scottville compared to the flies-only section. With this being said, water levels will be lower in the upper sections of the river and the lower sections of the river will be holding higher levels of water.
If you are interested, you can subscribe through this link to receive water alerts from the USGS. This will give you real time updates if the river is blown out or unsafe.
SAFETY:
This brings us to the question of when is it safe to float or wade in high water. Calling your local fly shops can oftentimes be the easiest way to find out if conditions are safe for floating or wading because they have guides on the water every day giving them updates. People often call and ask, “what CFS rate is safe for wading and at what point does it become unsafe for floating or wading?” This is tough because it is not the same for everyone! For the Pere Marquette River, our average spring flows range from about 900 CFS to 2000 CFS as a high. Further into the summer during our fry months we might see an average of 600 to 900 CFS. A month ago after our first few days of major rain the river was high over its banks with 2200 CFS. Regardless of what anyone tells you, ALWAYS use your best judgement to determine what is safe for you. One recommendation that I have given over time is that 1200 CFS is often safe for people to be getting in and out of boats easily, getting in and out of the river on the banks, and wade fishing. Crossing the river is often the most dangerous part for people, especially if you are unfamiliar with our river. At this rate generally you have a visibility of 3 to 4 feet. For most people this about waist-to-chest high water, so if you can’t see bottom, don’t walk there!
TACTICS OF HIGH WATER FISHING:
Now that we have a better understanding flow rates and high stained water we can then talk about how to be a more productive fisherman in these environments. During the spring we nymph, dry fly fish, and throw streamers. In higher water, nymph fishing and dry fly fishing can be less than ideal. The difficulty of nymphing in high water is getting the fly down to the bottom both quickly and accurately. Even when using a lot of weight this can be hard to achieve. In high water conditions and heavily stained water dry fly fishing can be very difficult as well because the fish are just not looking up to eat. Not only is the visibility low, but there are often a time an abundance of nymphs in the water for the fish to eat which keeps the fish nice and full. Fish will naturally take the path of least resistance when feeding taking. This makes streamer fishing the most practical and productive tactic of fly fishing in high water.
STREAMER FISHING:
In the months of March and April we have an abundance of steelhead eggs in the river as the main source of food for trout. In June and July we experience many of our bug hatches for dry fly fishing. With this being said, there is a period of time in between the eggs being in the river and when our dry fly hatches happen. During this ‘in between’ period of major food sources fish gorge on sculpin, leeches, salmon alvin/parr, and other small fish in the river which are imitated with different streamer patterns. Using these different patterns and changing our techniques we can still produce numbers and catch large fish even in the most intimidating of conditions. There are two major factors that are important to streamer fishing in high, stained water. First, make sure that you get your fly down fast enough. Second, make sure that your fly is visible to the fish. This can be done by choosing the right fly line and the right flies.
WHAT KIND OF LINE TO USE?
In general you can streamer fish with a floating line, a floating line with a polyleader sink tip, an intermediate sinking line, or most ideal, a heavy-grained full sink line. The full sink line is going to be your best bet for streamer fishing in most conditions, especially in any type of high water. Full sink lines often range from 100 grains up to 300 or 350 grains on the high side. Each grain is often associated with a sinking rate per second. Many of our guides use 300 grain sink tips year around for streamer fishing, but when fishing in high water having a heavy line is nothing less than essential. The best lines we carry at this time (in my opinion) is the Orvis Pro Depthcharge in a 300 grain or Airflo Streamer Max in a 280 grain. Each of these lines can be used to throw big flies comfortably on 7 and 8 wt rods.
What flies to use? Size and Colors
The most basic answer to this question might be to fish big and dark flies! The bigger the fly the easier it is to see in heavily stained water. The more ‘body’ the fly has the more movement it will have in its presentation. A few examples of this might be adding rubber legs, an articulation, or a little extra material to your fly patterns. While white, chartreuse, and other light colors can often be great for our river, in stained water darker flies can often work a little better. This is because lighter and flashier flies can oftentimes blend into the stain. Darker flies such as black, brown, and olive do a great job of creating a silhouette or shadow in the water which is easier for fish to see. For specific patterns stop in the fly shop and we would be happy to help you pick out some patterns best for that day’s conditions.
If you have any questions or comments about anything in this post please feel free to reach out to us at the shop at 231-745-3972 or email us at staff@pmlodge.com
Any of our shop employees are happy to help you get rigged up, find places to fish, or decide on what flies to use!
It’s important to find a pair of sunglasses that are suited for the environment you’ll be fishing. The same shades you’d use for fishing a high mountain stream probably aren’t the same ones you’d use deep sea fishing. A nice pair of glasses can be the thing that separates you from seeing that 20-plus inch trout or mistaking it for another log in the river. With that being said, if you are going to invest your money in a nice pair of shades we recommend finding a pair that works best for you. When looking for a new pair of sunglasses make sure that the lenses and frame style match up with the requirements of your activities. Perhaps most importantly, find a pair of sunglasses that fit you comfortably and will not give you a headache.
What to know about buying sunglasses:
The number one reason you should be wearing sunglasses is to cut glare! Yellow light is your enemy out on the water. Polarized glasses attempt to minimize the yellow light while maximizing the red, blue, and green lights. Red, blue, and green lights are helpful at enhancing depth perception and spotting fish in the water.
The second reason you should be wearing sunglasses while fly fishing is safety! You should always have a pair of glasses on when fishing to protect your eyes from any hooks or weights flying back at you. Sunglasses are both an investment and insurance against injury.
Things to consider when buying new glasses:
Lens Color: Many lenses have a base lens and then a mirror over it. As an example, you could buy a pair of glasses with gray lenses or gray lenses with a green mirror. Many lenses either have an amber/copper or gray base lens.
Gray – Mostly used for general, everyday glasses and bright sunny days.
Copper/Amber – Very popular color for its versatility. They are made to cut glare from the water.
Blue Mirror – For bright, full-sun situations on open water and offshore. Popular for saltwater fishing.
Green Mirror – Great glasses for high contrast vision. This is ideal for inland fishing or flats fishing to spot those sneaky trout and bonefish.
Silver Copper Mirror – This lighter lens can be used for stream fishing and at times with varying light, such as fishing from dusk through sunset.
Silver Sunrise Mirror – Specifically made for sunrise and sunset fishing. These glasses allow more than 50% more light than the gray or gray lenses, which makes them ideal for mousing at night.
Lens Material: Sunglasses will mostly either be plastic or glass lenses. Plastic lenses are much lighter, but scratch and damage much easier. Glass lenses are more scratch resistant, but also heavier and more expensive than plastic ones.
Frames: Frames are an essential part of the glasses, not for just looks but functionality. Thin aviator frames can be great to wear to the beach, but do very little to block light. When looking for fishing sunglasses look for something with a wide frame on the side that will block the sunlight from hitting your eyes. Some frames are more square or boxy than others. Ideal fishing glasses will be more rounded to fit the shape of your head. This once again will cut the amount of light that will hit your eyes.
Fit: Find a pair of glasses you will be comfortable wearing 10 hours a day. Finding the right size is very important as many glasses come in different sizes. Be sure to look at the dimensions of the glasses. Different companies rate the size of their glasses either on the width of the frame from ear to ear OR base the size on how much it covers your face. To ensure your glasses are comfortable make sure that you have a frame style, frame material, frame size, and lens material that match your preferences.
So what’s the ideal pair of sunglasses for the Pere Marquette River?
Guides like the amber/copper glass lenses with or without green lenses for high contrast. Silver Copper Mirror glass lenses are also a popular choice. Most like a frame that fits their head snug and have a wider profile to block sunlight.
Costa Promotion:
Right now in the fly shop if you buy a pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses at the shop and receive either a Bluetooth speaker or an external battery with a solar panel for FREE! Click here for more info. More information on costa glasses for fly fishing can be found on the Costa Fly Fishing page.
TECHNIQUE
For some anglers, euro nymphing might just be another hipster fad like tenkara, but if you enjoy catching trout in numbers, it’s a good technique to add to your angling arsenal.
This technique is about numbers, which is why it’s taken over the competition circuit. The theory is you’re fishing more in a fish’s strike-zone.
It’s best done on higher gradient, swift rivers with pocket water. The technique is arguably better than indicator fishing this type of water given that fast surface water and slower subsurface water can cause an indicator to drag flies. Generally, the flies you’ll use euro nymphing also plunge quicker in faster currents, causing the flies to spend more time in the strike-zone where fish are feeding.
There are several “styles” of euro nymphing, but they all include fishing a tight line — as opposed to using an indicator — to suspend the flies in the water column. It’s more about “feeling” your flies than watching a bobber.
CASTING
When casting, instead of using line weight you’re using the fly’s weight. Lob them upstream, or use a “tuck cast,” and lead the flies past you. At all times you’ll want to keep the line/leader with minimal to no slack. You’ll be able to feel the flies skip along the bottom but be cautious as it could just as likely be a fish, so hook set on everything. You can adjust where the flies are in the water column by controlling your line and height of the rod tip.
Here’s a helpful video from Orvis:
OUTFIT
Rod length is important, since it helps you reach runs and pockets, and allows easier detection of subtle takes. Faster action rods also help handle the heavy tungsten beaded nymphs you’ll be tossing. That said, starting out with a 9 foot 3wt or 4wt is okay, but as you use this technique more you’ll realize the necessity of a 10-11ft 3wt, fast action rod designed for euro nymphing.
Rod: Euro rods also commonly come in 2wt and 4wt sizes in addition to 3 weights. They’re fast action but are constructed with sensitive tips to feel subtle feeding from trout, and often have a fighting butt.
I use an Echo Shadow II, which has a kit allowing for the rod to be extended, along with a removable fighting butt and weights to get the rod/reel balance right. It’s a great setup that allows for versatility. Check one out in the fly shop. We also carry Orvis, which makes euro rods in the Clearwater, Recon, and H3 — all great rods.
Reel: The most important considerations for reel selection are weight and arbor size. Drag isn’t so much of a concern with this fishing technique. It’s not uncommon to see the pros fishing 4/5/6 large arbor reels on 3 weight rods. Larger reels balance out the rod better, and larger arbors help reduce line coil. For example, the first reel I used for euro nymphing was a Orvis Battenkill II disc. This reel balanced perfectly with my 10 foot, 3 weight nymphing rod, but the mid arbor reel size caused too much coiling for my taste, and after one outing I switched to using a large arbor reel.
Line: Most competition nymph lines on the market right now are made to work on a range of rod weights. They are thin and “level tapered” with minimal weight. Often the tips are high-vis with a bright color to help with strike detection.
Leader: Leaders might be the most complicated part of euro nymphing. There are a zillion ways to make a euro leader. Don’t be intimidated, though, there are products on the market to help simplify things.
Most anglers use some combination of 20lb to 15lb maxima, then white leader, followed by sighter material. The tippet goes next.
I just slap on however much 4x/5x/6x tippet I think I need onto the pre-made RIO leader, and that saves a bunch of time and stress.
I go with 2-3 feet of tippet, a tippet ring, then 20 inches of tippet to my anchor fly. Off that tippet ring leave a 6 inch tag for a smaller nymph.
Fly Selection: Flies are one of the simpler parts of the technique. A good general rule of thumb is big and flashy for the anchor fly and match the hatch for the smaller fly.
In my fly box I always have frenchies in sizes 12, 14, 16, and in colors olive, chartreuse, shrimp pink, pink, orange, and purple. Tungsten surveyors, rainbow warriors, squirmy wormies, and mini leeches are also must-have.
Some swear that the contrast of the fly’s natural body color to a bright-colored collar is what does the trick, acting as an attractor of sorts.
These flies are fished hook up, so despite the weight they won’t catch on the river bottom as often. The weight of these flies also mean you can leave your split shot in the truck.
READING WATER
Fish the river in a grid system, bank-to-bank (see video below). You’ll be fishing near the bottom, but tight-lining and line control will allow you to adjust the flies depth in the water column.
You can arguably fish more types of water euro nymphing compared to indicator fishing. This technique is great for pocket water, where trout often hold but indicators get easily swept away. Where this technique isn’t well-suited for is very slow, deep pools or still water where the water can’t carry the weight of the fly.
Riffles, runs, pools, and eddies, should all be fished thoroughly, starting with the water closest to you and working outwards. You can cast upstream, across, or downstream, and work the water depending on the circumstances. (Fishing upstream is best for spookier fish.)
Reading water goes hand-in-hand with fly selection. Use smaller, lighter flies in slower, shallower water and heavier flies in faster, deeper water.
Now is a good time to add a euro setup to your quiver for spring.
The Crack Caddis is an extremely simple but effective pattern to tie. The Flex-Floss and Dubbing colors can be changed to make various stonefly patterns, but here I’m using chartreuse with peacock black. This pattern works well for steelhead and trout alike!
You can find all the materials to tie your own in our fly shop:
Hook: Orvis Tactical Barbless, Size 12 Bead: Hareline Cyclops 1/8″ Thread: Black 6/0 Body: Chartreuse Spirit River Flex-Floss Head: Hareline Ice Dub Peacock Black
The term “redd” refers to the spawning bed of trout in a river or stream. Redds can be identified by a bowl-shaped indentation of clean bright rocks. Redds are formed by trout beating the rocks with their tail-fin. Trout do this to remove moss, dirt, bigger rocks, and debris. This allows for the eggs to sink safely to the bottom of the river. Having the bed as clean as possible ensures that the eggs will be fully fertilized.
Don’t walk on or above redds
Don’t walk on redds or directly upriver of the redd — this causes disruption to the bed and will get sediment into the clean rocks. Trout need water to be crystal clear for eggs to be fully fertilized. Even walking above the redd can push sediment deposits onto the red.
Don’t take trout off a redd
Preservation of the active redds is essential for the sustainability of natural trout reproduction in our river. Trout are most vulnerable on the redds because they are in shallow, clear water. This means they can be easily fished to and easily spotted. This may be enticing for most anglers, but the temptation must be resisted to protect the longevity of our fisheries for generations to come.
Fish behind the redds
Instead of pulling reproducing fish off of their beds, fish behind the active bed for fish anticipating stray eggs floating down river. These anticipating fish are actively and aggressively feeding. When fishing behind the redd, one should be cautious not to cast directly onto the redd because weights and larger flies can also cause damage.
If you see other people fishing active fish on a redd, do not confront them in a confrontational matter, but assume that it is lack of education and knowledge. The more people who are aware and educated about redd etiquette, the better!
Early black stonefly nymphs are a go-to spring pattern for steelhead on the PM. These can be tied in a variety of ways, but this pattern is especially simple. Anglers targeting steelhead should have sizes ranging from 10-14 in their fly boxes. Hare’s ear dubbing can also be used for the body. This fly will also entice early-season trout.
You can find all the materials to tie your own in our fly shop:
Hook: Fulling Mill 1531 Comp Heavyweight Black Nickel, Size 12 Bead: Black 7/64″ Thread: Black 8/0 or 6/0 Tail: Black Stripped Goose Biots Ribbing: UTC Brassie Wire Body: Ice Dub UV Black
WATCH:
An estaz egg is a very simple egg pattern to tie and should be in every steelheader’s fly box if you’re fishing the PM. Tie these in a variety of colors like chartreuse, pink, and peach. Any estaz can be used to tie these, but the petite estaz has a nice slim profile. You can also use lead-free wire to add some weight, and add a few strands of krystal flash to create a tail. Tie some in micro sizes for trout.
You can find all the materials to tie your own in our fly shop:
Hook: FBK Egg Hook, Size 12 Thread: Chartreuse 6/0 Body: Petite Estaz, Pearl Chartreuse Veil: Egg Veil, Milky White
” The ground is frozen, the snow is staying instead of melting, and the general population is acting like they have never driven in snow before.
Winter is in full force here in Michigan with the warm temperatures experienced last week replaced with inches of snow, strong north winds, and
wind chill well below freezing. For fishing this is a good thing. Due to the weird weather that we have experienced this year
*cough* – due to global warming – we have had a lot of rain when we didn’t want it and a dry spell when we needed rain the most.
Mix that with the fact that we have had many of unusually warm weeks – last week the temperatures sneaking into the fifties – and you are left
with a lot of confused steelhead wondering “should we stay out in the big lake?” or “should we run into the rivers?”. The urge steelhead
and salmon get to move into the many of rivers, streams and creeks connected to the Great Lakes is comprised of two major factors:
water temperature and water flow. Of the two factors, water temperature is the most important, with steelhead, salmon, and trout completely
ignoring how shallow a creek or river may be if it is the right temperature to run up into, sometimes scraping their bellies and fins up in the process.
A prime example being almost any stream or creek in Indiana, as they fill up with a summer strain of steelhead in the hot months when
the water levels are lowest, leaving steelhead with inches of room to maneuver. The month of November brought plenty of rain that many
of people were hoping would turn to snow, mixed with a lot of warm winds, making fishing conditions range from shitty to unfishable with very few
fair-weather fishing days. This cold snap that we just got mixed with the rain that eventually turned to snow should not only bring fish into the system
but force the all the fish into their deeper winter lies in the river.
TIPS
Lately I have gotten a few chances to get out and fish – albeit only ever in the shitty conditions – and have compiled a small list of tips:
1. NYMPH WITH NYMPHS. After months of throwing egg patterns, maybe try using a few more nymphs these days, just to spice things up. Steelhead are just big trout at heart and the longer they are in a river, the more they revert to their trout-like tendencies, making them more wary and selective with their food.
2. To catch steelhead while indicator fishing you don’t have to be a great fisherman nor caster. You simply need to be a good drifter. Learn to stack mend. And then master it. Your fly being drug down the river by line all day is exactly how to guarantee a day’s worth of disappointment.
3. Logs enjoy chartreuse beads more than Steelhead. Just a proven fact.
4. When your boss hands you a dead grouse, tie flies with its feathers. Or leave it in a bag in your boat to freeze. Your choice.
5. Photos taken of steelhead account for %40 of frostbite cases in Michigan.
6. Whiskey helps catch more fish.
7. Boat plugs can and will freeze and pop out.
With the arrival of snow of comes consistently cold temperatures, leaving fishing as more of a mission to some people than a relaxing hobby, meaning there are a lot less people out fishing, meaning a lot less pressure on the river. And right now, on the PM (Pere Marquette), it is very peaceful. One of Michigan’s most highly pressured rivers, especially for it’s size, is finally resting from a salmon season that that was hectic to say the least, with a run of fish that shocked us not only with how large the fish were this year but by how long and healthy the run was, as the last few years Michigan rivers have been plagued by runs that were abnormally small, leaving salmon fishing opportunities sparse. These days worn paths along the river in the dirt are replaced by snowy riverbanks. There are one or two boats on the river a day versus the twenty or more we are accustomed to seeing. The fish aren’t pressured like they usually are, leaving them a little more apt to bite. Winter fishing is of course never a super productive time of the year, but more importantly than the amount of fish you catch these days is the quality of fish and the reward of enduring the cold to get a fish or even a simple tug on some days. Some days the snow looks gorgeous and the sun is out, eager to play in the trees, throwing shadows on the glistening snow, and the rest of the weather cooperates. On other days it will be 1 degree with wind chill, sleeting, and you forgot your gloves on the dash of your car. “
Things in the shop have been slowing down, giving me some extra time to work on refilling my fly box and make some fly tying videos along with others chronicling my fishing adventures. I am currently starting a YouTube channel, West Side Fly Guy. Look for some new content in the future!