Upper sections still fishing the best, with good to great numbers of fish. Pending the day you go, and whether or not the bite is on, you can have some great action in a short amount of time. The best patterns still have been eggs, making this a great year for the glo-bugs and nukes. Usually by now the fish have turned off them and gone on to more nymphy morsels. The smaller the better as the water is clearing. The fish for the most part have quit spawning (thank God), and gone on to deeper holds and will feed again pending the conditions.

The fish have had and in and out with the bite lately, but don't wonder if they are there as there are plenty all over. The water temps will get cool after last nights cold snap, but should rebound with the sun the same day. There will be some shelf showing up this week, but nothing that will hinder the fishing. Water temps will keep the fish deep and hungry versus shallow and frisky.

The streamers have been doing ok in the flies from I have heard from the few fellows I know doing it, one fellow landed three in one day swinging, and he just walked in. There may not be as many hits, but you will appreciate the ones you do get since they do pop it harder then an egg. The nymphs will start working he with some regularity since the water temps will be dropping this week; the best patterns might be smaller stones or wiggle hexs in any variation.

Keep an eye out for a pheasant tail bite here or there, especially if your fishing way up in the river above the Baldwin. Fishing will hold this week with little improvements, the cold air keeping everything at a status quo. Things will really heat up next time we warm up. The water is clearing but still up a bit, but the big change will be the cooling water temps the fish haven't felt yet this year!!

The middle sections still have decent to good amounts of fish, with muchless pressure. The upper sections have been getting hit harder, and the fish up there in turn got wiser. There is some chrome up high, but many of the fish are quite colored; as you move downstream the chrome ratio improves. The plus to fishing middle versus high is more solitude and much less fishing pressure. It isn't to say you could do as good if not better then the upper sections, just so long as you don't have to fish flies behind a plug boat down there.

Saw a few fish leaving on stringers down there last week; none of those fish will be able to spawn this year or return to the lake to be fished another day. Nope they will just get eaten, freezer burnt, or just cleaned for there spawn; who knows, one of those fish might have been a twenty pounder in a couple years. The fish are still ranging at a good size, much better then last years fish. The fish are still moving a bit, but will slow this week and the middle sections should see a little better build up of fish over the next couple weeks. The best patterns have been streamers and eggs down there, but at any time the nymphing will start fishing too. I

f it gets slow, and no eggs seem to be on the list; then throw them some nymph patterns. If your using nymphs, odds are the water is clearing, so be sure and approach your fish with some stealth as they will be getting wiser this week with allot less motivation as winter sets in for the first time this year. If that doesn't work, then do some swinging and see it that tickles the fishes fancy, if nothing else you'll have fun casting. It sure has been a great year so far, and minus that few days we had last week with that weird bite; the fishing this winter has been above average!!

The lower sections are still seeing fish moving through, and the fish down there too will be slowing down a bit and looking for winter holds as it clears and cools this week. The fish down there have been the best fighters and biters that we have. They are still quite fat and
chrome and more then willing to hit that fifth gear. Fishing pressure
is minimal, minus some pluggers from time to time (mainly on the weekends) down there making for silly fish. The medium to smaller eggs will be the ticket in these sections as the water clears, with nymphs taking a back seat to any and all streamer ideas you might have.

Streamers should be fished slower as the water cools, and sculpins and larger bottom dwelling leeches should fish. Bait fish variations should be fished a bit faster. Streamers is more or less the fly version of plugging with a lot more skill. If you find the right chromer with a streamer, he can pull that rod from your hand; so be sure and grip that stick just in case since often they will take when your not ready or even looking. Water still has some color down there which is good for the streamers, and should still be bringing a few fish in. The best times to fish in all sections the next week or so will be in the afternoons as the water temps will not rebound till noon each day.

The next big push of fish in the lower sections will be when the snow melts or we get an ice out; but I am more then happy with the amount of fish in the PM right now!! The White River is still holding on by a thread, with a few fish be caught on spawn mostly on the weekends. The fish kill is showing itself yet again on that river as it received a good blast of fish that is being harvested yet again. There are still fish there, but not many moving up at all. The shelf ice should get the fisherman away from the river for a week or so this week as that river always freezes up when it gets cool.

Nymphs surprisingly have been doing better on the White then the PM, probably because the PM got such a big wave of Kings this year and all the way up above 37 they got leaving many more eggs for the whole of the winter versus the White where the fish are stopping at Hesperia. Last time I was there, we only landed a few fish, of which two were Jacks so the PM is looking the best right now. The White will fish in and out ok till Spring then it will get another big blast of chrome. Look for most of the fish there and even here in the Upper sections right now to be coloring or just flat colored as there are many fish that have been here now for four months.

The '06/'07 Winter fishery will go down as one of the better runs since '99, but is not even close to how good it was that year. Just the same the fishing is still pretty hot, so give a call for a half day or full day this week or month!!

Fluorocarbon will be needed these next couple weeks as the water clears, along with some neoprenes to keep ya warmer. The water temps will be in the middle thirties for at least a week, with only a few degrees variation for only a few hours a day, so timing is everything right now. Keep an eye on that baro for that sweet slightly rising baro from the middle 29's; that seems to be a magic winter baro for me. Also fishing the day before and after any an all frontal boundaries as this is a great way to see the baro rising and falling on a weather map.

Nymphs should be smaller, but also stand out so materials, including synthetics and some louder dubbing blends might be the ticket. Also be thinking fleshy patterns as I have seen allot of salmon bits still free floating, more so then any eggs or nymphs I have seen. Good Luck and Good Fishing, and Watch for that Black Ice on the way up; 4wheel drive really works so try it!!

Report by Tommy Lynch/The FishWhisperer
Pere Marquette River Lodge
8841 S. M-37
Baldwin, MI. 49304
(231)745-3972
www.pmlodge.com