February  23,  2010

 

 

Hi All

 

Spring is just round the corner. We are still getting snow showers but they have been melting off quickly. I have been out on the water fly fishing last week and this week and the fishing remains consistent. I was out for 2.5 hours last evening and went 4 for 4 with 3 nice Steelhead and a 19" Brown Trout. My hot fly was a orange egg and a wiggler nymph. The time before that Tommy and I went for a boat ride and went 2 for 2 with most of the time spent on the boat ride.Tommy landed his on a streamer and mine was on a Hex nymph. There is plenty of shinny spots on the river rocks but not many fish to be seen working them.My guess is those Steelies are bored with river life and winter like many of us and anxious for Spring . The dark water is where all the catching is going on. The water felt warm yesterday evening and had a few fish tail walking and taking me around a bend or two. I landed all the fish without a net or a camera man so no hero shots for me just a fun evening with the river pretty much to myself.

 

 

 

Pressure was not bad over the weekend but there was presence felt with the low clear water.Yesterday there was only one set of fresh tracks in the snow and I didn't see a drift boat launched at M-37 so traffic was way down on this past Monday. When I left the parking lot there was one other car there but I never saw that person.. I have been out on the ice a few days this past week and we have caught fish but we haven't had a slaying in over a week. My last bucket full was on a crappy mission with John Robinson and myself. We put woop'in on them Crappy and then we started feeling sorry for them and tried fishing for Walleye the rest of the evening with no prevail on the Walters. Today we will be trying to that same mission. John caught a 13.5 " Crappy the last time out that's a whopper. We may set a few tip-ups first to start then on to the Crappy. A couple weeks ago John and I had a great Perch day as well not big #'s but most of them were jumbo's 11" - 13" range.

 

 

That's what's going on up here, lots of ice fishing, and some Steelheading. There is also big new that the Lamprey Weir will be no longer in use. The funding was cut off and so was the power. There is many of us VERY HAPPY about the news and for years we have been trying to get the switch turned off. That will save the lives of many, many Steelhead that were poached above and below the Weir and allow free passage of our WILD born Steelhead and Salmon out to Lake Michigan. What a concept !!! We will now see our fishery make a gradual comeback back to where it was before they flipped the switch on that contraption. This will take some time but a step in the right direction.

 

 

We have had a few snowmobilers as of late staying with us and a few braving the stream as well. We are ready for Spring and look forward to a great Steelhead season. I can't wait to see all of you soon on the water and around the lodge. Plenty of room in the books don't get caught waiting till the last minute to make your plans.

 

 

Tight Lines

 

Clint