PLY WITH THE FAMILY STONES

(early little black stone)

( my black stone box)

( a fat Eagle Lake rainbow stuffed with nymphs and adults)

( my Darth Invader CDC Stone dry)

As Sly would sing it"I want ta.........I want to ta.......I want ta take you HIGH-ER!" So that is what you can do these days-"higher on top of the surface with a dry fly"!

When you get ready for your next steelhead trip, make sure you or your guide packs a 5 weight and has some early black stone dry flies(allocapnia, tainyopteryx). With the warm weather and low clear water, the early black stone fly hatch has been impeccable1 Fat browns and rainbows, stuffed with black stonefly nymphs and adult egg-layers, are chowing down on the surface in the afternoons.

Target the long flat pools and inside river bends when the female egg layers take flight. Fish are slow feeding in 39-40 degree water. They come up once -stay down- and might come up 5 minutes later. Since there is so many bugs on the water, they are feeding leisurely- so take your time, target a specific fish and stick with it!.There are some big trout feeding out there, so be prepared. Use 5-6x tippets and impart a slight twitch to your fly.

So when the steelheading goes slow on the bite in the afternoons, go for the stonefly afternoon delight!

Best early black stone fly hatches are on the Muskegon, White, Pere Marquette and Rogue- the Little Manistee also has excellent stones.

Posted in: black stones , brown trout , Eagle lake rainbow r , gray drake , michigan fly fishing , muskegon river , muskegon steelhead , pere marquette , rogue river , trout and eagle