CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT IS SHOWING UP LATELY!...HEXES AND BROWN DRAKES-ON THE MUSKEGON?........YOUR MAD SUPINSKI!

( hex?......yup!)

It has been a "bug festival" this spring on the  Muskegon! With the downright cold and wet weather, our mayflies ,caddis and some stones have truly gone through the roof!
Honestly, I haven't seen the diversity of aquatic invertabrate life like I have seen in twenty years!
 Last night and a week ago, Had HEXES!(YES HEXAGENIA LIMBATA!) on the door under the lights at the Gray Drake in the mornings.

( brown drake0

Frank, my next door neighbor sent me a picture of a brown drake ( one of several that were on his screen doors at his magnificent river view home). Yes, that is a Brown Drake!
Water conditions are ideal- 2,180 cfs- water temp at High Overlook this morning- 59F- at the dam- 62F. Still a strong tea color which is making for 'exceptional' dry fly and swinging wets. Had the guys from OST systems from G.R. yesterday and my clients broke off an exceptional 20 " plus brown swinging soft hackles in the morning- he didn't let it run and the 5x snapped fast. We unfortunately watched the hog jump 5 times next to the boat trying to check the size 16 wet fly- we were dejected to say the least after witnessing the size of that huge red spotted sucker...lol!

( that is why these guys are packing on the pounds!!!- if we continue with the cool summer which they have predicted, and the cold -water bubbler combo- we "all' might have to take these trophy fish more seriously- much to the reluctance of the many that want a strictly"catch-and-kill' fishery- your comments are welcome! Despite having one of the "hottest and driest" summers on record last year, our trout survival was significant when compared to other 'cold water" rivers in the state- reason-tons of sub-terranean spring creek/seeps throughout the entire higher gradient Muskegon))

Here are the current hatches you can expect right now
MAYFLIES: sulphers(16-18), American March Browns( 12), light cahills( 14), blue-winged-olives(16-24) brown drake(8-10, Hex( 4-6) gray drake (10-12), Isonychias(10)
CADDIS:CINN. AND GREENS( 16-20), black glossosomas/dot winged sedges,( 14-16), plus tons of micro black/green caddis by the bazillions
Stoneflies: giant black pteronarcys(2-4), olive stones-(12-14)
PLUS TO ADD TO THIS CRAZY FOOD SUPPLY!.............newly hatched steelhead fry, chinook salmon parr, sucker minnows, newly hatched dace fry........sucker eggs..........no wonder these fish are fat hogs!!!!

Posted in: brown drake , brown trout , gray drake lodge , hexagenia limbata , michigan fly fishing , muskegon trout steelhead , sulphers , trout eagle lodge and outfitters