9:07 AM
Matthew Supinski's Gray Drake/Selectivity/Nexus Blog
( Christine from N.J. with a massive summer steelhead on the St Joe River- hammered a striped black/purple haze leech)
The days are getting longer- cottonwoods soon to fly. It might be an epic summer run according to Indiana head of the Skamania program- Biologist Brian Breidert. After talking to him last week, he already is seeing a few summer runs showing at Trail Creek, but water temps are still seriously cold and the new cold snap will delay. He thinks we could have two year classes of summer runs- one that skipped a return, so we might be in for some very hefty fish this year like two years ago.
Also, summer runs spend a ton of time off their preferred hunting grounds off the Manitou Islands where the cold waters have amazing food sources like Cisco, herring, smelt and mysis shrimp. So they are not totally "hard wired" on alewives like their winter run cousins.
I will be on the St. Joe and Indiana tribs July/August , thru early September, so would love to introduce you to 'dry line steelhead', swinging in the faster water and dry fly steelhead- "yes I get them to eat surface beetles"...
These are the ' tarpon' of the Great Lakes and in my opinion the most perfect, true to salt water form steelhead you will ever lay your eyes on. Ther battles are full blown aerial displays that no other fish other than Atlantic salmon could compare. If you never experienced these amazing wicked beasts on the fly rod or two hander, you owe it to yourself!
The Big Manistee also gets a very good run and does not get much much attention - only mostly form the bait guys by the coffer dam. Swinging here is as good as it gets and these fish and their behavior are much misunderstood- I finally cracked the code on these bad boys!
It is a great place and time to bring your spouse and family and stay at this gorgeous hotel right on the stunning natural beauty of Silver Beach along the sand dunes of Lake Michigan and aqua blue waters. The beach going family can enjoy a day by the waters while you fish. Also there are wineries, boutique shops/art galleries and excellent restaurants right along the shoreline- a great family vacation!
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