WINTER STEELHEAD AND TROUT SPECIAL-FISH PRIME TIME OF DAY!

As the the Great Lakes winter is upon us, our prime fishing times for steelhead and trout will be later into the day as temperatures warm and with a very strong dusk bite!
Each year we offer a "winter special".
So for 295.00- one or two, all tackle and flies provided , we do a 11 AM until dusk trip- prime time of day to catch a steelhead or two...nymph and midge fish for resident browns and rainbows, or throw big meaty streamers for the rivers elusive but always there big browns!
Call or email us to book a winter outing that can be very productive and a fun getaway from the cabin fever blues!

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Posted in: brown and rainbow trout , gray drake lodge , great lakes winter steelhead , muskegon browns , winter steelhead fly fishing , winter trout fishing on tail waters

Selectivity-Trout- Freestone Clinic- East Coast Next Weekend!

Hope to see my east coast friends next weekend in Connecticut at Housatonic River Outfitters!
click on link and RSVP to them!...Had a great weekend turnout at Mad River in Ohio and hope to see more trout addicts that want to up their trout game and fly patterns!
http://www.dryflies.com/new-events-1/2017/5/20/selectivity-clinic-with-matt-supinski

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Posted in: brown and rainbow trout , classic american fly fishing , dry fly , freestone , selective trout , Selectivity book , selectivity dvd

MIGRATING NYMPH/EMERGER SUNKEN SPINNER..ALL PURPOSE DRAKE/QUILL/SIPHLOPECTON

Got out for an hour on my first day off after getting caught up in the office.. Yep!...in a global warming May, I had an ice/snow event for a few moments that caught me off guard. I targeted a riffle near a bog where swimming siphlonurus gray drake /siphlopecton nymphs are migrating..(P.S. : If you fish the Rogue near Rockford, there are Black Quills ( Leptophlebia cupida)....I got this trutta on the single handed rod- /down-and-across wet fly traditional swing -Orvis Helios II (10FT/5 wght) , with my new swimming/emerging nymph/sunken spinner-

 I know!, sounds complicated, but an AP (all purpose pattern that does drakes/quills/ Siphlo's), this is the money fly ...AND YES!!!... I always can't wait to have a day off so I can go "fishing!"- every day I get to go fishing is like my first day ever when I was six years old..its a passion I can't suppress ... but unfortunately many guides treat their job as " just another day at the office/or punching into the guide time clock and "cha-ching$$$ gig" ...Before you book a guide trip, ask your guide how many days he actually goes fishing?, does he or she branch out of their fish tank?.....you will be surprised on the varied comments...I'm not lecturing, but "just sayin"

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Posted in: black quills , brown and rainbow trout , gray drake lodge , muskegon browns , muskegon fly fishing , Muskegon hatches , Muskegon trout , siphlonurus gray drakes , siphlopecton

FINALLY SEEING SOME GOOD SIZED STEELHEAD/ STONEFLIES/SALMON FRY HATCHED-UPDATE

  ( Gene from Boston 3/13 with a hen steelhead- finally seeing larger 'normal Muskegon sized steelhead showing up!- BTW- this hen is a 'wild steelhead'...note perfect fins!)

As of yesterday, the water levels are dropping at a steady rate- 4,200 CFS. Nice green color- water temp-36-37 F. Fish still holding in slower winter lies, but as water temperature climbs, they will be moving in faster pocket/throat water/buckets below gravel.

Patterns: Eggs, leeches/buggers/small intruders/sac fry minnows /articulated stones/Hex nymphs have turned the trick.

Of good word is we are starting to see larger steelhead showing as of yesterday. Walleye DNR electro shocking will be probing waters very soon FYI.

NOTE: Still have a few good dates left- especially during the week which is highly advised because of weekend traffic

HATCH MATCHING STEELHEAD/BROWNS/RAINBOWS: Early Black stone flies and salmon sac fry have begun to hatch and browns/boiws and steelhead are targeting them

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Posted in: black stones , brown and rainbow trout , chinook salmon sac fry , gray drake lodge , Great Lakes steelhead , michigan steelhead , muskegon steelhead

IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER!...........KINGS AND TROUT AND AUTUMN COLORS!

( Pool caught Chinook with orange comet-I added jungle cock wings)

Sorry for the long delay in posting!..........been doing trout trips, salmon trips and finishing my "Selectivity" book!

We are finally getting some rain., Got great cool autumn days and fresh king salmon are coming in every day..........and some "real brutes" this year mind you!

( The "BIG SWEDE".....Johnny Bloomgren with a huge female king)

We are predominantly pool fishing swinging flies: boss and comet styles. As I am writing a chapter on Salmon for my book, I have been intrigued with the Pacific salmon early developing fly fishery of California's gold coast back in the 40's and 50's. The legendary Bill Schaadt and others held a very intense school of salmon fishing that borders on a fanatical men's club atmosphere..........that's all these guys did would line up their skiff boats at the mouth and estuaries of California's Russian, Eel, and Smith rivers to catch cruising king and coho salmon. Johnny Ferenz, Grant King and a few others were credited with the development of the comet/boss style flies which I have found very effective for salmon in slow , deep pools on the swing!

( my orange comet)

I am trying to tie traditional style flies with my own twist and have found them to be very effective! It is great when you could join -up a little history with our current"line-em and drag'em" Great Lakes mentality to Pacific's...( mind you not all "try" do this and I don't mean to insult anyone- including myself, an at times gravel fishing guide!)

( the new "salmon queen"- Eileen Ferguson with her first fish fly rod salmon on the Muskegon- up till that she had only caught a bluegill!)

Many thanks to Lee Miller and Amelia from Pittsburgh for some great caddis action for trout, Ron and his wife from Da "U.P.", Neil and Gary, the Bubbs, the Bloomgren party and Brian and the new "salmon queen", Eileen!

The caddis action for trout has been "remarkable", with lots of fat, pupae engorged browns and rainbows hitting the surface all day from the dam down to Carmichael flats- the water has never been richer with caddis since the demise of the zebra mussels. Don't forget to fish 'quad winged caddis' now that the numbers of egg laying adults are so enormous!

( the nice "cookie cutter' fat browns on the Muskegon that are packing on the weight  from the caddis explosion- also Emilia's cool Deyonge's Abel !)

( quad spent caddis- John Miller image@)

( Lee Miller of Pittsburgh, master of the "new Letort', and his better half, Emilia)

( my latest Asian concoction stream side- Szechuan sweet and sour Chicken with cilantro and Hoison and spicy hot Thai peanut noodles with chives......delish!)

River is still very low- 1223 cfs, and we need all the rain we can get-lots coming tonight!
For a great DVD story on the California Pacific salmon fishery , check out "RIVERS OF A LOST COAST"- remarkable story that will make you restore your interest in fly fishing for Pacific king salmon!
http://www.riversofalostcoast.com/index.php/trailer/viewing_options/
We still have a few dates left and would love to see you this fall!
Cheers!

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Posted in: Bill Schaadt , brown and rainbow trout , California comet flies , gray drake lodge , michigan fly fishing , muskegon salmon , Rivers of a Lost Coast , super caddis hatches , trout and eagle lodge

POOLED UP SALMON............AUTUMN BWOS AND CADDIS AND FAT BROWNS AND RAINBOWS..............YAOZZA!!!

( James Kuras from Glen Arbor with a HOG!!!)

( Dr. Grace Smith from Pittsburgh with her first fly rod pooled up king!)

( Baconator with my fraternity brother-Andy Stover- first fly rod king!)

( Dr. Matt with today's pooled-up king!)

Pacific Salmon in the Great Lakes have gotten a bad rap from fly fisherman from all the "snag-and drag", gravel raping............doesn't have to be so! The pool fishing- California style, with Bill Schaadt/Grant King comets and bosses is a pure and simple approach to fresh , aggressive kings! You have to have patience, and there will be long periods without hook-ups , but all these happy campers are a testimonial to its success!- plus the fish come in with the fly in their" inner mouth"- that's something most people won't believe!..... No" glass house here", just try it and enjoy!

The autumn blue -winged -olives are taking fat brownies on the surface and caddis are still in "super hatch" stage with hog browns and rainbows taking them every afternoon and evening in this 80 degree weather!...........its awesome stuff!!!



( The dry fly Murphy machine hit 6 browns between 15 and 18 inches on a cold wet Friday last week!)

( Murph's caddis brownie)

( a BWO brownie- fat little piglettes!)

( Phi Delt Bro from 32 years ago I haven't seen since then- Andrew Stover from Cleveland Heights- his first fly rod fish!)

( A real treat for shore lunch- Andy and his brothers shot a bunch of Pheasant at Shooting the Breeze hunt club- so I did  a Thai sweet and sour hot and spicy chilli glaze, with sweet and sour red cabbage and taters......DELISH!...THOSE BREASTS WERE SUCCULANT!)

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Posted in: Blue winged olives , brown and rainbow trout , California comet flies , gray drake lodge , great lakes king salmon , pheasant , super caddis hatches