WHERE ARE ALL THE GRAY DRAKES????...........CONFUSED?..........DON'T WORRY -THEY ARE COMING!

( We are ready when you are, sir or miss! After last year's record gray drake hatch, it has got to happen eventually!-BUG DOCTOR JOHN MILLER IMAGE)

The last few nights since Sunday when the heat wave started-(low 90 F temps) REALLY SHUT DOWN THE HATCHES-BIG TIME! A few caddis and sulphers-some cahills were around in small numbers, but that is typical when very quick changes in weather occur-also quick water level fluctuations. With last weekend's rain, we went from 2,000 cfs down to 1400 today.The Quote"MAGIC 58f) I talked about was for sulphers, olives-their preferred hatching temps on the Michigan Rivers.

BUT.......WHERE ARE THE DRAKES????

After being out again last night in the stifling heat and waiting till dark-nothing!

So in a panic I did a little research and also conducted a conference call with the bug doctor-Johnny Miller on the West Branch of the world famous wild trout Delaware system. He is pulling his thick hair out also since they've had no rain like us, the main stretch of the Big D hit 85 F- lower West Branch near Hancock hit 74 F-THESE RIVERS RUN IN THE UPPER 40'S-LOW 50'S F ALL SUMMER! His green drakes are running late-hatches have shut down etc. just like we had the last few days.Their flows are 350 cfs-low-low-cause the New York City reservoir system is holding water back even that the dams are at 100% capacity and they are letting wild trout die because of their absolute foolishness! We have a summer home up there and I spend a good amount of time fishing the Catskill Tail Waters, so I'm concerned in a big way!

BUT-back to the Muskegon. John and I have found 62 degrees F water temp to be the magic number for gray drakes to start emergence. Since the nymphs migrate to the shorelines to emerge, they are not too fond of hot air temps- their best emergence is in those cooler wetter environments-they don't like to crawl up 90 degree banks and grass.

ALSO......if you look at water temps on Croton USGS, night time lows have still been significantly cold.WHY such cold water? Remember the first two weeks of May- frost every night for weeks and 20 and 30 degree air temps?- I remember the heat running and scrapping frost off the boat every morning still chasing steelhead up till the 20th!

SO LOOK AT THE GRAPH

Sunday-May 23rd-14 C-57 F

Mon.-15 C-59F

Tue.15 C-59 F

Wed 15.5 C-60F

SO DESPITE THE HEAT, THE COLDER NIGH TIME FLOWS HAVE NEGATED HEATING DURING THE DAY!

Still 80's through the weekend and thunder storms on Monday- next week in the 70's and 50's at night.

ALSO..if you looked at NOAA and their long term summer forecast released lat Friday, you are probably shocked!

For Midwest including all of Michigan to South Dakota-down to northern Texas and east to Indiana, a colder and wetter then normal weather pattern is predicted for JUNE,JULY AND AUGUST- WOULDN'T THAT BE NICE AFTER THIS PUTRID HEAT !

All in all, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and burning candles.

On paper it makes sense- any night now will be the key-WE JUST NEED SOME SEMBLANCE OF NORMAL WEATHER IF THAT IS POSSIBLE ANY MORE!!!

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Posted in: gray drake lodge , guide sevice , may fly hatches , muskegon river , muskegon trout steelhead , selective trout , trout eagle lodge and outfitters , WEST BRANCH DELAWARE , WILD TROUT GRAY DRAKES

MARCH MADNESS CONTINUES-PART II...........THE WITTER'S SLAM-DUNK SATURDAY!!!!!!!

(Dr. Scott's second buck)

(Scott's first hen)

( Scott's second buck)

( Dr.Karen's first hen on the third cast of the day!)

There is a guide's saying-"I'll bet the House and the Lot it ain't gonna happen"- that is on angling success, the bite ain't on!....... etc.- just tough conditions! Actually there is a famous old timers dry fly invented on the Pere Marquette called "The House and Lot". which Bob Nicholson turned me on to when I wrote the River Journal- Pere Marquette(Amato books)

Anyways, it was" House and Lot" conditions. I had the pleasure of guiding Dr. Scott and Dr. Karen Witter from Michigan State. They were here for the Chef Dan's tribute to Argentina/Chilean cuisine at the Trout and Eagle Lodge- Mussels with Chrizio Sausage, Rack of Aregentine Free- Range Lamb on a lentil tomato puree..........etc....

We did the 10 to 6 shift- the afternoon warm water bite which has produced well for me all week.

BUT.........by the time we started there were dozens of boats everywhere- anchored right on top of all the prime holes and runs- the weekend warriors love to do that!

I find a great challenge guiding in these conditions- it "ups" my game , skills and thinking process.It's all about"what, how, and when you fish- and about how much patience and belief you have in, confidence and belief you have in your guiding skills and how well you teach your clients. Dr. Scott and Dr. Karen are the most wonderful clients you could ever have. They embody all of these positive qualities!

The day started out with Karen hooking and landing a nice chrome hen on her third cast...........AND THE REST WAS HISTORY FROM THERE ON OUT!!!!!!

We fish ed 5 spots in 8 hours and caught fish in pools and runs that were fished hard by other spawn, fly and hardware anglers.Boats came up river and down river constantly- several where very kind to stop and let us land the fish- thank you to you know who you are.

Moral of the post- fish tertiary water- fish slow and patiently, show the fish something different and don't be intimidated by how many guys fished that pool before you!. The fish are there and on their own schedule- not on yours! Just because you pull up to their pool , doesn't mean they have to bite for you.

As in everything in live, confidence and persistence pays great rewards and dividends!!

Dr. Karen has recently been diagnosed with and arm and shoulder nerve problem and was amazed with how light the 10 ft/7 Orvis Hydros and Mirage V Combo was for her!

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Posted in: Abel , argentine chilean cuisine , guide sevice , hatches , march madness , Orvis Helios , selective trout , st.joe skamania , steelhead genetics , trout and eagle , trout eagle lodge and outfitters

BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY-TALLADEGA NIGHTS........AND THREE STEELHEAD VIRGINS NO MORE!!!!!!

(Brandon with his first!)

( Ryan with his first!)

( Andy with his first!)

( Andy with his second!....and on and on!)

Winter steelhead guiding(it ain't spring till March 22) can be uncertain.Every day, just as professional athletes focus from game-to-game, you test your abilities to think like a fish,focus on water, pools, lies you select to work, given the conditions you are dealt with and work with the abilities of your clients. Just as a Major League Baseball slugger, a striker in soccer, a forward in hockey, or a high percentage field goal scorer in the NBA, you have 'hitting and scoring slumps' or droughts-OR- you are hot!- for whatever reason.Like Will Ferrill put it as Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights,"I'm on fire!"- lately my days on the river have been more like that!- minus me running around my boat almost naked with adult diapers on and a racing helmut!........lol.The river in winter could be very tough and unforgiving on a guide and clients, dishing -up goose eggs

So...........with that being said, I greeted my clients on Tuesday with the usual optimistic, positive outlook ready to approach the water. Brandon, Ryan and Andy were Dental School Students at the University Of Detroit- real nice bunch of guys and I could tell we were going to have a fun day , regardless of the outcome."SO, you guys ever catch a steelhead?", I asked. "Nope, we never caught one. We've seen pictures in books and magazines of them!", said Brandon. Brandon was from New Mexico and he fished the San Juan for trout. Ryan and Andy had little fishing experience fishing only for the past year.

So.........with that being said, a guide's mind starts to work- sometimes positively-sometimes not so positively!

First.........we are going to have to learn the technique of deep water Great Lakes nymphing- the cast the drift- the whole shabang!! Since I teach a more advanced style-similar to Polish/Czech nymphing along with a down-and-across swing at the end, that will be our first chore.

Second..........we'll have to learn how to detect a strike from a snag on the bottom.

Then ............we will have to learn how to hook and battle a fish on light 4-6 lb tippets, using the rod butt and tip to protect the light tippets and not brake off fish on hard runs. Plus learn how to rotate three rods in a boat.

Finally.........how to put a fish in the net, that is if you are lucky enough to hook one!!!!!!!

Sounds like quite the chore for three newbies in a 9-10 hour day. That is a lot to cram into a single session, but I looked at it as a challenge!

First the negatives. Water hit a all time winter low so far this year, 1460 cfs. Water clarity was ridiculously clear- you could see 12 feet down into pools. It was a sunny , bluebird day without a cloud in the sky.Water temp 35 F

The positives? We would be fishing at the warmest part of the day-10 till 7 pm. Sun will warm the water up for the 'big bite" better in low clear conditions. ALSO, WE HAD A FULL MOON FOR THE PAST THREE NIGHTS-ALL GOOD STUFF! In addition I had raw talent willing to learn........that is important. Sometimes skilled anglers are impossible to guide because they've seen and done it all!

WHAT HAPPENED ON TUESDAY WAS PURE MAGIC- ALMOST LIKE A FAIRY TALE!!!!!!

Brandon, Ryan an Andy picked up the technique in a half hour almost flawlessly! Perfect drifts, casts, concentration! This can come from only graduate school students that function day-to-day by listening and comprehend knowledge- this is an art form and skill most of us loose once we leave school or turn 30!

The hook-ups came and came- so did the landings! We were 100% in hook and land percentages.How many- dang/ a smart guide never"kisses and tells"- you never know what tomorrow will bring- often big GOOSE EGGES....OOOOO!

Congrats and Cheers Brandon, Ryan and Andy- YOU AIN'T STEELHEAD VIRGINS NO MORE!!!-in 17 years of guiding , I 've never seen this amount of raw talent, coordination and skill manifested in such a little time on the water!

ENJOY THE IMAGES- THEY TELL THE WHOLE STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Posted in: brown trout , dry fly , gray drake , guide sevice , i , matt supinski , michigan fly fishing , muskegon river , river reports , steelhead , trout eagle lodge and outfitters