A PERFECT WINTER'S DAY OF STEELHEADING....MISSY'S FIRST DEEP CHILL OUTING!

( warming up with Mr. Heater and a hot seafood chowder on the grill- Wild caught Peruvian bay scallops, with leeks, corn, bacon,celery and new potatoes.............yummy and really warms up the bod!

( with her nice feisty chrome hen steelhead!)

I spent the last few days with the new wunderkind steelhead spey slayer,Missy Apmann, good client who is developing into one hell of a two handed caster and could catch chrome! Missy as you recall, is the National award winning equestrian rider, does fox hunts and polo, and is totally immersed in the world of steelhead , atlantic salmon and spey fishing.

Missy was concerned about the snow and cold, single digit wind chills and whether her hands and feet would hold up for at least 8 hours on the river. She did amazingly well!......( also a special thanks to Mr. Heater and his pal Blue Rhino propane!)

Her spey casting came together very well after two days and she hit a feisty chrome hen steelhead in dam pretty chilly water on the Helios 13/6-8 two hander with 14 feet of T-14 and Rio's Skagit 550 grain

You go girl!!!!!

In a side note, the river took a much needed deep , restful sleep today! Matter of fact while I was out, I heard her snoring!!!(rzeka is female for river in Polish). She breathed a deep sigh of relief from yesterdays enforcement efforts. A sincere thanks to CO Ginn and others for his and their much appreciated work!

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Posted in: EQUESTRIAN RIDING , Great Lakes steelhead , michigan fly fishing , michigan steelhead , muskegon trout steelhead , nymphing for steelhead , Orvis Helios , spey fishing , winter steelhead fly fishing

THESE TWO "CATS".............PUT THE "GGRRRR...........BABY IN SWINGING!!!!

( Missy "the new Celtic Steelhead slayer( two hander spey style, mind you mates!.......princess, conqueror!) ( Dr. Canh Tran........DIABOLICAL MAN OF MYSTERY......with his first swinging spey steelhead!)

( I came up with this pattern two nights ago..........low water, clear sunny days.............Dr.CANH.......very evil man!!!(lol)..... we named the fly....."the CANH-VICT?????............now Missy has baptized the pattern in Celtic blood and toil!!!!)

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!, TO THE DIABOLICAL "man of mystery", Mr. Canh Tran from Chicago.........and the world famous " Horse Whisperer-Missy!", who is now called the"SHE PRINCESS STEELHEAD SLAYER!"

Had the great pleasure of guiding them the last two days( and my soul brother, Charlie Polsky!) to their first chrome steelhead swinging flies.........the strikes and battles were blistering with aerial jumps...!!!...........OMG'S.......WTF"S...........and some magnificent fall steelhead.

If you guys see me limping for the next week, I tore my hamstring muscle netting Missy's fish.....BUT!!!........it was well worth it!! Missy had her first lesson in spey casting with the two hander today and did"MAVOULAS , DARLING!"....I have three more days with the "SHE STEELHEAD SLAYING PRINCESS", and the best is yet to come!!!!

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Posted in: FOXHUNTING , gray drake , nymphing for steelhead , spey fishing , sweden , swinging flies , trout eagle lodge and outfitters

REVISITING THE OLD DAYS ON THE WHITE

( FRESH RED BUCK DOC TOOK NEAR PINES POINT)

Just got back from spending a day on the lovely White River near Hesparia.Have the pleasure of guiding Doc Laerson- old time client from the 90's- who has moved back and forth from his native Michigan to Florida and back. "Doc' used to guide with me when I spent time on the White- approximately two weeks a year in March- when the Muskegon was blown-out, and I only had a drift boat.For old times sake we are going to spend a few days here like we did when we floated Hesparia to Pudunk- one hell of an ass kicking float in low water mind you-I'm glad I've been working out. Those were the days of the low sided Clackas and then famous guide Jim"COZ" Costolnik- who starred in the the T.V.show on ESPN "IN SEARCH OF FLY WATER".Coz guided for us in the spring and fall from his home waters on the trout filled Delaware- we always raced to see who could get fish and be the first to Garfield Rd. OR THE DREADED PODUNK!!!

Anyways, lots of shore anglers from the dam to Taylor Bridge.Good numbers of Walleye and some steelhead on gravel- best luck was in the deep pools in the sunlight. Hit a couple nice browns also. It was fun to be out on another river for a change. The spots haven't changed much over the years and we had fun reminiscing.

Muskegon is at a great flow-2,760- water hitting 39-40-.Fish starting to dig gravel but are very spooky- just as they are on the White.

NOTE: Peter Basta will be returning again for his 9 th year this spring from the corporate Orvis store guide service in Vermont. We still have a few good dates left for spring steelhead which will last well into the end of May-then the great hatches begin!!!

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Posted in: COZ , ESPN , gray drake , muskegon steelhead , nymphing for steelhead , Orvis guides , Orvis Helios , spring steelhead , white river

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT-PART XII- "THE SHOW ME STATE"- PUTS ON A REAL STEELHEAD SHOW!!!!!!!!!

(Wayne with a fresh buck)

(Kathy didn't want to touch it so yours truly stuck his guide pimp face in there!- she eventually got over slime-a-phobia!)

Had the great pleasure of guiding Kathy and Wayne Brasser from St. Louis, MO yesterday and today. Being excellent trout fly fishers, they have never caught or come face-to-face with a real steelhead.

Well........need I say more!. Kathy landed a gorgeous chrome girl after her excellent nymphing technique payed off in huge dividends. Wayne got his first chrome buck with finesse only a trout fisher can display. They put on a show for me all afternoon- it was a pleasure to watch them!

River conditions IDEAL-little pea=green stain- water level perfect for spring9 one gate-3246 cfs)- water still cold 36-37- fish are 'love-sick" in the primary late-winter lies and hungry and horny!!!!!!!!!!!

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Posted in: fresh chrome steelhead , gray drake lodge , muskegon steelhead , nymphing for steelhead , St.Louis , trout eagle lodge and outfitters