Gray Drake Hatch Private Trophy Brown Trout Classes with Matt

SPRING IS HERE! WANT A TROPHY LEVIATHAN 20 PLUS BROWN ON THE DRY FLY? I WILL BE DOING MY PERSONALIZED GRAY DRAKE HATCH MATCHING CLASSES AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL GROUPS. IN-DEPTH HATCH MATCHING TACTICS/FLIES ETC. AND STALKING GIANT TROPHY GULPING BROWNS. WITH OUR NEW TYPE III TROPHY BROWN REGS STARTING APRIL 1, THE MUSKEGON'S BROWNS ARE JUST GOING TO GET BIGGER AND MORE OF THEM! I TARGET THE MORNING AND EVENING SPINNER FALLS, AND FISH SUNKEN PATTERNS AND WIGGLE NYMPHS BY DAY- UNEXPLORED TERRITORY FOR BIG MAYFLY HATCHES.

( For the complete manifesto on everything and anything for passionate brown trout trutta chasers, check out my new Nexus book- it will rethink your passionate relationship with the most loved of all "civilization's founding trout"-check out the you tube trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl9NOLjHSuQ&t=30s

I AM DOING INDIVIDUALS, DUOS, SMALL GROUPS, YOUNG ANGLERS/PARENTS JUST STARTING AND TEACHING THEM THE INTRICATE DETAILS OF THE EVENING AND MORNING GRAY DRAKE HATCH PROGRESSION. WITH NEXUS BOOK INSPIRED FLY PATTERNS AND NEW INSIGHTS HOW BIG TROPHY BROWNS FEED TO THIS HATCH AND TO SULPHERS, ISONYCHIAS, CADDIS ETC. MY PASSION FOR MAYFLIES AND BROWN TROUT IS WHAT STARTED THE GRAY DRAKE !

CALL OR EMAIL ME AT THE LODGE FOR MORE INFO AND DATES FROM MAY THRU JUNE

www,graydrake.com

matt@graydrake.com

msupin2583@aol.com

231-250-2846

Read more »

Posted in: Brown Trout-Atlantic Salmon Nexus , gray drake lodge , mayflies of Michigan , Michigan brown trout , muskegon river fly fishing , siphlonorus gray drakes

Run still to come- Back on Schedule

Been a crazy winter spring: ,,,floods, snow ,low water, high water, hail, wind...up and down. Heat wave in February- cold in March/April.
Anyways...sorry for the delay in posting. I post a ton on real time social media- Facebook/Twitter/Instagram...if you want daily updates, join the instant media train...easy and immediate info.
But overall, our late April and May are back on track and right on schedule since the cold of the last 8 weeks brought everything back to normal.
We always have an excellent late April thru Memorial Day weekend with steelhead- PLUS!!!- outstanding mayfly hatches of gray drakes/sulphers all through May...see you soon I hope!

20 inch brown on a mid May morning gray drake spinner fall

Read more »

Posted in: gray drake lodge , Great Lakes steelhead , muskegon browns , muskegon fly fishing , muskegon river hatches , Muskegon River steelhead , Muskegon trout , siphlonorus gray drakes

A-MAY-ZING MAY..MICHIGAN'S FINEST MONTH!

                                    (Muskegon River May 5 th trutta- the big boys are still here!)

Without doubt May is Michigan's finest display of nature's north woods bounty. Morels, wild ramps/fiddle heads/garlic, trillium's, mayflies, drumming grouse, turkey, black bears- we saw a cougar run thru our lodge backyard the other day and the bald eagles are out and about with the great heron's hunting drop backs.

But most importantly, the Muskegon's fresh chrome arrival steelhead and dropbacks get their metabolism revved up and provide amazing battles when nymphing or swinging flies-and attacking  huge D/D bait fish streamers.Fresh chrome steelhead have just entered the river and will continue to do so all through May and well into June- last year we had fresh arrivals until June 22nd. Withe the two coldest winters -back-to -back, where the Great Lakes froze up, the lake temperatures are extremely well below normal and that is the steelheads barometer for the run- also photo period and water levels.

The brown trout turn their foraging from stoneflies and eggs to caddis,sulphers, gray drakes, chinook fry and the soon sucker spawn buffet.

We are expecting heavy brown and rainbow trout plants to make up for some lost fish year classes the mergansers/Consumers Power got this second global warming winter.

We still have a few openings in the next few months to experience everything Michigan has to offer and whatever style of fly fishing for trout , steelhead and yes Atlantic salmon hunting smelt along the shorelines. Don't forget all the great small stream fishing for wild browns, brookies and rainbows all around us!

SPECIAL EVENTS

MAY 6TH-9:00 PM- Matt Supinski interview on Selectivity book/DVD- questions and answers on Internet radio program

http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/

MAY  16 AND 17 -SELECTIVITY MASTER SPRING CREEK/TAILWATER TWO DAY CLINIC- BEAVER CREEK, MARYLAND- SEE PREVIOUS BLOG!

JUNE 6TH AND 7TH- SELECTIVITY MASTER CLASS- GRAY DRAKE HATCH CLINIC- GRAY DRAKE LODGE- EMAIL OR CALL US FOR MORE INFO!

PICTURE GALLERY OF OUR HAPPY CAMPER CLIENTS/NATURE- ENJOY!

Read more »

Posted in: gray darke lodge , Great Lakes atlantic salmon , mayflies of Michigan , michigan fly fishing , michigan steelhead , muskegon fly fishing , muskegon trout steelhead , siphlonorus gray drakes

HATCHES, FAT TROUT .....TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT SKAMANIA SUMMER RUNS !

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR CONSTANT UPDATES ON FACEBOOK AT;... SELECTIVITY TSS....GRAY DRAKE LODGE AND OUTFITTERS..... AND MATTHEW SUPINSKI

The gray drake hatches have been blizzard -like and trout feeding on their spinners all day. The size of the trout and their bellies are approaching bulging football shapes. Weather has been cool and today- downright COLD! Water has a deep tea stain and the trout love it! Isonychia, caddis and more sulpher action to come.
 Also time to start thinking about summer Skamania Steelhead. A cool summer should see one of the best runs on the St. Joe and Indiana Tribs we have seen in decades....last year beetles were the hot ticket fro summer runs

BREAKING NEWS :GILCHRIST CREEK WILD BROWNS COMING TO THE MUSKEGON!!!

(The red dot spotting so typical of Gilchrist browns)

BLOG NOTE: After lobbying the DNR for several years to get a better strain that will grow larger and last longer on the Muskegon,  I just received note that the Muskegon  River starting next week at Pine st and Thornapple will start getting brown trout stocking of the wild Gilchrist Creek strain Browns that do so well and grow large, but are very selective and take the dry fly regularly  and feed in winter at a great pace

Read more »

Posted in: gray darke lodge , Great Lakes summer steelhead , isonychia , siphlonorus gray drakes , summer skamania steelhead , super caddis hatches , trout and eagle lodge

WAITING FOR A LITTLE GLOBAL WARMING TO HEAT UP THE HATCHES...AND "DRUNK GROUSE?"....wtf

Need a few more warm days to heat up the nymphs to really get the hatches going. We had a few small isolated bursts of drakes/quills/caddis- but need lower and warmer water!

Yup...my girlfriend is back....mama with chicks has a nasty attitudinal problem..or she is hung over!..(Famous Grouse Scotch...note the berries in the logo- fermented berries make grouse 'drunk'.......anyways she attacked my big gas guzzling SUV white Ford Expedition at the end of our driveway...several years ago she attacked my pant leg when I walked at her...now you know why the high mortality rates grouse experience when guarding the nest

Read more »

Posted in: gray drake lodge , mayflies of Michigan , michigan fly fishing , muskegon fly fishing , Muskegon hatches , siphlonorus gray drakes , trout and eagle lodge

STILL CRAZY WITH DRAKES!!!!

( fatty that smashed an Iso wiggle before the main drake event)

June 24th and last night with Clients Seth and son Abe we witnessed the most amazing spinner flight of gray drakes I've seen since the blizzard hatches of 2009- it was so thick and insane the fish fed for 5 minutes and the water was littered...happened real late after a very hot day- feeding went on to the night hex style....sifted a few nymphs in the backwaters and found them a week or so away from emerging...what an insane year...the trout are gorged with mayflies/caddis/steelhead/salmon fry/dace pin heads...too much food !..back to cooler weather after the front comes in so no heat waves like last year

Read more »

Posted in: gray drake lodge , Muskegon hatches , muskegon river fly fishing , siphlonorus gray drakes , trout and eagle lodge

SIPHLONURUS DRAKES LAST NIGHT

yup!...they just keep commin!...about 10 last night....only a few fell-they are falling in the morning on cool nights-the trout are so fat and passive /dormant right now they wont move all day waiting for the feeding orgy when the drakes fall.10 inchers are 12 inches wide they are so fat...crazy stuff. I checked the bogs and shorelines for nymphs and found plenty of them that are not totally ripe yet...two three more weeks imho...as long as it doesn't get too hot and dry

Read more »

Posted in: gray drake lodge , michigan fly fishing , Muskegon hatches , siphlonorus gray drakes , trout and eagle lodge

ISO/HEX/DRAKES...OH MY!!!

The Isonychias have landed!!!..water levels excellent

Read more »

Posted in: gray drake lodge , isonychia , michigan fly fishing , muskegon river hatches , siphlonorus gray drakes , trout and eagle lodge

PHASE II STARTING

Isonychia-(jgmiller@)

Last few nights have been weak on drakes since the initial first phase of rapidus is over...now comes late night alternatus/quebeccensis drakes, brown drakes an hex...lots of sulphers and caddis still targeted all day...had two pods of steelhead for the last two days and believe it or not!...Isonychias starting any night

Read more »

Posted in: gray drake lodge , isonychia , Muskegon hatches , Muskegon trout , siphlonorus gray drakes , trout and eagle lodge

LARGE TROUT SIZES ON MUSKEGON SPRING 2013

(remarkable Eagle Lake strain Rainbow last night on gray drake spinner fall- not a steelhead due to orange slits below gills and belly and bright rose color throughout body)

( our guide John with a nice brownie which are common this year)

 

It has been a remarkable spring so far with all the cold water and cool/wet weather. Last night we hit a 23 inch Eagle Lake rainbow on the gray drake spinner. These fish strain, according to DNR biologists, are not supposed to get big....this girl did not get the email/memo! . Their are many 14-23 inch fish surface feeding to the prolific hatches despite last years epic 100 year drought/heat wave. I had to talk to Mark Tonello of the Michigan DNR this morning to inform him of the tremendous growth rates of trout on our DNR labeled "marginal trout waters"...;)., since no research on trout populations have been done by DNR staff since late 1990's-short staffed..below is my conversation and email...hope you can get out and enjoy this perfect trout weather. Yes!...there are still steelhead in the Muskegon river!

river level -2500 cfs- wadeable

water temps 59 F

cheers!

 

email to M. Tonello- Michigan DNR Biologist- Cadillac office

 

Mark et al.,

It was nice talking to you today. Hope you found my information informative and useful. Per our conversation today, it is amazing to see how many 14-23 inch Wild Rose browns and Eagle Lake strain rainbows are on the surface taking Gray Drake/ suplher mayflies and caddis hatches right now on the Muskegon ...truly astounding the number of big fish around this spring after last year's 100 year devastating heat and drought as we discussed. Even to me an eternal optimist, I would have never believed it!  It looks like the entire ground spring water system of seeps and capillaries that the Muskegon has due to its higher gradients and deep pools , along with the slightest of influence the cool bubbler at Croton contributed positively last summer  was enough to have tremendous holdover- that's the only explanation I can think of. 

 

Last fall, once the 100F heat was over, we started to see  13-14 inch browns and rainbows feeding to caddis in late September, with a few 18-19 inch browns in the mix- they were very fat and gorged with caddis larvae/pupae. I think the incredible caddis population of the Muskegon, AS A RESULT OF THE PLANKTON LOADS IN THE IMPOUNDMENTS , allows the trout to feed all summer heavily despite the 74F TEMPERATURES, THUS STILL GROWING AND NOT EXPERIENCING ATROPHY/MORTEM, which usually occurs when the fish's metabolism shuts down in critical Passive /Dormant stages of heat stress. Plus cold weather and lots of water is the key this year and is helping things greatly. As of today, there are still numbers of spring steelhead spawning Below Pine St and at Thornapple. I have identified the critical refuge areas on the Muskegon where the trout summer-over. They are the deep,spring -fed pools from just above Carmichael flats to just below Bigalow Creek. Last summer Bigalow creek was jammed with large trout seeking refuge due to its cold water and the creek is almost impossible to fish at low water with all the woody debris and USFS/TU built lunker structure undercut banks- thus providing great refuge for the large trout. With the massive floods and rains this spring, many of those fish washed back down into the main Muskegon I believe. Also the number of large brown trout in this section can be directly correlated to the springs and Bigalow and fast oxygenated currents below the High Overlook- this would be a great section to manage for trophy trout as I have mentioned in the past. Also the number of large brown trout from the Croton Dam to Pine Ave is astonishing this year due to the nutrient load of freshwater daphnia/ diptera, which the trout gorge on prior to the hatches that emanates from the reservoirs. . One huge positive factor that has a great influence on the tremendous mayfly, stonefly, midge and caddis life on the Muskegon is the water being quite alkaline - PH of 8 and above, which is unusual for a peat/marl tannic freestone river which tend to be acidic. This signals the importance and presence of the clay/limestone/subterranean aquifer influences on the river. The survival of wild steelhead/salmon fry/parr should be substantial this year given the devastating blow it received last year with the heat/drought. 

 Regardless, its good news and haven't seen this good dry fly fishing since 1996-1997- along with hatches at biblical proportions and lots of water. The gray drake hatch last year was non-existent- this year its like a plague of the Locusts!....pretty cool stuff all in all !

 The 23 inch Eagle lake rainbow taken last night on the gray drake mayfly spinner fall was the largest I've ever seen in 19 years of guiding.

 Hope the information is useful and the amount of stocking and money vested in the Muskegon is well spent and showing gorgeous trophy fish. I cant imagine what next year will bring given a cool wet summer which they are predicting this year. Good to have 'ole' Michigan weather back!- cool and wet!.

 

Thanks for taking the time to absorb the information. Your comments are welcome.

 

Read more »

Posted in: Eagle Lake Rainbows , gray drake lodge , michigan fly fishing , muskegon river fly fishing , Muskegon trout , siphlonorus gray drakes , spring steelhead , sulphers , trout and eagle lodge

DRY FLY STEELHEAD?

22 inch steelhead on the gray drake spinner fall last night!...fish was smashing drakes with unusual enthusiasm...spraying water!...usually a good sign of s drop back steel chomping back down to the lake.....it was a spawned out hen that still had one egg in her when I picked it up for a shot...took me into the backing three times on 4x flouro and lifted anchor for a good chase...plus several nice 14-18 inch browns....if you want these dry line steels, they love to hang out in the deep troughs behind sucker beds and eat sucker caviar by day and drakes in the evening....the drakes are so thick that the ducks, geese and swans are scooping them up in their bills. Never really seen that before...cheers!

Read more »

Posted in: dry fly steelhead , gray drake lodge , Great Lakes steelhead , Great Lakes summer steelhead , Muskegon hatches , muskegon trout steelhead , siphlonorus gray drakes , trout and eagle lodge

TROUT, STEELHEAD ,HATCHES...PERFECT WATER

( NICE FAT STUFFED BROWNIE ON THE EARLY GRAY DRAKE SPINNER FALLS)

 

It's an amazing time of year when you have it all. Now on the Muskegon/PM you have perfect water conditions for the first time in about 5 years in my opinion, cool days /cold nights- tons of water, mega gray drake hatches like last night-its a wonderland1. There are still steelhead in the river pushing gravel, suckers pushing gravel, and the trout and steelhead are egg binging to the max!

( even though the emergence is on shore,, this fly of mine brings up many nice fish on the soft hackle swing in non hatch hours)

( late night sipper)

The gray Drake, sulphers, cahills and caddis hatches have started to bring up nice browns and rainbows and the nights are frosty- water and cold=mayflies galore!
water level- 2990 cfs...water temp- 59F
ALSO, summer steelhead starting to show up!....so many choices....get out and enjoy!
cheers!

(ova duo- otter sucker spawn and steelhead eggs-driving fish crazy before the hatch!)

 

 

( and yes!.....chrome steelhead are still coming in and spawning...also egg binging on their own ova and going crazy on the suckers spawn- dont be surprised when your gray drake gets smashed by a drop back chromie!)

Read more »

Posted in: gray drake lodge , Great Lakes steelhead , muskegon river fly fishing , muskegon river hatches , siphlonorus gray drakes , spring steelhead , sulphers , trout and eagle lodge

GRAY DRAKE PRIMER....FACTS IF YOU'RE CURIOUS

(jgmiller@---- Gray  Drake spinner)

(spinner flight yesterday morning..msupinski@)

 

Siphlonurus mayflies hatch from May thru late July in Michigan-with some of the biggest hatches in the country occurring on the Muskegon and Pere Marquette- they also hatch out west on spring creeks and eastern tailwaters.They just started in earnest yesterday on the Muskegon and have been hatching for a week on the PM. They are a perfectly formed and a true looking mayfly that has a very complex lifestyle with its three species:rapidus,alternatus and quebencensis-rapidus are the largest and the ones hatching now- a true size 10-12.
EMERGENCE

Though the eggs are laid in the riffles by the spinners, the nymphs mature there and start migrating towards shore as early as February. They are very fast swimming nymphs-like minnows- and crawl up on vegetation strands, trees,rocks and any backwater/slough area bank structure to hatch- rarely do trout see the nymphs since they are crawlers. Once they hatch in the woods/banks and are drwan to lights by the dwellings, they molt and come back as spinners- again!- almost never do  trout see the adult duns!Emergence takes place when water temps are 55 to 66 F.

SPINNER FLIGHTS

( ridiculous mating swarm at 6:00pm in 2009)

It is a very frustrating and complicated hatch since their are nights where their are so many spinners and the water turns to sawdust that the fishing is impossible. Then there are the countless nights where spinners appear and then vanish because it gets cold or there are too many of one gender and not a good equal mix of both male and female for copulating- thus no mating. Also they are drawn to heat of boats and anglers standing in them -thus always a swarm above your head.Often on very cold or very warm days- the extremes are not to the liking of drakes- the spinner flights occur in the morning-vs. the more traditional evening. The ideal conditions are an overcast warm situation with lots of moisture in the air-humidity is to their liking.

( notice the curved body shape of the spinner and the body banding so important for selective/reflective fish)

Michigan trout taking drakes can become ultra selective/reflective when the hatch is on for weeks. The first few nights brings a feeding frenzy-quickly subdued once the fish get satiated. Then they feed for short intervals often targeting clusters- two males hooked up with one female in the mating act that fall to the water surface and the males brake up and fly away. Or the fish will target slender , curved, burnt-up spinners only. Position yourself in a long flat below the riffles for consistent action that will last for longer periods of time. If the spinner fall doesn't happen at night- sure bet it will in the morning between 8 and 11 depending on air temps.Also, there can be great spinner flights just before thunderstorms since the change to dark and moist conditions, coupled with cooler air signals night and the bugs are duped into spinner mating. Note: that on years like this one when we have record rainfall, cool air and the water levels are high, the gray drakes are all over. Last year';s drought and heat wave saw almost no drakes since they dried up along the shorelines or burnt up because of the heat- when the mosquitoes are like elephants like this year- its drake time!- besides; their bodies have similar banding's and look alike except for the mayfly wings!

Also , sulpher and caddis hatches precede the drake spinner fall and the fish will focus on them...but once the drake appears, the selectivity bi-polar switch will occur and the fish will target every last scrumptious spinner. If the mating spinner fall doesn't materialize like it should, the trout will switch back to the caddis/sulpers immediately since chow time is of the essence.

Enjoy!- but be prepared to pay your dues with this finicky hatch!

 

 

Read more »

Posted in: gray drake lodge , mayflies of Michigan , michigan fly fishing , muskegon river fly fishing , muskegon river hatches , siphlonorus gray drakes , trout and eagle lodge