Thanks for checking out the new Blog for the Trout and Eagle Lodge in Newaygo Michigan. We are glad you stopped by, be sure to have a look around and if you have any questions please give us a call.
Step into a World of Warmth and Comfort
From the moment you open the front doors and step inside, you instantly feel like you're home.Just in time for Salmon and Trout season, this luxurious three story Finland built Honka log lodge is located on one of the Muskegon River's most scenic bluffs and just a stone's throw from the Gray Drake It's plush forest setting is perfect for small groups, Corporate outings, meetings, and culinary gourmet weekends.
Every exquisite detail tells a story at this table
Furnished with the unique Rocky Mountain Montana decor and art work. This gorgeous 5,000 square foot structure can sleep up to 14 guests at one time. It has 2 king size log bedroom suites, in addition to multiple log bedroom sleeping quarters.
Completely Furnished Suites for every Outdoorsman
In addition to all the other fine ammenities, we offer a state of the art gourmet appliance kitchen, large dinning area and comfortable leather couch lounge area with large HD plasma satellite visuals. All that and more makes this an ideal plush getaway for anyone.
Kick back after a day of Fishing and tell lies
The view from the two decks overlooking the river, adorned with beautiful Adirondack wooden rocking chairs, is spectacular! You will peer down with an eagle's view of the Muskegon's prime Trout, Salmon and Steelhead waters. So contact us today and Book your trip of a lifetime!
Gray Drake Lodge Offers Scenic Overlook
The view from the two decks overlooking the river, adorned with beautiful Adirondack wooden rocking chairs, is spectacular! You will peer down with an eagle's view of the Muskegon's prime Trout, Salmon and Steelhead waters. So contact us today and Book your trip of a lifetime!
Kick back and enjoy the Fire
The fireplace in the Drake will warm your spirits after a long day on the water. Just kick back and enjoy the rest of your trip with a nice warm Lodge to heat the fishing talk up to a warm level!
( Master steelheader Chris Desmond from Chicago, with one of two absolute beasts of mint chrome fall steelhead I've seen in 24 years of guiding ( hitting upper teens/20 lbs/38-39 inches, massive girth) It has been an excellent and early start to our fall steelheading winter Michigan strain steelhead runs of the Muskegon 2019/2020. With the best high water levels I've seen in decades, and a massive size (20-30 lbers) of spawning wild Chinook salmon fish unleashing a barrage of eggs into the river system, streelhead have been responding to the pheremonal lure of all the egg caviar and are on the poaching hunt for eggs. They are also slamming a well presented intruder on the two handed swing.
The steelhead run starts to peak in November and December on the Muskegon, with a hopeful bunch of large lake-run browns also to follow. That is when swinging flies really gets into its prime element....see you this fall and winter!
( Roy from CT yesterday 10/21 with one of the most beautiful female fall steelhead I've seen!, look at those gorgeous colors!)
NOTE: check out my client from last December as the true cover girl on this issue of Fly Fisherman Magazine, with her Muskegon steelhead, the very adorable and talented photographer: Jesssica DeLorenzo from PA, with a beast of a Muskegon December steelhead, also my very concise article on getting to know winter steelhead, called "Icy Steel"
( coming next: Lake-Run Browns and fall Great Lakes Atlantic Salmon!)
Seriously and despite the 90F heat and ultra low water...in my 20 years of ghillie-hood, this is definitely the largest wild king!- saw some approaching 30 last year, but this year they are running massive and with stunning red/marbling colors ... my client Thursday-Gene Kelly from Boston, hit this massive hen in the mid to upper 30lb range swinging flies with me in the pools- glad I invested in a 60 lb Boga grip this year!- more coming!...it will be an awesome fall for sure for steelhead given the sized summer runs we saw on the St Joe...just need more water and the cold weather we had all summer eh?
Gonna be a big year! Many fish didnt run last summer due to extremely warm temperatures and droughts/floods . The few fish that have showed up at the weirs in 2017 are enormous, if they forgoed a run year and kept feeding. Still have openings for summer run guide trips- hope to see you!- the pictures tell the story!- see you this summer!
( Quebecois Paul Dolbec from Delaware with his magnificent beast he caught with me on the swing-a true Scandi man, he now understands the importance of the Skagit system for Great Lakes steelhead-)
(10/29/16)
Paul was swinging the Pantano hangtime leech at 2:58 p,m. in a prime "throat/boulder water" primary run when this massive beast destroyed my hangtime tube leech with a massive aerial burst and brutal aerial battle for 150 yards downstream to follow. Thank god for the 15lb fluorocarbon and the 14 Foot GLOOMIS Greased Line ( Roaring River) 14 ft/8 weight spey rod that was able to handle this beast. Haven't seen a legit "20" since 2006-(note: how Paul had to rest the upper part of the fish on his lower arm- the fish was too big to put a hand around it and couldn't be held out- also IPHONE photo shot- no fish eye Nikon!..;)
It happened as a sunny day turned cloudy, most of the guide boats were high tailing to the ramp for cash and the river was getting quiet for beasts to come lurking....put a tape to it ...38" length x 26" girth...do the math- didn't want to hurt the beast by destroying the cartilage in its back by holding it on a Boga. December will be epic I'm predicting since another warm spell of upper 60's is coming AGAIN!!!!
( new as of today in my "pimp'in for kings and ho's salmon series'- The Funky Copper Killer-deadly!. The copper killer has taken two of the largest pooled up kings at the lodge pushing 30 lbs over the years-2005/2006 were memorable, and this year we already have seen a few ginormous kings entering our rivers-cooler water and temps are all we need and on the way finally-let's hope!)
Each year when I get ready to tie my funky patterns for swinging the pools for wild chinook salmon on the Muskegon, the amazing new mind boggling assortment of materials that Marcos at Hareline shares with me blows my mind and vice- and eventually gets aggressive/active pooled up wild kings to slam them!, as they lie suspended and love sick in pre-spawn mode where they will crush a fly!- no shortage of them in Michigan, especially on the 20 miles of solid spawning gravel and very deep 12-18 feet deep pools the Muskegon has. (recipe below)...cheers, have a great fall!, and we still have a few and getting very fewer dates available btw- but give us a contact and we will see what we can do- look forward to seeing you on the river!) #moretogreatlakeskingsthangravelrippingdarkskankies
( two of the more memorable wild kings taken on previous copper killers that were pushing the 30lb mark swinging pools)
THE FUNKY COLD MEDINA COPPER KILLER
hook: Daiichi x point 452..or as here, Daiichi Curved shank Salmon hook 2151
Thread: Veevus 140 black
tail: copper Flashabou with Hareline Copper barred grizzley rubber legs
Lower body: copper flashabou
Thorax:Hareline Metallic copper tinsel large, heavy UTC copper wire palmered
Swinging ( classic Atlantic Salmon down-and- across UK wet fly broadside swing, inspired by A.H.E. Wood greased line technique), is not just limited to migratory steelhead and salmon. Now is the perfect time to do the same floating line technique on light 12 foot 3/4 weight switch rods , swinging articulated swimming nymphs as Isonychia/Hex race heatedly towards emergence. Here is an awesome brown taken by my client last night in very shallow fast water where the nymphs are emerging ....the" poor man's atlantic salmon- the brown trout!", is an ideal way to experience this wonderful way to fish all year- soft hackles etc....cheers! ( HINT: If the water is over your thighs, you are fishing too deep- get out of the boat and wade these shoals/tight to the bank swift runs where the donkeys are hunting swimming nymphs...;)....natural:JGMiller image
I have never created a more deadly nymph...PERIOD!!!. It is extremely effective fished classic...down-and- across wet fly swing, with twitching and jigging movements manipulating the articulation. It is deadly on spring creeks sight fished to actively nymphing trout during baetis and sulpher/PMD hatches..A.K.A Frank Sawyer style.
On tailwaters and freestone stream swung actively along with tight circular mends clockwise and counterclockwise to manipulate swim-and-drop movements....GOOD LUCK!, and go heavier on the tippets, and just tighten line on the strike since fish will hit this nymph very hard!!! The articulated movement, soft hackle pulsing and very realistic look all add up to a triple whammy for the trout!!! RECIPE- THIS FLY CAN BE USE FROM SIZE 10- THRU 18...TO IMITATE A LARGE ARRAY OF MAYFLIES- MOST DEADLY FOR HENDRICKSONS , QUILLS, DRAKES, PARALEPS, SULPHERS/PMD'S, BWO'S, STENONEMAS.... BACK HOOK: DAIICHI 1110 STRAIGHT EYE THREAD: UNI BROWN 6/0 TAIL: WOOD DUCK OR GADWALL DUCK-HARELINE BODY: NATURAL PHEASANT TAIL ( USE NUMBER OF STRANDS BASED ON SIZE-FEWER FOR SMALLER SIZES ETC.,, VISA VERSA RIBBING: COPPER WIRE (THEN BREAK HOOK GAPE OFF IN VICE BY TWISTING THE SHANK FORWARD AND BACKWARD GENTLY!!!!- NOT TO DISTURB THE MATERIALS ON THE HOOK (NOTE: IN PRODUCTION TYING, I USUALLY TIE A DOZEN OR SO TAILS FIRST
FRONT HOOK: DAIICHI X120....SIZES#10- THRU 18 THREAD:UNI 6/0 BROWN BEAD HEAD: SMALL COPPER BEAD BASED ON HOOK SIZE EYES:....HARELINE EX. SMALL/SMALL/LARGE BLACK MONO EYES TIE IN THESE ITEMS FIRST TO UNDERSTAND SPACE REQUIREMENTS WHEN TYING IN MATERIALS JOINING BACK SECTION- TAKE 5X MONO AND TIE INTO THREAD AND THRU THE EYE OF BACK HOOK AND KEEP A SMALL LOOSE LOOP SO ARTICULATION HAPPENS- SEAL WITH SUPER GLUE OR LOON FLOW UV LIGHT- LET DRY OR LIGHT TO DRY---CAUTION: DON'T USE HEAVIER MONO/FLOURO BECAUSE IT WILL NOT WIGGLE AND GET STUCK! FIRST STEP ONCE BACK HOOK IS JOINED: FORM THE OVERLAPPING BACK AND TIE IN YOUR CHOICE OF :THE PICTURE ABOVE IS A WOOD DUCK FEATHER TIED TIPS FIRST, BUT YOU CAN USE A STRAND OF THIN SKIN (WAPSI) INSTEAD...THEN TIE IN J;SON SWEDEN (HARELINE) REALISTIC NYMPH LEGS IN SIZES N5/S5 FOR SMALLEST SIZES ...AND WORK UP TO N3 ETC FOR BIGGER MAYFLIES- ( THE LARGER NUMBER IS THE SMALLER LEGS NEXT: TIE IN A NICE HUNGARIAN SELECT PARTRIDGE SOFT HACKLE FEATHER( HARELINE GRADE 1) BODY : HARELINE UV ICE DUB PEACOCK NEXT: PALMER SOFT HACKLE FORWARD TO THE EYES OVER THE ICE DUB- AND PRESS DOWN FIBERS TO THE SIDE OR CLIP TOP FIBERS TO ALLOW FOR BACK BACK; LUUL LEGS FORWARD FIRST AND THEN WOOD DUCK OR THIN SKIN OVER AND ALIGNED PROPERLY...FOR WOOD DUCK AND LEGS, MOTTLE WITH COPIC BROWN MARKER FOR COLOR/BANDING/SPOTTING WHIP FINISH AND SEAL BY BEAD WITH LOON/OR CLEAR CURE UV- JUST A DASH AND LIGHT SEAL SO MATERIALS DON'T UNRAVEL THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!...THE ULTIMATE TROUT NYMPH FROM THE BIG HORN , THE SPRING CREEKS TO THE CATSKILLS !!! ALL I ASK IS FOR YOU TO POST YOUR PICTURES ON FACEBOOK!!!- AND TAG ME/SELECTIVITY GOOD LUCK!!!!
Happy to report that the salmon run 2015 is pretty damn good with excellent large sized fish being picked up in the last few days! One thing I particularly notice this year is the more aggressive nature of the fish - taking stripped and swung streamers and boss/comets more than usual and more consistently. Can this be a function of less prey in the lake making them more aggressive in behavior?...don't know. But my clients and I are loving it and the fish are spread out in the pools more this year....still have good dates open in October...cheers!
( Justin with a hefty from yesterday that hammered a Squatchy Bitch Leech)
( For the past 12 years I have been experimenting and loving swinging classic west coast salmon wets for salmon staging in pools- if you are sick of the old Great Lakes 'snag -and drag' salmon fishing!-this is the only way to go!- get them while they still have a bit of an aggressive tendency)
Sorry!...but Pacific Kings in the Great Lakes have gotten a bad rap from the 'snag-and drag' fiasco...word! People see me parked on 14 foot deep pools for weeks thinking I'm a dummy. Yeah I know..the 'money in the dummy' gig is easy coin for guides, but you owe it to your clients to make them appreciate these fish that when stacked by the hundreds in deep pools still have a fraction of aggressive/active tendency. Granted its much easier to 'floss fish' on gravel', but there really is not much sport in that eh?
Not trying to preach from the soap box cause I/ everyone in the GL has done the gravel gig at one time or another in our development- and done legally there is nothing wrong with it-'a fly in the mouth is a fly in the mouth...is a fly in the mouth-period!"
Because of all the down and across swinging wets I have done over the decades for Atlantic salmon and looking at the west coast gunslinger schools of Schaadt/Waller/Combs and the many , many California king boys comet/boss era, I took the same techniques and applied them to the Great Lakes- you wont catch me with a spinning rod and thunder stick just because that's me, my choice and I don't own or want to invest in spinning equipment. NOW, there is nothing wrong- actually its the most ethical way to go for these zip lock mouth fish, plus all the fly guy guides all over are doing it because it catches fish that actually strike and are aggressive !!!
Yeah, many may think I might be gay putting that much time into a comet/boss fly: jungle cock, spey fly materials etc., BUT!!! I find it so much more rewarding to hook a salmon, watch it jump 8 times in 10 feet of water, run into hundreds of yards of backing and fight it for 20 minutes-EXHILARATING!
Also, my clients have become addicted to this fishing which can be done long after salmon have gone to garvel- trust me!
Fish are still fresh, 'somewhat' aggressive and you stand the best game out of them!
It will be starting soon!- cohos on the St Joe, then kings on the Muskegon.
If you want to try something new and exciting/different, I'd be happy to teach you the nuances of this very exciting pacific salmon fishing -Great Lakes style! Can be done with single or two handed rods-traditional lines or new age spey/intermediate lines- your call!
(Marvin Cash- National Board of Director for the Federation of Fly Fisherman-FFF-from North Carolina with a 'trifecta' in three days with me- first steelhead on the swing, on the Muskegon- first time using a two hander , and a buck and hen Atlantic salmon swinging a white tube leech....awesome Marvin!- it was spectacular!-)
(Phil from Connecticut with a lake-run brown on his Hang Time tube leech)
Way too much chatter on Al Gore's internet about the "THE steelhead..RUN!"!- good/bad/lack of ?...these PICS tell the story!....conditions?.....well:)- you have to work for your fish but they are there and more to come.- bait and center pin guys doing good in lower river with slack water lies-swinging is swinging- you earn and enjoy everyone you get..;)..we have had great December fishing and I predict another this year......- low clear water. will change and fish are off the piers each day....But!.....RAIN/SNOW/COLD coming!!!. mykiss and salar, if they are on Face Crack, will give this weather a big like... Again!!!..please follow us on Facebook/Twitter/social media...Matthew Supinski page...Gray Drake Page...Selectivity TSS Page...I do a google blog... I. get 700 hits!...do Facebook three page post get 7,690 hits- so I reach more people and quicker and easy to post images right from the river....Face Crack is not for everyone I know...just sign in with name"Colonel Angus" if you dont want to be recognized..;).... PEACE..LOVE AND ALWAYS!...NA ZDROWIE! ( to your health!)
( grimacing and grunting to hold up Dr. Matt's fish- absolute beasts this year and "taking " flies in the pools- haven't had to resort to the gravel gig yet )
( copper killer bosses have been destroyed in pools by aggressive/active wild kings this year due to the special hierarchical turf dominance wars)
This could well be the largest salmon run I have witnessed as a guide for 18 years...as well as the largest size of the average fish I have ever seen!...no bull and anyone out there will attest to it. 20 to 30 pound wild kings are the norm rather than the exception. I have been swinging pools chocked full of fish and the gravel is staked up too...there simply is just no room in the river for more fish...insane! After dismal years of poor runs in numbers and size, the beast has been unleashed.
With dismal predictions by the DNR of :lack of fish, lack of alewives bait fish I cant wait to hear the conclusion by the experts. Cutting stocked fish was a good idea, but the natural reproduction has exploded!...especially on gravel ladend rivers like the Muskegon.
( a pinook king taken yesterday- big hump and red/purple blotches on lower belly
( client Dr Matt Zaccheo hit two kings swinging the pools with bosses and comets this weekend with me that were the 30 mark!..Matt is a big boy and we grimace because we could not hold these fish up!))
( loaded for bear!...don't forget that resident trout/steelhead behind salmon are also keying in on what the hens are digging up....caddis larvae and immature mayfly nymphs- not just eggs!)
SO!!!...with these numbers this fall the amount of eggs in the system will be extraordinary, giving the resident trout and migratory lake-run browns and steelhead plenty to munch on with the caviar explosion.Saw a chrome steelhead chasing a huge female in the pool and looking like it was poking her anal area like Pavlov's dog ready for the orange a..ss candy feast- bizarre! Water levels are finally rising with all the rain- the river was dried up until yesterday...now 1620 cfs...was as low as 900cfs
( otter egg buffet)
( time for the hopper/dropper- chicken or the egg rig for swinging)
We have already hit a few fall steelhead and hit lake run browns three weeks ago. With the numbers of salmon in the system, the last time we saw a run like this was Y2K-2000/2001 and the fall steelhead run was massive along with lake run browns- get ready for an exciting fall/winter to come! December is going to be insane this year like always and given the warm water temps that will be the peak of our steelhead and lake-runs in my prediction, which it has always been the case in the past.
( lake runs will peak in December)
We still have a few good dates this fall and early winter and look forward to seeing you!
Atlantic Salmon in Michigan (double click for large screen)
LOTS! of good reading here!: CLICK HERE!-SCROLL for years here of Blog Archives
Matt's new Nexus book!
Selectivity Book Activity Stages
Welcome to Matt's Books
All my books are available thru ordering them from your local fly shops or Amazon. I will soon in 2020 be launching a shopping cart web site where autographed versions and fly selections will be available thru a newly designed site!...hope you enjoy them!
2:03 PM
Matthew Supinski's Gray Drake/Selectivity/Nexus Blog
Posted in:
