RECORD HEAT!!!................BUT THE FLY OPTIONS ARE STILL MANY!

( Chunky brown full of caddis pupae)

Sorry for the long delay in posts. It has been a heat inferno and we have been managing the best possible. A big cooling trend is starting tonight with temps around 80 F as opposed to the mid-90's..................yahooo!

( another fatso at dark on caddis!)

( caddis images by John Miller @)---the importance of a tiny dark tungstun bead when fishing a dead drifting caddis pupa- just look at the head shape!)

Despite all the bad weather, the Muskegon has been holding up just fine. The cool water bubbler has been giving us dissolved oxygen and the trout are fat and healthy. Sure they would like it colder, but several reasons are helping them and they are in a growth spurt which was totally different than last year.
 Here is a re-cap of what is going on :

• the cold water bubbler at Croton has been going full steam with two aerators every night ,cooling the water the best it could and giving lots of dissolved oxygen
• the zebra mussels are all but"FINISHED"............you just have to go above the dam and look at the rocks. Once they were totally encrusted in zebras- now you are lucky to find a live healthy one. Great Lakes EducatioanlResearch biologists and Grand Valley students have been  surveying  the river for steelhead fry, insects etc. and have confirmed the lack of zebras
• the caddis population has 'exploded' their are nets and cases of cinnamon and green caddis in astronomical numbers along the rocks- the"canary in the coal mine" sign that zebras are done- in the past we lost the caddis hatch to the mussels due to the zebras heavy filtering of plankton from the reservoirs
• Dave Cole at Consumers says they are rarely finding mussels in Croton and Hardy
• the deep ,tannin tea stain of the river is a sign that water filtering( as mush as several quarts per day) by one mussel is not occurring- thus the old tannic stain

• the stain also prevents light penetration in the reserviors and river holding down the temps as much as physically possible

SO...............the trout are eating their butts off with the caddis. Jeff, Bob and I were fortunate to guide the Simms Group of 6 guys fro 4 days last week , and we had somne excellent caddis activity at night with several browns in the 14-19 inch range on pupae at dark. All the activity- except Sunday- which started around 7:00 pm , has been mainly at dusk. But that will change as the air temp/water temps cool. The browns-they have been mainly browns getting fat and tolerating the heat, are very healthy and fat!

( big skams on the Joe are yet to come!)

    Summer Skamania Steelheading will only improve with the cooler spell coming. The St.Joe will cool off and bring in more fresh fish. Indiana's spring -fed creeks have been holding some enormous sized steelhead and has fared better with its colder water.
 Mike has been doing well fishing hooppers/stoneflies on the Pere Marquette and Pine, and there are nice browns at Tippy on the Big Manistee which Jeff and Bob got into on Saturday with the Simms group.
 That is the latest for now!
Cooler times are coming and July of 2011 will burn in hell in the history books- good riddens!

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Posted in: brown trout , caddis , gray drake lodge , manistee , michigan fly fishing , muskegon river , pere marquette , st.joe skamania , summer steelhead , trout eagle lodge and outfitters

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A RIVER IS ACTUALLY "TOO FERTILE!"............SOUP TO NUTS MAN!

( Todd hit a nice brownie on a caddis pupae the night before before the 'soup to nuts " hatch)

Last night on the Muskegon was a true eye opener- an almost surreal exhibition by the power of nature and its ability to tame even the most astute fly angler that knows the hatches, tout behavior and "what they think!" is going on.
Todd and I decided to catch the dusk hatch of caddis which are second brood style starting up around now and will last thru October.

( the heat is pushing the bug activity to o'dark hundred!)

Yes the little green caddis, (Cheum. Spec.), the next brood of Hydro Cinnamon's, the Macronema Zebra caddis and whatever mayflies are ending/starting etc.
 WOW!!!!!!!!!!....................we were practically shell shocked when dusk came and the river and its bugs went absolutely "insane"! Seriously, in all my years (hate to admit it but now 23 years fishing the Muskegon hatches), I've never seen the water turn to "mulligatawny soup to nuts".

( hexes and white flies taken by the dam street lights)

( a perfect wiggle hex/iso/white fly/Poto imitation)

 After a nice grilled dinner of Angus T-bones, with balsamic mushrooms and roasted new potatoes and onions in olive oil and fresh rosemary, we were seeing a few big trout working the caddis pupae at dark/dusk. The few rises of good "bulging backs and tails" turned into dozens upon dozens of rising rings. It got too dark to see your 6x, and size 18/20 imitations and the scary part happened when we turned our big spotlights on the water. That was both depressing and and amazing ! It looked like someone sprinkled saw-dust on the water of bugs................it went from nothing to unfishable in ten minutes!!! There literally was a hundred bugs in a one foot square area.........."by george baffling mind you my mates!"

( the bows are fatter than ever- my client got a nice 19 inch fat rainbow on a scud by the dam on his bamboo rod made by Mac- The Vogelmeister")

When I sifted the surface, here is what we found:
Diptera; midges -cream and black by the bajillions-black flies mostly- cranflies
Caddis; geens, cinnamons, spent pupae ,adults, micro caddis by the bajillions, zebra caddis
MayFlies: YES HEX SPINNERS! they were all over- my assumption is they are coming from Croton Pond and spinner falling over the dam or thru the turbines, also tons of white fly spinners( Ephron Leukon- size 12#, blue winged olive, Isonychias, yes even a few late gray drake spinners.

( little greens are just getting ready to pupate-they are coming and in droves!)John Miller insect images@

 THIS WAS SIMPLY MAD!
SO...............how do you put any reason to this caotic madness for the hatch matcher.
 Here is the dope! Given the fact that there are still soft shell crayfish around, tons of dace and shiners, small steelhead fry- PLUS- this insane amount of insect life, the browns and rainbows got TONS of food and are very selective- almost impossible!
 My best success has been early in the evening before the bug onslaught hits at dark and on caddis pupae TWITCHING AND DEAD DRIFTING!. If the water turns to"soup to nuts ' it is over.
 The bubbler is on and dropping the water temps at night( if you notice the USGS graph you can see the spikes). The fish are extremely fat and broad shouldered with all the food.
 They are not just up by the dam to Pine St. I talked to Rod Geers this morning who lives below Cottonwood flats and he caught a nice 17 inch brown on a spinner at dawn right by his glass house.
 So are the fish spread around- YES!- has the heat effected them -NO!- does the fishing get easier as the summer progresses- YES!...............WHY?
 soft shell crayfish will be gone, so will hexes, white flies, midges, black flies.
 What will remain is caddis and flying ants and the fish will tune into the all day emergence and egg laying like clock work! Even this tough hatch to fish becomes easy if you've read Richards and Pobsts books on caddis and have the right fly, tippet and technique. The Muskegon trout really pack on the pounds during late July and August from the fat pistachio nut caddis pupae.
 That is my story and I'm sticking to it! 
Besides , it has been that way for 23 years- BUT!.................never in this fertile intensity!
 For the trout, that is a good thing. For the 'Joe' fly dude, it makes it very, very interesting!

( Good Client and B.C. speymaster Doc Flaherty from Chicago sent me this picture of the beautifiul rainbows he got last week on the Babine during the salmon fly hatch- GORGEOUS FISH!)

 This is the time that separates the casual hatch matcher from the seasoned pro......I love it!

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Posted in: babine steelhead , brown trout , caddis , Eagle Lake Rainbows , gray drake lodge , hexagenia limbata , michigan fly fishing , midges , muskegon river , trout eagle lodge and outfitters , white fly

THEY'RE BACK!!!.........AND BIGGER-SUMMER CHROME IS COMING HOME!

Yes my friends, the summer Skamania run is looking "real good" so far this year! After a dismal run in 2010 with extreme heat, almost non- existent water flows and a boiling hot lake with what was feared to have few bait fish, man how things can change in a year.
 Summer runs have been showing up in the St. Joseph for about 3 weeks now, and after this heat spell, temperatures are going to rebound to more cooler, seasonal weather.
 And the fish are running really big- on the huge size! My sources have confirmed bruiser steelhead and Brian Breidert of the Indiana DNR is really impressed with the size of fish so far. He told me he has heard and seen reports of fish from 17-22 lbs-( like the old days-99'-2001) when alewife bait fish populations were at a high. Fish have already been taken in South Bend which is very impressive for this time of year! A cool spring with lots of rain and water has accelerated things and brought the run somewhat back to normal like the 90's. 
Over the past four years we've seen some smaller Skamania- but not this year.
This link at Michigan Live may be telling the 'good news"- tons of bait fish in the big lake which as we all know is extremely cyclical. But for now, there are a shit load of bait and the steelhead have been chowing down on them. On the Muskegon at Croton Dam, the bait and hardware guys have been picking up stray summer run steelhead also at the 6th street Dam in Grand Rapids. This usually is a good sign of a diversity of strong year classes in the fish and good precipitation and flows.

 This is a great sign for the rest of the summer and what fall will bring. Brian has said he is seeing Coho salmon up to 13 lbs!........can't wait for late summer/ fall!

 We still have some dates available for summer steelhead and you owe it to yourself to hook into these massive chrome "great lakes tarpon"- they are one of the hardest fighting fish we have in the Great Lakes and absolutely spectacular raw beauty!thttp://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2011/07/alewives_show_up_in_force_alon.html

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Posted in: gray drake lodge , Indiana Skamania , michigan fly fishing , muskegon trout steelhead , st.joe skamania , summer steelhead , trout eagle lodge and outfitters

PATAGONIA ON THE DELAWARE.........MUSKEGON/SUMMER RUN UPDATE

Sorry for the long delay in posting!!! Had a very busy schedule before I left for vacation and had the pleasure of guiding some well known dignitaries before departure on the Muskegon.
 I have had the pleasure to fish the West Branch and main stem of the Delaware(NY/PA) the past few days before coming back to Michigan and what can I say but,,,,,,,,,,,,WOW!

                                        ( wild west branch hog brown above taken by Johnny Miller sight fished in shallows taking Iso nymphs-bright sun and water 48 F)

( wild Delaware rinbow on a size 18 sulpher emerger)

 Perfect flows, excellent weather and tons of sulphers, bwo's and Isonychias and wild browns and rainbows taking dries and shallow water sight  nymphing a.k.a. Johnny Miller style!,  with water at 580 cfs-perfect- and upper 40/low 50's water temps. Thanks to West Branch Angler Resort and longtime friend and guide Johnny Miller, we floated several days and got into some 'Patagonia sized " browns and rainbows. 

( main stem Delaware)

( awesome spotted wild and very, very selective west brtanch browns eating olives and sulphers)

The pictures and short video tell the story!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Muskegon conditions good with lots of caddis. Unfortunately the tuber/canoe/kayak hatch was out in full droves this past holiday weekend cause of the warmth and nice weather which made daytime fishing tough and frustrating.
Good numbers of summer steelhead in the St.Joe River with all the rain they had been getting!

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Posted in: brown trout , gray drake lodge , st.joe skamania , sulphers , trout eagle lodge and outfitters , west branch angler , wild delaware rainbows , wst branch delaware

CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT IS SHOWING UP LATELY!...HEXES AND BROWN DRAKES-ON THE MUSKEGON?........YOUR MAD SUPINSKI!

( hex?......yup!)

It has been a "bug festival" this spring on the  Muskegon! With the downright cold and wet weather, our mayflies ,caddis and some stones have truly gone through the roof!
Honestly, I haven't seen the diversity of aquatic invertabrate life like I have seen in twenty years!
 Last night and a week ago, Had HEXES!(YES HEXAGENIA LIMBATA!) on the door under the lights at the Gray Drake in the mornings.

( brown drake0

Frank, my next door neighbor sent me a picture of a brown drake ( one of several that were on his screen doors at his magnificent river view home). Yes, that is a Brown Drake!
Water conditions are ideal- 2,180 cfs- water temp at High Overlook this morning- 59F- at the dam- 62F. Still a strong tea color which is making for 'exceptional' dry fly and swinging wets. Had the guys from OST systems from G.R. yesterday and my clients broke off an exceptional 20 " plus brown swinging soft hackles in the morning- he didn't let it run and the 5x snapped fast. We unfortunately watched the hog jump 5 times next to the boat trying to check the size 16 wet fly- we were dejected to say the least after witnessing the size of that huge red spotted sucker...lol!

( that is why these guys are packing on the pounds!!!- if we continue with the cool summer which they have predicted, and the cold -water bubbler combo- we "all' might have to take these trophy fish more seriously- much to the reluctance of the many that want a strictly"catch-and-kill' fishery- your comments are welcome! Despite having one of the "hottest and driest" summers on record last year, our trout survival was significant when compared to other 'cold water" rivers in the state- reason-tons of sub-terranean spring creek/seeps throughout the entire higher gradient Muskegon))

Here are the current hatches you can expect right now
MAYFLIES: sulphers(16-18), American March Browns( 12), light cahills( 14), blue-winged-olives(16-24) brown drake(8-10, Hex( 4-6) gray drake (10-12), Isonychias(10)
CADDIS:CINN. AND GREENS( 16-20), black glossosomas/dot winged sedges,( 14-16), plus tons of micro black/green caddis by the bazillions
Stoneflies: giant black pteronarcys(2-4), olive stones-(12-14)
PLUS TO ADD TO THIS CRAZY FOOD SUPPLY!.............newly hatched steelhead fry, chinook salmon parr, sucker minnows, newly hatched dace fry........sucker eggs..........no wonder these fish are fat hogs!!!!

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Posted in: brown drake , brown trout , gray drake lodge , hexagenia limbata , michigan fly fishing , muskegon trout steelhead , sulphers , trout eagle lodge and outfitters

WE'VE GOT IT ALL!............BLOOD DIAMONDS, BROWNS, MEN FROM DOWN UNDER, GRAY DRAKES- AND YES!........ONE LAST STEELHEAD!

( nice brownie on my" blood diamond")

Memorial Day weekend is a very special time! We give thanks for our courageous service men that gave their lives for our taken for granted freedom we enjoy. And it is an amazing time in Michigan if you are a fly fisher!
Sorry for the delay in posting!.........had a busy week on the water and things are really starting to cook! We go from cold to hot in one day literally.

( the blood diamond-Senyo's Laser Yarn and Hareline's eyes are the key!)

Tons of gray drakes last night from Croton down to Bridgton. A very reliable source said there were a gazillion drakes/black quills so thick they were in his teeth!....down by Bridgeton. Trout were taking them better up top once the wind/cold/rain died down and it got calmer- tonight-Late- should be "esscellent" as the bros say!

( Gray Drake dun-image by Johnny"Bugsy" Miller)

 The Muskegon is  perhaps at  its finest! Water levels excellent-2080 cfs- clear with a peat tannin "natural" stain. The hatches have started in earnest- caddis -both greens and Cinnamon's-also tiny blacks-# 16-22's, gray drake spinners have been out at dusk-and dawn!( now with the heat, we will find more a.m. spinners), sulphers in good numbers, craneflys, midges, blue-winged-olives...........YOU NAME IT!

( last night's swarm!)

 The Chinook fry are jumping in the air along the shorelines for midges and micro -caddis- plus dodging big trout, smallies, drop-back steelhead and herons and king fishers. The bald eagles are soaring and picking up dropper steels and suckers, while the suckers are spawning in full swing.

( the key to the fly's effectivness-black parr marks and a rainbow color combo gives it a chinook/eagle lake rainbow color- the Senyo's yarn moves and glitters in the water)

 So a Muskegon trout is a fat football feeding machine! Eating all the above.
Had the Pleasure of guiding new neighbor Jeff Doornbos- who bought the property by the high -overlook -the Conservancy land .

( Julian streamer stripping- he is one hell of a good caster when contained..lol!.....Julian, you know what I mean, bro!..lol)

Thursday and Friday I had the pleasure to guide Julian Cribb- world famous scientist/author fro Australia who was in Chicago lecturing at a symposium on global climate change and food famines /sustainability. Julian is the author of the famous book"THE COMING FAMINE". He is also a great fly fisher who fishes New Zealand often. Stripping my new"blood diamond streamer " he caught some nice browns and rainbows.He was very impressed with the Muskegon!

( we were hitting nice fat footballs all day on the diamond-this brownie eat well on scuds since crustacean diets bring out the red spotting)

Yesterday with Joe Bekkin and Tom, we had dry fly caddis action, drakes, streamer stripping........and yes........we hit one female chrome steelhead and a few dark males nymphing-these late fish fight like summer runs-aerial/out-of-control!!! ........they always seem to hang -on till Memorial Day weekend if you know where to find them.

( yes!- I got a haircut yesterday- beginning to look a little Jeremiah Johnsonish!)

( the gray drake trout huntress-Laurie loves to dry fly fish in the rain-NOT!- YET ON OUR NIGHT OFF WE BARRED IT- HAD NICE STEAKS AND SHRIMP ON THE GRILL AND GOT A BUG HATCH TO BOOT!)

( the making of Blood Diamond-Senyo's Laser the key!)

( ephemerella invaria- sulphers- Johnny Miller image)

( my" gay drake special"!-can anyone name the materials and key to this fly's success

 June will be an exceptional month to come...........hope to see you this summer!

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Posted in: blood diamond , caddis , chinook salmon , global climate change , gray drake , gray drake lodge , Julian Cribb , michigan fly fishing , sulphers , The Coming Famine , trout eagle lodge and outfitters

THE CHROME KEEPS COMING HOME!

FRESH CHROME- BUCKS -HENS................OMG!!!- WELCOME TO THE FIRST WEEK IN APRIL!..............DAAAAA!!!!
Dr Seth from Ann Arbor and Dr. Ron from Chicago- new additions to the "steelhead uber mensch  club ",with one of the best days we've had so far!!.....we trout fished in the afternoon and will be curious to see what black stones are left- saw a few

 Got a few Morels today and heard the grouse drumming- spring is a month late by all means.

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Posted in: black stones , gray drake , grouse , michigan fly fishing , michigan steelhead , morels , muskegon trout steelhead , trout eagle lodge and outfitters

HOW SWEET IT IS!.......WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES.....CAHN-FIRMATION DAY!

A week ago we were at the second biggest flood in a century.............today was "steelhead Nirvana".

Mr Cahn Tran, long time apprentice whom I always have the pleasure guiding, and steelhead fanatic , not to mention CEO of an aspiring global software company, put on a steelhead nymphing clinic. Steelhead buggers were trounced upon and that little green- thingy (wink....wink!)
I'm seeing excellent numbers of fresh fish moving in and seeing fish in spots that didn't hold fish all spring..............I THINK OUR RUN IS FINALLY COMING IN ON A NEW WAVE!
 Congratulations Mr. Cahn on putting on a thorough spring steelhead clinic-YOU DA MAN BRO!

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Posted in: gray drake lodge , michigan fly fishing , muskegon river , muskegon steelhead , spring steelhead , trout eagle lodge and outfitters

BACK IN BUSINESS FOLKS! NO MORE FLOOD STAGE AND SOME LAKE TROLLING FUN OVER THE WEEKEND!

HURRAY!!!!..............no more 10,000 flood cfs- river back to 5,100 this afternoon- time to get"safely' on the river. Last weekend as the river went to the second highest flood stage in 100 years at 10,000 cfs, some idiots almost drowned and risked the lives of Sheriffs and DNR game wardens cause of their stupidity- thus they shut down the boat launches.
 So now we are ready to go steelheading and hatches for trout.
 As Peter Basta and I made a safe and cautious choice not to put the lives of our clients in jeopardy fore the almighty dollar, we went trolling with switch rods and baitfish patterns up north at a lake that I heard was known for producing big browns and atlantic salmon.....uh..hmmm!-
ENJOY THE SLAPSTICK VIDEOS-WE WERE TWO CLUELESS FLY ROD TROLLING GOOFS HAVING FUN- HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR PLEASE!

AND THIS FINAL OUTCOME........DID NOT COME!!!.......WE WERE TWO CLUELESS RIVER GUIDES WITH NO FISH FINDER AND TROLLING 'OLD SCHOOL" NEW ENGLAND STYLE..............ZILCH/NADA/NICHTS!!!!!- BUT WE HAD FUN.
HOPE THE GUYS AT ORVIS AND ABEL HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR!

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Posted in: Abel , gray drake , michigan fly fishing , Muskegon flood , muskegon trout steelhead , Orvis Helios , smelt patterns , trolling for brwons and atlantic salmon , trout eagle lodge and outfitters

APRIL UPDATE.........THE STEELHEADING JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER, AND SO DOES WINTER!

(Dr.Grace from Sharon,PA, with an awesome male buck from Saturday!---you go girl!)

SOOO.... sorry for the long delay in posting blog updates!. I've been up to my ass in alligators....busy with great client groups, working trying to put out two new books, market a new DVD, and trying to lead a family life has been KEEPING ME BUSY AS HELL!

(The Barretts from Chicago)

Woke up to snow this morning-when will winter stop!
     Want to thank all the great client groups we have had..........the Kelly group from Boston, the Heils from Wisconsin, and the Whipple group from Connecticut,Barretts, Wayne,...........not to mention the "steelhead queen"- Sheela from Ireland and Paul, the Freidrichs and the "steelhead queen"-Dr. Grace Smith from Sharon, PA.

( John from N.Y.)

River is perfect.......3,800 cfs ( water temp dropped to 41 F from 43-crazy!)- clear and fish hitting gravel and fresh fish and drop-backs in pools. From the Calvary riffle /Pine st./ and dam is where "you" want to fish!

(Sheela-Ireland's steelhead queen)

We have just seen our first run of spring steelhead- we have at least 2-3 more good spring runs to go as soon as water temps hit 50F! May will be on fire and we will probably have steelhead 'till June like all the cold winter/springs in the past!

( one of my"BIG CASINO" boxes)

Afternoons have seen great black stone fly hatches- we hit our first 17 inch brown two days ago on the surface...........THE MAGIC TEMP # IS 43 f-5.0C !- for both steels and black stones
CHEERS!

(CDC stone)

( fat morning egg eater and afternoon dry sipper)

We are in for a very cool summer( that is according to the global warming experts which say a cool/wet summer is a sign of global warming!).........hatches will be great and plenty of trout.......THINK  LATE MAY/JUNE FOR GRAY DRAKES!

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Posted in: black stones , gray drake , michigan fly fishing , michigan steelhead , muskegon steelhead , trout eagle lodge and outfitters