An amazing Michigan Pacific salmon Fall to come !- learn to fish Kings the traditional way with us!!!- also rant about tailwater FERC abuse on The Muskegon

( A stunning Michigan Wild King from the Muskegon last September/2016,, taken by client Sherman , pool fishing swinging classic west coast flies with us- the fights are breathtaking aerial battles bar none!)

It has been an amazing cool "global warming" summer this year in Michigan.This past week's morning lows were 42F- daytime highs yesterday mid 60'sF...Can't remeber weather like that since growing up in the Niagara frontier along Lake Ontario and Huron at our summer cabin- delightful! This past week, after coming back from New York's Catskill's,  guiding summer steelhead on the St Joe Thursday and Friday, I had three layers of Patagonia puff balls on in the morning- my kind of weather! Here is a beauty taken by my client Gene Kelly from Boston yesterday, as fresh run of fish were making a stage to run the river:

Even some of our "marginal" trout streams remained cool to cold. 

1st- Housekeeping Rant- need to get this off my chest 

Abuse of the FERC ( FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISION) Tailwater Regulations this summer 2017 by Consumers Power on the Muskegon River

Our tailwater gets bottom turbine draw and bubbler aeration  during the warmest two months- July and August. The power company, due to FERC stipulations, must do everything possible to keep the river as cool and aerated as possible during those critical months outlined in the relicensing agreement signed in the early 1990's. As a result,  they spent good $$$ installing a bottom bubbler system years ago to do it. When they decide to run it- big ???, it makes a big difference as a degree or two makes a big impact on the difference between life or death and a cool fishery or warm fishery in a trout's regulatory physiology 
But this summer we had a huge potential for fish kills , since Consumers Power really "F'd" it up by top spilling water for "repair reasons", a constant "variation on a theme crapolla" excuse they have been using since they eliminated human staffing and let computers, which have no judgements!, and "status quo" do, or more importantly "don't do", if programed for simplistic monitoring- they don't have human intuition and experience which is more important IMHO. Why power companies can do what they want /anytime they want, and the DNR/TU/Watershed councils let them , baffles me. Mostly they get away with this by ignorance and job negligence by those that should be monitoring their activities, which is a rampant theme today in eco management in our country. Unfortunately, political, media, academic and governmental regulatory agencies are more concerned about Russia and tearing historical statues down, than watching what goes on in our own backyards and the precious ecology we are gifted to have and often take for granted. ( btw, for those looking here for "fire and smoke", I'm neither a Republican nor Democrat, nor hater!...just an individual who believes in reality, not ideological elitism bliss, and  had the unfortunate pleasure of experiencing a communist school as a boy and having a parent that was in a Nazi concentration camp- if we eliminate history because it is uncomfortable, we are damned to relive its ugly past that we have hopefully learned from and how our civilization is united by history in a modern advancement of the human race for survival IMHO) 

 Any ways, the cronyism and corruption that goes on at a state and local level  when it comes to natural resources and ecosystem management  is pathetic. I and a few others, ( I called and pleaded with Tom McGraw, president  and attorney with PM/TU, who thankfully took action and helped us out by getting Consumers Power's attention- Thank you Tom, and the work you do for the Pere Marquette and hopefully will do for our neglected and bastard child  Muskegon watershed), voiced our concerns with Consumers "officials", but the power company already decided to play Russian roulette with our trout fishery ( last year they killed a bunch of summer steelhead in August when they shut down a bottom draw turbine, and angler/guide Bob Mansel had to call them and say fish were dying, "so please turn the F'ing thing back on!!!). The MDNR  invests close to half a million dollars each year for its trout and steelhead programs just on the Muskegon river .We could have had major fish kills this summer because Consumers power  pulled the bottom draw on the two most stressful months of the year- July and August, breaking the FERC regulations because of excuses that they get away with. Thank God we had a cool summer!!!!!, thus the cool weather allowed our trout some degree of comfort and hold-over , which could have been a disaster if we had a sweltering summer like last year.
This crap goes on because of  pure cronyism: "who" sits on whose board of directors on watershed councils, who gives money to who and to which political groups ( eg. -Nestle bottling giving money to watersheds, THEN TURNING AROUND AND RAPING THE WATER SUBTERRANEAN AQUIFERS, is all total BS!) Ignorance is the number one culprit, as things are quietly shoved through undetected. Apathy by those that really care , is now at rampant levels since we get screwed so many times and nobody but anglers and guides seem to care, and they don't even care anymore- sad!
All in all - "it is what it is', and hopefully our loud mouths and protests lets the water spicket company know we are watching and they won't pull the crap over fisherman's eyes- most importantly "THE FISH", that depend on their regulations, since they built the dams in the first place, and seriously and really now, should tear the goddamn ancient things down!!!!. 

(BTW, and just for the record, We had two major fish kills two winters ago, when Consumers' Power "sophisticated computers" didnt detect an abnormality when ice froze up a discharge monitoring station and the river almost dried-up - TWICE!!!! at winter nights with minus 30F air temperatures in February, that killed trout, steelhead, other fish and aquatic insects, wild chinook salmon eggs in the gravel etc.- disgusting!, all because Consumers Power wants to maximize profits and not have a person monitoring the computers. Is it our responsibility to call them and say- "turn the GODDAMN WATER ON !!"- should not be our job to do that eh?)

So, as we come into the fall, our longstanding  river's biologist, who gave us so much love, (NOT!), retired, thank's to our prayers being answered. So we now have no biologist, but are hoping our Lake Michigan watershed director , Jay Wesley, who is a very intelligent and understanding biologist and administrator- also really a nice guy, whom I have had dialogue with over twenty years ,and the biologists up north in Cadillac office that take good care of their rivers up there, will keep an eye out for us in nether land, as hopefully all will that claim they love the Muskegon waters - Amen.  

FALL 2017 PACIFIC SALMON RUNS- COULD BE EPIC! 

As Alaska's King salmon fishery is on the decline and almost shut-down ( shame!- this is what overharvesting and abuse does ), our Wild King chinook salmon have been taken up to 40 lbs this summer in the big lake. We saw kings last fall in the low 30 lb range on the Muskegon...cant' wait till this fall!- excellent catches already reported in northern rivers.Here are a few kings caught with me last fall swinging intermediate lines with comets and bosses in pools. Come and learn there is more to "king slamon" fishing than lining the piss out of fish on gravel and dragging them in "bass-end-ackwards!"- no sport in that mattie's-savvy?

Here is a picture gallery of last year's amazing fish by our clients- both King and Coho's from the Muskegon and St. Joe Rivers. We still have a few good dates and weekends left and would love to show you pool fishing techniques that make these fish amazing "pre-spawn" game fish fighters we are fortunate to have, as their indigenous waters are being decimated and desiccated on the West Coast  by man's abuse from poor ecosystem management decisions, protecting endangered species that dont need protection anymore and the pure and unadulterated human greed we are so notoriously known for .
 Since we are a "fly fishing' operation, we dont throw thunderstick rapalas on spinning rods, BTW, which is an excellent sporting way to trigger the aggressive bite. We do the same only with intermediate sink tips. 9/10 weights and aggressive poking wet flies /intruder streamers that trigger the instinctual/territorial/innate King grab response.
Cheers- Na Zdrowie- see you this fall!, 
Matt

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Posted in: chinook salmon , coho salmon , FERC , gray drake lodge , great lakes king salmon , muskegon river fly fishing , muskegon salmon , St. Joseph coho and skamania

MY FUNKY COPPER KILLER-OLD SCHOOL CALIFORNIA COASTAL SALMON SWINGIN IN THE GREAT LAKES!

( 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

wing/collar: Hareline UV Polar Chenille:Olive Copper UV

, and black schlappen

cheeks;jungle cock

Bead chain eyes large silver

ENJOY!!!!

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Posted in: chinook salmon , coho salmon , gray drake lodge , great lakes king salmon , muskegon river fly fishing , muskegon salmon , swinging flies

COHO- STUDY IN SILVER AND PINK-- A GREAT LAKES EXPERIMENTAL "FIRST FISH"

            ( a stunning gorgeous beast of  a coho from the St Joseph River yesterday 9/8/16 taken on a mysis shrimp pattern- Coho were the first Pacific transplants back in the 60's Michigan Great Lakes revolution)

The 'Coho/Silver' Pacific salmon is one of the finest sporting Pacific salmon for a Great Lakes /Pacific angler and one of the best tasting fish you will ever grill/poach/bake/pan sear. Their importance today more than ever in the Great Lakes 'ever changing and evolving' ecosystem/forage base' is that like steelhead, they are multiple forage base opportunistic feeders, and don't need a diet comprised solely of alewives like king salmon do.

They are 65/35% foragers: 65 vertebrates/35 invertebrates.Like Lake trout, browns, steelhead, they will eat anything that seems to be the 'in abundance market choice' that day: smelt, alewives,cisco, chubs, gobies, sculpins, shrimp, sticklebacks, aquatic insecsts like Hexagenia ( BTW, they would do very well in Erie!), perch etc...etc..- practically anything that swims in the water.

There has been a huge surge in the crustacean mysis forage base ( both native and invasive)  in the lakes due to several factors such as downturn of alewives and other factors.

The coho and steelhead have been taking advantage of that upsurge and are growing large with excellent girths and growth rates as a result- not to mention their gorgeous pink flesh for cuisine purposes ( they look like Alaskan silvers/sockeyes/char)

(Procopius mysis)

The silvers act just like steelhead and love to take a fly with reckless abandon, I found that out as a young teen when fishing Chautauqua Creek off of Lake Erie in December and had schools of once then abundant coho chase my Mickey Finn streamers, as the few Kings were rotting and dying.

They have an amazing pastel color once in the river that are simply gorgeous

( they love pink/white variations)

The St Joseph River stocks the wild coho strain from the Platte River in Michigan- truly beautiful fish, in the Paw Paw tributary. Michigan stocks approx.250,000 annually/ Indiana another 90,000. They are primarily used for the offshore charter industry in the spring, but are a fly fishers ( not 'fisherman's- not PC!- just say'in!) dream come true swinging or nymphing.

In the very tumultuous future that lies in store for the Great Lakes  ( global climate change/changing ecosystem), it would behoove Great Lakes fisheries managers to focus more attention on Coho Salmon. Besides, the 'WILD'  king salmon -Chinooks that we have already established, are doing just fine by themselves and will continue to do so with no stocking required. 'Wild' is a great thing!!!

Hope you find this information useful...cheers!- have a great fall and thank God for the cooler weather and rainfall!

Matt

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Posted in: best great lakes eating fish , coho salmon , gray drake lodge , great lakes salmon , MICHIGAN SALMON , muskegon salmon , St Joe Coho

BIG!....IS THE WORD FOR THIS FALL'S 2016 CHINOOK RUN!

What has been caught out in the big lake- both Michigan and Ontario this summer has been very large Chinook and Coho salmon. Some first arrivals in the P.M. and Manistee have seen a few very large fish. Now the big ?....what will be the numbers and duration of the 2016 salmon run be- stay tuned!- with a warm fall, we will see them trickle in for a long period- One coho caught in a big lake tournament went 19 pounds!...that is 'Huuuge' by coho standards- mysis shrimp ( both native and exoctics and alewife numbers apperaed to be better than thought, and alewife # that were 'maybe a little understated?...maybe? ( just sayin!), seem to be contributing positively. Large kings are being caught of the Wisconsin coast and NY/Ont. sides of Lake Ontario- hold on once water temps cool off more favorable- lots of optimism here!

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Posted in: chinook salmon , coho salmon , gray drake lodge , great lakes king salmon , MICHIGAN SALMON , muskegon salmon

THE FALL 2016 GREAT LAKES CRYSTAL BALL- A NEW ERA COMING!- PART I- SALMON

    ( northern Michigan Atlantic salmon on the streamer/intruder aggressive swing-Russia/ Quebec without the price tag and travel hassles-2016 should be an amazing year!)

 SO !!!!... every August I try to give a fair and balanced look at what the Great Lakes salmon/steelhead/trout experience might look like being on the water 300 days a year and having spent considerable time writing books and guiding for steelhead/salmon and trout 365 through all our wonderfully different four seasons.

I have seen 'MASSIVE CHANGES' -especially in the last 5 years! Mostly from global climate change wreaking havoc on the run timing /duration /numbers and what is now the "new normal of abnormal". Droughts and heat waves like this year, only to now produce flooding rains, extremely cold winters and two past summers of abnormally cold summers are confusing the fish, biologists and fishermen/women more than ever before. 

Just try to imagine being a Great Lakes guide , who wakes up everyday telling clients, " we need water...we have no water...water temps are too hot....water temps are too cold!..."...blah,blah, on and on the uncertainty and misery effects all in the process.

Not to mention the ever changing bio dynamics of the forage base: no alewives in one report, another report says, " that's bullshit, there is tons of alweives!"....we are seeing mysis shrimp take over systems and cisco/smelt/sculpins/bloater chubs/sticklebacks/perch replace preferred alewives .  Here is my predictions and remember " you can't catch fish sitting on the couch watching CNN/MSNBC/FOX talk about the 'Hillary/Trump shit show'- get your ass on a river and enjoy!The only thing that will save you from that nightmare mess is delving into the wonderful natural world we still are privileged to have and partake in.

PACIFIC SALMON/CHINOOK AND COHO

(Muskegon wild king)

( St. Joseph river silver coho)

As I write this, we are already seeing  pacific salmon entering the Lake Michigan tributaries from Trail Creek in Indiana, the St. Joe to all the 'century circle' river jewels of the Muskegon, Manistee, Pere Marquette White etc. This kind of makes 'no sense', since we had a blistering hot summer with no water and very , very few off shore wind 'lake-turnovers of cold shoreline water'.. But we always get early runners in late July /August and I have seen coho while guiding summer steelhead on the St. Joe as early as two weeks ago( we hit a really chrome coho dripping scales on Tuesday of this week).

The last wave of severe storms brought good amounts of water to the rivers in the past week ( as much as 12 inches in the Niles/Berrien Springs area- A week ago I could walk across the whole river knee deep like I have never seen it that low in 20 years- and now flood stage!!!- that is the absurdity of it all !

Charter boat activity has been steady all summer out on the big lake and decent and nice sized catches of coho and kings/steelhead have been going on which is a" damn good sign' for the fall salmon run!- much better prognosis than last year when there was the worst return of king and coho salmon to the historic Pere Marquette and Manistee systems EVER!!!

The good news for us on the Muskegon was we had a very strong run of wild kings last year- 10  times better than the other river systems- THAT'S A FACT!, and I'm not just tooting my own horn!

Many 'negative-ites' will say ( btw. , so much negativity/PC crap these days- sorry just my take!) ..." awe,... that is just Supinski pimping his biz". My reasoning for the massive wild runs of salmon the Muskegon produced is due to the mind boggling amount of spawning gravel this river has-almost 80% of the whole river is spawning gravel verses other rivers like P.M./Manistee etc. where silt/sand and logs predominate the river  bottom strata. Also, the Muskegon 'midge/diptera" hatches have gone through the roof!- and sky rocketed , (which btw this is the preferred food of salmon fry/parr before they leave and smolt). Very old estimates ( early 2000-2007) sonic wave density studies of salmon smolting migration on the Muskegon/Maple Island Bridge by Dr. Ed Rutherford et. al. and the Great Lakes Institute out of Muskegon estimated the Big Muskegon produced roughly 1.5 million salmon smolts a year)

Also, the Great Lakes charter fleets operating out of the port of Muskegon is way down to non-existent and 'nowhere near the numbers of harvesting charter fleets operating out of Ludington and Manistee- numerical fact. 

Another possibility that KING salmon foraging behavior has recently seen more diversity to other baitfish/prey/gobies/shrimp like steelhead and browns/lakers feed on, can be taking place but there are no studies to support only local gossip/rumors.

If there is a very bright spot for Great Lakes pacific salmon it is the Coho silvers. Since they are (65/35  % vertebrate/invertebrate) mixed feeders on a multitude of baitfish prey/insects etc. like steelhead and browns. The massive and unpredicted  increase in "mysis shrimp- once thought to be almost extinct in the G.L. ), now due to lack of predation by alewives, could become their preferred food source. The one I harvested from the  St. Joe several weeks ago had 'blood red pomegranate flesh' like an Alaskan sockeye/silver ( due to crustacean feeding) and was one of the best tasting salmon I have ever had on the grill- being a former chef I am very, very discriminating on fish quality and taste..fyi!

Reports from Lake Ontario is that the kings there have been running very large, their alewife  numbers are 'way-up!'  and the Ontario tribs should see much better returns than last year if they get more 'WATER-H2O-COOLER TEMPS'- which they are suffering from- the global climate change gig!

PREDICTION: I believe you will see better numbers of fish this year on all the rivers  based on the lake catches and very light charter activity-  it could be lowest numbers of  salmon harvested in decades and the fact that good Chinook returns took place to smaller Trail Creek two days ago on the extreme southern end of the lake. Besides, it couldn't get any worse than last year and remember one 'stick in your eye fact'- you can't have returning salmon if the charter fleet decimated them for 'Team Igloo/Yeti " in the summer like in previous years...just say'in ! I think the Coho returns should be the most noticeable based on the changing forage base which is to their favor.

MICHIGAN ATLANTIC SALMON

In my humble opinion, the most exciting component of  the ever evolving Great Lakes salmonid experience is the increasing abundance and potential Atlantic salmon have in Michigan and New York's inland lakes, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. They have always been the 'apple of my eye' since I experienced my first Atlantic on a big heavy Hardy spey rod my uncle had as a boy on a Polish river that ran into the Baltic. The St Mary's success story started by Roger Greil of Lake Superior State, which spread its success to me and my client 'STILL' holding the world IGFA record (26 pounds)  taken from a  place dear to my heart- Torch Lake, is still evolving favorably and can only get better with the changing biomass I mentioned earlier. The Lake Huron stocking is now being evaluated by the DNR, and the fact that the Michigan DNR Platte hatchery can now grow them with much success and efficiency are all positives for this program.

 Lake Ontario has already seen natural reproduction on the N.Y. Salmon river and Ontario's Credit River. But their chinook populations remain stronger and could be a deterrent to further salar production. I still believe New York and Ontario are using inferior strains of atlantic salmon and they can take notes on Greil's success. Lakes Huron and Michigan are the potential future for these fish if the chinook king population continues to be fragile and uncertain.

PREDICTION: ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER AND MAY BE THE FUTURE!- THAT WOULD BE NICE FOR FLY SWINGERS FOR SURE!

NOTES AND EVENTS: I will be doing 'Selectivity Clinics- Classroom/Tying/On stream 'boots in water' programs on tailwaters, spring creeks and steelhead in the coming weeks- would love to have you attend!

 *Delaware River Club - Labor Day weekend- Sept. 3rd and 4th...here is link below and to sign up and register-  the hatch master, Al Caucci will make a special appearance

http://thedelawareriverclub.com/events/

* Tulpehocken Creek Outfitters-TCO- Pennsylvania- September 16/17/18 ( more info to come)- State College, Bryn Mawr ( Philadelphia), and Boiling Springs ( Yellow Breeches)- spring creeks and steelhead- Sept. 

WE STILL HAVE GREAT LODGING AND GUIDING DATES AVAILABLE FOR THIS FALL!- LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE GRAY DRAKE!- OUR POOLS ARE THE HEART OF THE MUSKEGON SALMON RUN!

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Posted in: coho salmon , gray drake lodge , Great Lakes atlantic salmon , great lakes king salmon , matt supinski , muskegon fly fishing , muskegon river , muskegon salmon , Selectivity book

MAGIC CARPET RIDE IS HERE! FINALLY!

\

( JOE SKAMANIA STEELHEAD PERFECTION )

THIS SAYS IT ALL!!!!,,,4-6 INCHES OF RAIN LAST WEEK IN ST.JOSEPH RIVER VALLEY AFTER EPIC DROUGHT/HEAT WAVE , FULL MOON CYCLE SWITCHED ON, BRIEF LAKE TURNOVER ========== FRESH SUMMER STEEL CHROME AND COHO SILVERS SWIMMING HARD UP RIVER AS WE SPEAK!

                                              ( CHROME SILVER JOE COHO SALMON)

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Posted in: coho salmon , gray darke lodge , great lakes salmon , Great Lakes summer steelhead , St Joe Coho , st.joe skamania , summer skamania steelhead

The Great Lakes Re-invent- Part II- future is bright for the fish we love!

In my last blog, I talked of  a re-invent challenge from a perception that needs to take place and  that has steered the way we approach and operate our Great Lakes magnificent resource. 

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/alewife-crash-on-lake-michigan-raises-concerns-for-salmon-fishing-b99592228z1-331900031.html

We still have a magnificent world class trout, salmon and steelhead fishery that other places in the world would die for! But, we have to encompass biological change now that it is ever so fast and alarming as biological ecosystem changes coincide with climate change, further complicated the evolving changes in the ecosystem.

After speaking with Chuck Madenjian at the USGS about the excellent article link below, we do not have the absolute certainty that a 'once a year sampling on a massive body of water' will be the 'total canary in the coal mine, only an educated prognosis of what is occurring at that moment- in that location. "The current 2015 year class of alewives is strong he said. But will the strong "predator pit" of heavy salmon predation keep the population down is the big million dollar question". These 'data surveys' are very good indicators but have been proven to be wrong in the long run over the decades and marveled even Chuck as to 'where the hell did those alewives come from out of surprise'- saw it happen in the decade of 2001-009.

In my only conclusion, it is time to re-invent in the Great Lakes my friends. The future lies heavily and burns bright for the magnificent fish we love- steelhead, brown trout and Atlantic salmon- even coho's!, all being multi foraging species that don't have to have alewives .These secondary predators, not like alpha food chain dominant species like King Chinook salmon. are 65/35% multi-prey balanced species predating on every macro /micro vertebrate and invertebrate they can find. The future is bright for these fish that will eventually dominate the fishery as long as they receive the protection they need. Remember, steelhead and browns were successful in establishing wild (wild doesn't mean native) populations in the Great Lakes back in the late 1800's. 

BOTTOM LINE- GET OUT AND FISH, ENJOY THE AMAZING RESOURCE WE HAVE- THERE WILL BE GOOD DAYS AND BAD- BUT IN THE END IT IS ALL WHAT WE MAKE IT!- NUMBERS MEAN NOTHING!, IT'S HOW WE APPRECIATE THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WE ARE STILL SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE. CHILL!

Here is one more excellent link to think off when you head out on the water again from my freind Martin in Denmark

http://globalflyfisher.com/fish-better-food/fishing-the-danish-way

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Posted in: coho salmon , gray drake lodge , Great Lakes atlantic salmon , great lakes king salmon , Great Lakes steelhead , lake-run brown trout , muskegon fly fishing , Muskegon River steelhead

CHROME COHO, CHINOOKS, SUMMER STEELHEAD- ALL HAPPENING NOW!

Great week with the Bill Spence and his great sons Tyler and Ryan- you guys were a blast!- also to Doug and Julie, keep up the great casting!,We had a ball chasing the amazing silvers...coho salmon and summer steelhead so chrome they look freshly minted!

Pacific salmon get a bad rap from kings that have lock jaw. They are amazing aggressive /active "sal'noids that slash at flies with an aggressiveness akin to their other mykiss relative- chrome steelhead.

With the prey imbalance in the Great Lakes here is a thought...NEWS FLASH!: ...hint, wink emoticsharp posterior object inserted smile emoticon, to all our wonderful biologists that should retire since they hate their jobs and are slow to react and almost arrogant in their unwillingness to listen to guides and anglers that are out and about each day on the waters( fyi; not you Brian IDNR!- if all biologists can only be like you bro!) . FACT: these oncorhynchus kisutch-"ho's", might be the great hope dark horse that could save the Pacific salmon Great Lakes experiment from doom. Their diet does not depend on alewife - actually they prefer macro invertebrates:crustacea:mysis/diporeia shrimp/insects, smaller prey etc., they have a gorgeous delectable deep orange pomegranate flesh that is succulent, and attack the fly right to their very end- unlike kings!

I made a big mistake by not having a chapter in Selectivity on them- they are just like steelhead- love these fish!- plus they are visually stunning to the eye once they get those pink/purple lavender colors. They were the first arrivals on the great Pacific experiment in the 1960's- and it is fitting they retain their pinnacle position. These wild Platte River cohos are the real deal- they are our hope and future along with steelhead and Atlantic salmon IMHO...wink emoticon...I love kings and let's hope they get a rebound in the alewive future. We are now just embracing what two complete freeze over/ polar vortex ice lockdowns did to the Great Lakes....more to come!

SEE YOU MONDAY NIGHT AT ANN ARBOR TROUT UNLIMITED!...MY PROGRAM" UNDERSTANDING GREAT LAKES STEELHEAD, PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC SALMON AND LAKE RUN BROWNS"....,CHEERS..NA ZDROWIE!

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Posted in: coho salmon , gray drake lodge , great lakes king salmon , great lakes salmon , Great Lakes summer steelhead , muskegon fly fishing , muskegon salmon , St Joe Coho

THE 'FINAL FINALLY'!... SUMMER STEELHEAD RUN OF 2015 , H20..and other scary thoughts!

( The 'skinny' subtitle on this blog outside of the pontificating blog side of me likes to do IS: My clients hooked 7 summer steelhead yesterday- best of the year so far!- so I proclaim  it has finally started!- better two months late than never, eh?)

No single participant in the chase for the bizarre summer run of 2015 has been more confused than the fabulous summer Skamania steelhead themselves! Eight years ago I predicted that global climate change ( note: not global warming!, because the Great Lakes, Northeastern North America and other parts of the globe have seen 'cooling/ice age' conditions , while the western global basks in droughts, wildfires, brutal heat all the way to Alaska), will wreak more havoc on fishing conditions/migratory run timing, which affect guides, outfitters/lodges, vacations travel plans, airlines and our daily lives in so many small incremental ways that creep into our lives unnoticed. 

Meanwhile floods devastate other areas, the stock market is tanking.( good news is gas prices might fall below 2.00 by next week!- more fishing road trips folks that we don't have to give windfall profits to fat cat billionaire oil moguls and  Muslims, which all lands in ISIS hands eventually). 

However the most bizarre , but totally understandably since our country has been so screwed over in the last 8 years of an administration that hadn't a clue how to run domestic and world affairs , is that the U.S. is rallying around Trump ( who I actually find to be a breath of fresh air from the  career family legacy Bush/Clinton garbage politicians that are in the running today.  But is this a" somewhat eerie" rise in popularity that Trump is escalating to as he is filling stadiums with 30,000 like in Nuremberg late 1930's to the likes of chilling reminiscent  dictators like Hitler, who appeared out of nowhere and mesmerized through a fanatical frenzy a nation that was so desperate for change from corruption, moral decay and a depression/recession/joblessness, similar to the current state of our union-nevertheless, it will be an interesting year ahead. The fact that he wants to somewhat eradicate ( ship them off/out) a certain ethnic minority also scares me- will it be America's holocaust ?...so many positive and yet bizarre crazy notions from this man is a creepy twist! Trump is reflection of how desperate and disgusted Americans are with the political correctness, bizarre transgender/liberal religious and ethical desecration we are forced to swallow which was not what and how this country was founded on and "was once" a great nation ? Having experienced a Polish Communist school when I was 9 years old , the frightening future of the USA given the wrong socialistic  government leaders scares the living hell out of me!..let alone the debt we owe China and Japan.

Sorry for my Sunday soapbox rant- its my blog!.

Back to my topic, the entire ecosystem of the Great Lakes is in a state of major ecological upheaval - so the apex predators: salmon , steelhead and other trout , also the parasitic/opportunistic predators:, lamprey eels , are most affected.Besides the falling bait fish population dilemma : collapsing populations in Michigan/Huron, too much in Lake Ontario which caused a massive die -off of steelhead last fall and spring from Thiamine deficiency, has biologists looking into their unknown crystal balls that are not calibrated for proactive methods but panic! 

So since steelhead and salmon don't have calendars and 30 year "normal flow charts", they are the ones totally confused. This spring on the Muskegon and many Michigan/Ontario tributaries we had spring steelhead spawning until June 22.We had a cold July- an August of somewhat cool weather- probably one day that "maybe!" hit 90?. 

The summer Skamania are two months late, but starting to trickle in- just as confused as the fishermen and biologists. 

BUT!....the big question is "where is all the water going, how is it being managed?"-H20. HERE ARE FOUR SCARY FACTS! , that we , the fish and our futures are held at bay.

The Big 1.Nestle /Perrier-corporate greed. Just returning from the St Joe that was so flooded May/June/July. it is now low and starting to look "drought like "again. The Muskegon had some of the most record rainfalls this spring and early summer and it is low and dropping again for weeks. I floated the Pere Marquette a week ago and never recall the water being that low in decades. On a conspiracy note, is the dark world order-"Illuminati", sucking out all the water through massive siphons storing them in 100 mile subsurface reservoirs for the final days?...fiction but interesting.

IMHO,the culprit is not the dark world order , not global climate change but the way we live, consume and rape the environment .Out of control greedy profits from Nestle /Perrier  are and will continue destroying our Michigan rivers. Americans are drinking more bottled water than ever before in history. Due to droughts in areas we are subliminally exporting water to these areas- the consumption is absolutely SCARY!- increasing by 10-15 % yearly for the past 20 years. We are sucking so much water out of the aquifers that bottled water is dirt cheap- for a 24 bottle pack 4.00 bucks?-insane.Nestle /Perrier have two gigantic bottling plants at the largest aquifer in Michigan which feeds the world steelhead/salmon/trout utopias of the Muskegon, White, Pere Marquette, Manistee micro capillary subterranean aquifers. Since these plants have been in operation we have "no baseline' flows- we go from flood to drought in a snap of the fingers which is not the normal

The Big 2.Is it Climate Change- or the new norm? -NEVER before has the Great Lakes frozen over completely in two "back-to back" years like it did in 2013/14...and 2104/15. The impact on plankton production due to lack of light penetration through the thick ice , bait fish mortality, massively cold water temperature regimes spread out throughout the Great Lakes - not just the normal clusters that never recovered from the first ice age 2013/14, can be staggering on how the entire ecosystem performs and operates. Since the mid 1900's and the salmon/steelhead invasion, along with exotic invaders, we now have no benchmark to judge how all these effect the timing of runs, overall health of the fish and growth rates and how exotic and indigenous flora and fauna will perform in the mix. The delayed runs of Skamania in 2015  is the "canary in the coal mine" of how dysfunctional the system is.

The Big 3. The US Fish and Wildlife- federal government incompetence has been "pulverizing" our Michigan Rivers like never seen before treating them with green Lampricide "TFM"- meant to kill parasitic lamprey larva . Last year they "poisoned" the Muskegon , killing brown trout, rainbow trout, walleye...But most importantly the food chain- "aquatic" insects: mayflies, caddis, stone flies etc.-there are studies on this- we are seeing lesser bugs lately though the hatches are still there but nowhere in intensity of the past.. Last week they treated the Bigelow creek tributary and other Michigan rivers. The big ???...IS, why are we seeing more steelhead and salmon returning with lamprey than ever before????... despite the millions being spent?- the treatments which are not eco-friendly and always end up with a responses when they kill fish by accident  like' maybe we used too much chemical in the saturation mix "!..bullshit !!! There is one certainty. Corporations revolve around greed and predation- flip side<  state and federal government- apathy, corruption and total incompetence.  

The Big 4. Consumers Power- corporate greed, continues to mismanage  flows on FERC licensed  hydro dam rivers - Muskegon , Manistee, Au Sable) which nobody is holding them accountable for. Four major "shut downs" that killed fish/insects and the ecosystem components this year alone has occurred. Their only response is " glitch in the computers tripping" . They have become so greedy in corporate profits that they can't hire one staffer to sit and monitor a computer screen and prevent a glitch in water flows that are devastating. The DNR tolerates it!...conservation agencies have given up. Total apathy and impotence is now the "new normal".Sad!...and we wonder why a 'Trump'  comes along and and has a cult following?...seriously?  

Finally, on the lighter side and the good news, summer steelhead are coming in! The next three weeks will be awesome fishing along with a potential massive bumper crop of coho's ready to assault the St .Joe any day!...I'm excited. Schools are starting, summer is a memory, nobody will be on the rivers but me, my clients and the fish- could be epic!- Come out and experience the future and the new normal- or is there one?...cheers!- go fish!

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Posted in: coho salmon , communism , global climate change , gray drake lodge , great lakes salmon , Great Lakes steelhead , Great Lakes summer steelhead , Muskegon River water level , summer skamania steelhead

FINDING MR. FATTY.........AND THE PERFECT SPRING MICHIGAN GOURMET DINNER

( watched this fatty feed for close to a half hour before I could determine it was a good fish-fed like a hatchery dink sipping sulphers)

( The real deal-Purple-blue tip Michigan Asparagus- glaze with extra virgin olive oil,drizzle sea salt and Balsamic vinegar,grill lightly -serve crispy-delish!!!)

Last evening saw excellent hatching of sulphers and American March Browns from Carmichael flats to New Bridge. Finally found a few"fatties" that eventually found their way up to the surface sulpher buffet!

KEY TO CATCHING THE BIGUNS!-WAIT.....WAIT...WAIT AND OBSERVE SOME MORE! Look at all long flat pools below gentle riffles. Don't think the little risers are just hatchery dinks....some are...BUT, then others are the real deal.Seriously, some of the most dainty rise forms turn out to be the big boys....trust me!

Water level dropping again, but excellent to get more fish looking on top-water temp 55F-THAT IS THE MAGIC NUMBER FOR SULPHERS-FLOW-2,100.

Now for the Michigan Spring Gourmet dinner you'll absolutely love!

Grilled Fresh Lake Michigan Coho Salmon- topped with a Dill Dijon Beurre Blanc sauce and Sauteed Morels, with Roasted Red Potatoes and Rosemary, along with Crispy Grilled Michigan Asparagus.............ehmmm!

Take 3-5 pound fresh caught Coho Salmon( can be found right now off of any Michigan port from New Buffalo to Leland-hire a charter captain -they need business bad-bring your big Igloo)- the smaller fish have the red/orange delicate fillets-remove pin bones. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper, grill medium-don't over grill and dry out1

Dijon beurre blanc topped with fresh dill( you can find recipe on-line-lots of them!-Wolfgang Puck has a good one)

Sautee Morels in butter,minced garlic, white wine-dash of sweet vermouth if you desire.

Roast new Potatoes in oven with olive oil and fresh rosemary

Michigan Asparagus(cooking instructions below picture above)

BON APPETIT- or as Michiganders say"GOOD EATS!!

Serve with a chilled Fenn Valley Chardonnay Reserve

All components of the meal are proud produce of Michigan!!!

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Posted in: American March Browns , brown trout , coho salmon , gray drake lodge , Michigan Asparagus , michigan fly fishing , morels , muskegon river , sulphers , trout eagle lodge and outfitters