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Temperatures in the 70’s isn’t typically considered cool for this time of year, but after what we have experienced the past two weeks, it feels cool and good. This is good – water temperatures in the rivers were getting way too high stressing out fish and making hatches somewhat difficult to time, however, on the right evenings, fishing has been good.
The Upper Manistee and Boardman rivers have been experiencing good hatches of a lot of different bugs making it tricky to figure out what the fish are keyed in on. Sometimes one fish is eating one bug and the next fish downstream is looking for something else – prepare to mix up your patterns. Here is what you can expect to find: Sulphurs, Mahoganies, Bat Flies, Isonychias, Brown Drakes, Gray Drakes, Medium Brown Stones, Little Yellow Sallies and some Large Stones – golden and black/orange, olives and caddis. Yes, a lot of bugs, but this is a great time to be on the water if you like dry fly fishing.
The Lower Manistee is still fishing well for those looking to fish a variety of ways: swinging wet flies, nymphing, streamers and dry flies. Most of the dry flies have been tiny midges and caddis; however a big stonefly pattern has been bringing up some good fish too. The carp and suckers that were spawning in the hundreds are getting thinner each day and all of the trout chomping on their eggs below them are starting to go back to their usual places in the river. When it’s bright, look for shade, no matter what river you are fishing right now!
The Carp and Smallmouth Bass on the bay have been really good lately thanks to the warm weather. Some fish are spawning while others are still in pre-spawn mode. Look for big groups of carp in shallows where the water is warmest – with the cooler evenings, the fishing in the afternoon should be better than in the mornings for carp. Smallies aren’t quite as sensitive. The typical patterns are working: crayfish, clousers and hex nymphs – all in variations that should get the job done.
The bluegill/panfish and bass in area lakes and ponds are on their beds with lots of fish around them looking to eat. Fishing dries in shallow will not only provide some fun surface action, but leave the spawners to do what they need to do. With some gills finishing, look for the fish to be closer to slight drop-offs where a bead head nymph or small streamer should get you some action.
The forecast is calling for some much needed rain and cooler temps which, I hope will bring the water levels up, but more importantly, the temperatures down. All fish – whether in rivers or lakes do not like significant change in temperatures – especially dropping mercury. This can be key when deciding when to go out or even where. Overnight temps, daily sunshine, wind direction and rainfall all have an affect so pay attention and adjust your plans if needed.
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My memories are not that clear.
I remember feelings, brief moments and impressions. Most memories run together. Many things that I did over and over, like playing cards with grandpa, I can only really recall as a composite of all the events in one memory. I remember playing cards, but each memory of playing seems attached to the same game. In fact each little memory came from many of the games I played with him. I’m sorry I can’t hold those memories together chronologically and remember details. So much of the wonder of Ginger Quill was in the details.
Grandma Fishing on the Au Sable
So many memories come back to me with smells, and Ginger Quill had distinctive smells. Even as we arrived up north in the forest we could begin to smell the pine. We drove with our windows open in those days because we had no air conditioning and mom and dad both smoked. When we arrived and stopped the car at Ginger Quill the smell was intense — pine, fur, and balsam. It was not overpowering, and at the time we were probably too young to pay attention to it. It made an impression though. Walking into the main cabin you smell the cedar walls, the pine floors and the fireplace smoke; again, it was not overpowering, but soothing. There was the smell of fly dope in dad’s tackle box, the smell of waders in the tackle room and the oil and gas where the small outboard engines were kept. The smell of pine in the bathrooms and those little football shaped gel bath oil beads and bubble bath beads.
There were the sounds of the wind through the trees, the low, not quite rumble of the river, punctuated by the trickle of water over a tree limb. The endless assortment of birds and the occasional large gunshot from Camp Grayling. The water pump coming on and the constant hum of the generator. The sound of canoe paddles striking the sides of canoes, a pole crunching into the gravel riverbed and riverboat chains being dragged over the rocks or being picked up and dropped into a boat. Mostly the sounds at Ginger Quill were quiet, soothing and peaceful.
I remember running like crazy around the dining cabin to the gazebo or down to the main cabin dock, stopping with a scream after encountering a large snake sunning itself on the sidewalk or the dock. We went screaming to the first adult we could find yelling “rattlesnake, rattlesnake, rattlesnake.” Those poor snakes. Few were poisonous and, in all the years I spent at Ginger Quill, I never really saw a rattlesnake.
I remember swinging wildly on the gazebo swings and peeling the bark off the swings to get at the sawdust left behind by boring insects, constantly being reprimanded by adults. I remember peering down into the water inside the boathouse seeing the large trout swimming in water brilliantly lit by the sun.
I remember playing with those large medicine balls and the exercise pins and climbing on the fireplace rocks. I remember chasing bats in the “Boy’s Cabin” with tennis rackets and snowshoes. I remember the rough stucco walls scratching my skin. I don’t, however, remember girls at Ginger Quill. I remember the caretaker’s daughter Bonnie Borchers and grandma, but I must have been there alone most of the time or with my brother, Geof, or cousin, Chris Olson. I do remember sleeping with Barbie Defoe once but it was at the small Defoe cabin and I was about five. read more…
The recent hot weather has made for some good fishing, but the time and place is key right now to really cash-in. Trout anglers are finding that the bugs are consistent with this time of the year on the Upper Manistee and Boardman Rivers. Since it has been hot, the emergence and spinner falls have been relatively condensed to the last hour or two of daylight. You can expect to see sulphurs, Isonychias, the last of the Mahoganies & Light Hendricksons, March Browns, Little Yellow Stones, Medium Brown Stones and the Brown Drakes should start anytime now. Caddis have been popping off throughout the day – not a blanket hatch often with heavier bugs in the mornings and evenings, too.
The Au Sable River
Streamer fishing has been tough since the water is low and clear – some badly needed rain will do a lot to change this. Sadly the weather man isn’t predicting any – lets hope he is wrong but in the meantime, target the low-light times of the day and/or, really go deep into structure to get them to play. The Lower Manistee below Tippy Dam is fishing decent with caddis, wets and mid-sized streamers. There are lots of suckers and carp spawning right now so a nymph fisherman would be well served to nymph some small egg patterns behind them to pick off the trout eating all of the eggs coming down the pipeline.
The Carp on both West and Grand Traverse Bay are in pre-spawn rapidly approaching spawning time. It’s a great time to get on the warmer flats and sight fish to some real bruisers. Mixed with them and in other places are some great Smallmouth Bass. The typical flies have been working: crayfish, leeches, weighted hex nymphs (click here for tying instructions) and small goby patterns. Lots of water has warmed up so most of your favorite places should have fish looking to eat a well presented fly.
The Bluegill/Panfish are in the shallows of most local lakes and are defending their beds. Top-water flies have been working well: poppers, spiders and tarantulas – great action and is a lot of fun for beginners learning to fly fish or for the seasoned angler who can’t make it to the river. Hang a small beaded nymph underneath a dry if you aren’t getting the attention you are looking for. If that doesn’t work try real small streamers with a bead, stripped slowly. Bass, too are on some beds and others are still in pre-spawn – good fun.
As you can read, there is so much to choose to fish for right now – call for a trip if you are looking to get on the water for any of the above species or what’s going to hatch soon (think: Hex). Safe travels to all of you heading Up-North for the Memorial Day weekend.
Ted Kraimer is a professional guide and fly tier, owner of Current Works Guide Service, and field editor for True North Trout. His fishing reports will continue to appear in T|N|T and on his website.
Camp Ginger Quill was hardly what you would expect of a fishing camp. It was somewhat rustic, as fishing was the primary activity, but it was also quite elegant. The pressure of the outside world ended when we started down the hill approaching the Ginger Quill entrance. It wasn’t a conscious thing. It was like walking through a magical gate. The smells, the sounds and the unbelievable beauty simply overpower you from the minute you arrive.
The main cabin at Camp Ginger Quill
For us, as children, the long ride from Bay City was almost over when we heard the gravel strike the underside of the car near Roscommon. (I-75 had not yet been built.) Our father, Fred, would make a short stop at Jack’s Rod and Fly Shop to pick up flies and leaders. We would always stop on the bridge over the South Branch to say hello to the Au Sable. From then on we would search for glimpse of a deer and for the small Camp Ginger Quill signs nailed to trees or posts, along with what seemed like a hundred other signs, indicating when we should turn. Once we were on the Ginger Quill road and starting down the hill, we would honk our car horn announcing our arrival. Grandma and Grandpa Smith would welcome us on the back lawn, usually just as the sun was going down. We children would pile out of the car and dash down the sidewalk to the river. The river held great excitement for us. It was like seeing our best friend after a long absence. Our parents had to drag us off the dock.
We usually slept in bunk beds right by the rear entry door. We all remember rolling over and scratching our arms on the rough stucco walls. On a typical day the grandchildren would awaken when the caretakers brought in fresh firewood at 6 A.M. The footsteps up the back steps, the creaking of the screen door spring, and the closing of the door were enough to wake us. We were up quickly and would run along a direct path behind the tackle room, through the woods, and up to the “Dining Cabin” for breakfast. Zoe Borchers’ Au Sable River Pancakes (balls of pancake batter, deep fried and covered with honey butter) were our favorite breakfast. Our ages were compatible with the caretaker’s two children, Bonnie and Butch Borchers, and we got along very well. We would stay occupied at the “Dining Cabin” until the adults were up and ready for breakfast. They would have coffee at the “Main Cabin” but, when ready, would call the “Dining Cabin” on a private phone system, to indicate they were on their way down for breakfast, stopping at the “Boys’ Cabin” to pick up any guests who might be there. While the adults were at breakfast the “Main Cabin” was being cleaned and the beds made or changed. read more…
Editor’s Note: This is part one of a three-part series on the history of Camp Ginger Quill, an historic family compound located on the mainstream Holy Water on the Au Sable River. The essays in this series are authored by Frederick B. Smith Jr. A short autobiography of Mr. Smith can be found at the end of this first essay on the history of the building of Camp Ginger Quill.
As a series these essays provide a nice first-person glimpse into another time and another way of life on the Au Sable river. Look for the next installment in our series tomorrow.
Camp Ginger Quill was built in 1928 by my grandparents, Bay City businessman Henry B. Smith Jr. and his wife Katherine. It began as a small cabin just downstream from the present site. While making glue on the stove one evening, a small fire started and spread quickly. Fortunately no one was hurt but the cabin burned to the ground.
Three generations of the Smith family at Camp Ginger Quill: Frederick B Smith, Sr., Frederick B. Smith, Jr., and Henry B Smith Jr. on the dock with an Au Sable riverboat (Photo: Bay City Times).
Construction began the following year on the first cabin of the present complex. The “Main Cabin” as it was always known, was initially much smaller than it is today. It included three bedrooms, one bath, the living room, and a small kitchen. A screened porch ran the length of the cabin facing the river.
Two years later the “Main Cabin” was expanded. The hallway to the kitchen was extended down to a large master suite (which is now a bar and game room). Two small rooms along the hall were a bathroom and an office/tackle room. The master suite consisted of a screened porch, a large sitting area, and two single Dutch beds recessed into the wall. Both beds had curtains for more privacy or to block the sun for afternoon naps. A screened game room filled the space between the living room with its large stone fireplace and the master suite. It was dominated by a ping-pong table and exercise equipment, such as an old rowing machine, medicine balls and dumbbells. Access to the game room was a step down from the hall or from the front porch. The living room was closed at the fireplace end and firewood was stored on either side. (The game room is now a large kitchen and dining room.) read more…
Sulpher Emerger
Trout fishing on the local rivers has been good for those looking to fish the hatches. After last week’s cool weather the bugs have been emerging and spinners returning to water throughout the afternoon with heavier numbers in the evening. With nice weather that’s forecast, look for the bugs to get back on schedule and make it an evening game. Both the Upper Manistee and the Boardman River have experienced Sulphurs, Mahoganies, medium brown Stones, Black Quills/Borchers, March Browns and some caddis tan/brown caddis – #14. The riffle sections of the rivers have seen largest numbers of adults coming back to lay their eggs so look for the fish to sip the small spinners in the slick water just downstream. It’s a great time to have a lot of rusty spinner patterns in your box to imitate all of the spinners hitting the water.
The Lower Manistee below Tippy Dam continues to fish well with sub-surface patterns. Being a tail-water, the nymph bite is best, but keep an eye out for risers. The larger fish aren’t coming up so much, but staying down eating unsuspecting fry and stocked trout; those fishing streamers should start off with baitfish patterns like T&A Bunkers, Fin Clips, Deceivers, C&F Minnows and Cheech-Leeches to imitate the bigger fish where smaller fry patterns swung, dead-drifted and/or stripped are picking off both small and larger fish. Obviously mix it up to find out if they are being picky.
The bluegill/panfish and bass fishing on ponds continues to get better now that bright sun is warming up the water after the cool nights. Look for the gills to be on beds in the warmer lakes and don’t hesitate to fish with small nymphs if they aren’t coming to your spiders and poppers; I like brassies, damsel nymphs and bead head pheasant tails. Bass are moving closer, too, to doing their spawning thing so fish with some streamers and smaller top-water poppers and don’t be surprised if a pike enters the picture. Carp are starting to build again in the bays and since it is pre-spawn, they will eat the well presented fly in the afternoons after the sun warms up certain flats. Look for all “warm-water” fishing to improve over the next month for some of the best angling.
If out on the waters and in the woods, don’t play with matches – things are too dry and we can’t afford to have another forest fire start.
Ted Kraimer is a professional guide and fly tier, owner of Current Works Guide Service, and field editor for True North Trout. His fishing reports will continue to appear in T|N|T and on his website.
The Meridian Boundary Fire (Photo: MDNR)
The Michigan DNR has reported on the current state of efforts to battle and contain the two wildfires threatening areas around some of Michigan’s most prized and familiar trout fishing territories.
The MDNR is listing the larger of the two fires, the Meridian Boundary fire, as contained but not under control. The fire has burned approximately 7520 acres at this point in an area adjoining the South Branch of the Au Sable River, south of M-72, in South Branch Township. The MDNR has confirmed that a number of homes have been lost to the fire, but so far no reports of injuries or deaths. M-18 is currently closed from M-72 down to the Roscommon County line.
The fires has been moving south with the wind through the jackpines. The north line is said to be more under control, though the fire has come within one-half mile of the Mason Tract Chapel. The MDNR reports as well that the cause of the fire was burning debris.
The Range 9 fire is located in Kalkaska county on land adjoining the Manistee River south of Portage Creek. Reports are that that fire is contained and mostly extinguished. It has burned approximately 1040 acres. That fire started out as a controlled burn on a Camp Grayling artillery range. There are reports that the fire has destroyed some homes in the area.
After the cold and windy weather of the last few weeks, it is nice to see the actual Michigan spring back on track. The “trophy water” on the Au Sable is back in full swing with a weekend of prolific hatches. Saturday was the perfect mix of warmth and partially cloudy skies with little wind. The bugs came out like a living snowstorm. Sunday was solid as well, with stronger afternoon hatches, under a mostly clear and sunny sky. An added bonus was that the river continues to be mostly free of rental canoes, though lots of folks were out below Mio in their driftboats and kayaks.
Hatch activity this weekend was dominated by flurries of “grannom” caddis (size #14 and #16). To match the hatch, classic elk-hair and Hemingway patterns will work, though caddis emergers and nymphs will work better. The other usual suspects for this time of year are still out in force, including Hendricksons (in sizes #12 and #14), Mahoganies (in sizes #16 and #18), March browns, and sulphers (#16 and #18). Look for sulphers to come out front and center over the next few days with heavy and regular hatches. Some rivers are already reporting that this has happened (like the P.M.), and that it is all about the little yellow bugs at this point.
Keep in mind that with most mayflies, in addition to duns, it is also worth carrying both emergers and spinners to complete the life cycle. Trout are very selective when it comes to that sort of thing.
To a lesser degree, there are some other bugs you might notice out on the river – and the trout might notice, too. In the slower water look for Leptophlebia cupida, a mayfly which is frequently imitated by the Borcher’s Drake or the Black Quill (#14 or so). A few Midwestern salmonflies (Pteronarcys dorsata) are possible encounters, as well – though it is a hard hatch to fish reliably. They are unmistakable due to their relatively large size. They can make a potentially good searching pattern, if the timing is right (try both quite early and quite late in the day).
It is worth noting that the “old reliable” BWOs are also out in full-force. It seems that Baetis are always around somewhere, and this time of the year it is good to carry both classic and new patterns for the entire lifecycle in sizes #16 and #18.
Streamer fishing is still hot, with those big Galloup & Linsenman streamers being a good bet (reports are that light colors are working well). And even though most of us think of hoppers as a July and August option, hopper-droppers are something to consider as well. Go out and get wet.
