The Upper Manistee and Boardman Rivers received some much needed rain and the rivers have cooled down and levels are good. Streamer fishing conditions have improved for those looking to hit the bigger fish when the bugs aren’t out.  Olive, white and yellow streamers have been working well, but mix it up to find the fish’s daily preference.

Hatches have been sporadic, but on the right night, they have been good and varied. Look for Isonychias, Brown Drakes, Gray Drakes (Boardman), little Yellow Sally Stones, Medium Brown Stones, a few of the large salmon-fly stones, Bat Flies, Light Cahills, Tan Caddis and the last of the sulphurs to be coming off in the evening hours. It’s time to have your head lamps with you as the bugs will often go well into the dark. Stick around a little later as a few hex have been seen and they will build over the next week with the warmer and more stable weather in our forecast.  This is the best time of the year to go after trout with dries.

The fishing on the Lower Manistee below Tippy is still good with trout eating a handful of flies from caddis, midges, scud and sow bug nymphs, BWOs and wet flies. Smaller baitfish/fry patterns have been working stripped and swung and the big stone fly has brought up some nice fish too. Streamer fishing has improved on this section with the increase in water flow and cloudy days.

Carp fishing has been a little tough in the past week with the change in weather and water temps. Wind direction is key and the warmer water is imperative to finding fish that want to eat. Look for the fishing for both Smallmouth Bass and carp to improve on the Grand Traverse Bays when we get some warmer weather once again. Crayfish patterns have been best lately, specifically Hadda’s Creek Crawler pattern since the fish are a little deeper and this pattern sinks quickly. Leeches and hex nymphs deserve a place in your box too with all of the nymph activity.

The Bluegills/Panfish on local lakes continue to provide fun for the fly angler. Top-water flies like min-poppers and spiders have been bringing fish up and smaller streamers like bead head buggers and minnow patterns are doing their damage sub-surface.Largemouth Bass have been getting a little more aggressive on top-water flies now that many of them have completed their spawning activities and if there are pike in the lakes you fish, don’t be surprised if they take the sliders, divers and poppers. Fish them quietly rather than big and loud until the weeds get heavy.

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.

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.

Rio's Dredger Line

The Detroit Free Press recently ran two articles of interest to Northern Michigan fly anglers. The first one is written by the Free Press’ regular outdoor columnist, Eric Sharp, and it relates the details of his recent trip to the Soo to fish for Atlantic salmon with well-known local guide John Giuliani. As Sharp relates, they spent the afternoon fishing out of a boat below the power plant on the Canadian side, and on the particular day that they were fishing, it was a bit cold and the bite was slow. Nevertheless they managed to boat a few fish.

As Sharp discovered, when the weather is better, the bite can already be very good at the Soo. Large numbers of Atlantic salmon are already in the area, and Giuliani stated that “Atlantic salmon will continue to arrive and stage in the river through late August, when huge numbers of pink and chinook salmon arrive. At that point [Giuliani] switches from fishing in the boat to wading the rapids, where it’s common to catch 20 to 40 salmonids of three or four species in one day.” If you’re interested, now is the time to book your trip as all available spots will fill fast.

Rio's Carp Line

Also in the Free Press recently is an article on carp fishing in Grand Traverse Bay with Traverse City-based guide Dave McCool — owner of McCool Outdoor. Fly fishing for carp on Grand Traverse Bay has become something of a angling destination in the United States at this point, but McCool was on the leading-edge of that years ago.

Carp, as he notes in the article, are really only available at a flats target in Grand Traverse Bay from May through the first week of July, but because of the growing popularity of the fish among fly anglers, McCool is starting to look to the flats along the southern shore of the Upper Peninsula as a way to extend the season for chasing carp with a fly. In the article McCool is quoted as saying “that’s what I need to find, places where we can extend the carp fishing season into August. I already have people who want to send anglers here from England, where carp fishing is huge. But we need to be able to find fish for another six weeks to make it go.”

Manistee River in Summer

The up and down, inconsistent weather has our Hex hatch continuing a little longer than anyone would have guessed at the beginning of the season. Numerous days of cool (sometimes cold) weather put the pugs on hold while little warm-ups triggered small emergences.  The heat and sun forecast for this week should get those patient nymphs out of their beds and into the air and bring an end to the hatch. Water levels and temps are good for this time of year.

The Upper Manistee River has had  sporadic hex bugs and the Isonycias have been pretty solid with the fish responding well. Other bugs include: Little Yellow Sally Stones, BWOs, Light Cahills, and some big stones. Look for Tricos to start shortly in the early mornings and small terrestrial patterns turning some fish as the day goes on. Evenings are the best time to experience a hatch of the bugs detailed above. After dark, try a mouse/large surface fly that moves water and casts a silhouette.

The Lower Manistee below Tippy Dam is still fishing well for trout as the water temperatures have remained cooler than normal for this time of year. Caddis, wet flies, midge and streamers are all taking fish. The smallmouth bass in this section of river is building each day, and so look for them to be the primary target over the next six weeks.

The Boardman is still experiencing Hex duns and spinner falls and the Gray Drake spinners continue to build above riffles at dusk. Have some Little Yellow Sallies, Light Cahills, Tan Caddis (#16/18) and some terrestrials in your box.

Ode to Carp. Carp fishing in the bays is pretty much done as they have been providing action for the last six weeks. The weather has made it difficult to pattern the fish – (when and where), but with this warm-up keep your eye out as you drive along the bay – you might just find a pod to fish to. Smallmouth bass numbers are dwindling as they are moving back into some deeper water, but look for fish cruising the shallow water during mornings and evenings. With the recent full-moon, crayfish molt and become a soft-shell favorite of smallmouth.

Lake fishing is prime for small and largemouth fishing. With the weed growth, look for the largemouth bass to come on poppers, divers and sliders – a great way to spend a morning or evening. Look for the smallmouth to be on the edges of drop-offs looking to eat crayfish and baitfish patterns. Bring a hex dun pattern too if you are going to be out late – some good surface action can occur as lakes often experience a long, drawn out emergence lasting up to five weeks.

Charter Boats on Lake Michigan are reporting healthy and large salmon so far this spring and early summer. This fall’s run that begins in late August continuing into October should be a good one. If you don’t have your dates reserved for a guided trip, start your planning and be in touch to ensure a day or two in a boat on the water doing battle with fresh, strong salmon.

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.

Two-Hearted and Hex

Finally after a cool spring, summer just came, and so did the hot weather. This week’s pressure-cooker and sunlight were just what we needed to get the bugs going on local rivers.

The Manistee has hex bugs, but it’s just the first couple of nights, and the numbers are decent, and it will only build over the next week or so. The heat has an effect on the bugs – they are emerging at odd times as well as traditional hours.  The hatch can be short-lived and sporadic and even isolated; if you don’t find bugs, go around the corner and you might find some. In addition to the hexes, there are still some brown drakes around and Isonycias. Some more of the big stoneflies can be seen bouncing on the water and that can be a great way to get a fish to leave their lair while waiting for the night’s mayflies. Look for the smallmouth bass to continue improve on the Lower Manistee.

The Boardman, too, has Hex in some sections. A lot of the bugs are coming from the ponds, and there can be prolific spinner falls as well as emergences. Make sure you have some brown drakes in your box and also be stocked up on gray drakes – a must for this time of year on the Boardman.

Grand Traverse Bay is still fishing well for carp and smallmouth bass. The recent heat has pushed many of the fish beyond the spawn and they are looking to eat some flies after their spawning ritual. Hex nymphs, gobies and leeches are best.  There seem to be fewer crayfish around for some reason and therefore crayfish patterns haven’t been as effective as in past years, but if you see some bouncing around, tie one on. The Smallmouth are continuing to build in numbers, too, cruising in the shallow water looking to eat. They can move fast so be on them quickly, with a good presentation, and hold on as they jump a few times during the fight.

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.