It’s April and this is the time to think steelhead if you haven’t been thinking about them already. With the mild winter and thaws the fishing has been mostly good in March with a mix of winter and fresh fish with more to come as the days get longer more rainfall brings water levels up […]

Some cooler weather the past week has confirmed that we are still in the month of March and despite Spring officially starting we still had some cooler weather to contend with. Without much precipitation lately few fresh steelhead have moved into the Betsie and Manistee Rivers but the fish already in the river systems have […]

This large profile stonefly nymph pattern works well on spring steelhead when the water is often high and stained. Its color shape and addition of sparkle in the thorax can help make a slow day a productive one. It might be a good idea to have a few in your trout box too.

Not much has changed since the last fishing report. The weather has been up and down but it appears that mid-March is beginning to trend to warmer conditions. And with Spring officially starting Sunday it would be good to see winter in the rear view mirror. Recent cold weather slowed down some of the advancement […]

It seems that since the last report we have experienced winter spring winter spring and winter again – which looks like it will be here for a few days. Last weekend’s snow  has come and gone as well as a gentle but consistent 30-hour rain earlier this week leaving water levels high and stained and […]

As anglers break out of hibernation mode so do the fish. The recent weather has definitely been unusual for February. A few thaws throughout winter have left the snow pack minimal so the recent warm-up has kept water levels ideal with little run off. With the lack of cold water melting into tributaries the bright […]

Happy New Year! The end of 2016 found us chasing steelhead and trout when there was a break in the weather with mixed results. With the snow on the ground anytime the air was comfortable to fish in run-off would occur and drop the water temps a degree or two putting the fish off a […]

This mid-sized streamer represents a number of bait and juvenile sport-fish that larger fish eat. With its lead eyes it has a jig-like action and can be fished on both a sink-tip or floating line for more than just trout and bass making it a versatile pattern for various waters.

With December here it’s time to think of transitional fishing as water temps cool and the days get shorter. Our extended Fall Season was enjoyed by most being able to hit the water without the typical number of insulating layers that’s common for this time of year. The lack of cold has kept water temps […]

Autumn like weather has made for some comfortable steelhead fishing the past month. But while the lack of rain made it comfortable we sure could use some to bring in more fish as the steelhead in the Manistee system are acting coy. Smaller rivers like the Betsie and others in northwest Michigan are in dire […]

With November now here we are still experiencing early October-like weather with warmer temperatures and some really hot fish. Steelhead fishing on the Manistee has been decent with some nice steelhead playing along. But they often aren’t playing nice – that is once hooked they are really testing our skills with their ability to put […]

As we get deeper into October we are finding that the salmon are mostly done on the local rivers. A few fresh fish slip in but for the most part the salmon are dark beat up and trying to get through their spawning ritual.  In review this year’s run of salmon was far better than […]

As we approach mid-October it feels closer to the beginning of the month based on conditions and temperatures. We finally received our first nights of mid-30 degree temperatures and the water temps have dipped into the 50s which is needed for the the salmon to  continue to enter the rivers. And today we have received […]

October is here and it’s starting to look and feel a little more like fall. Despite much warmer than normal temperatures some leaves are starting to turn the nights are a little cooler and some big fish are showing up in rivers. The Betsie continues to receive some salmon especially after favorable weather like wind […]

As we approach the Fall Equinox it still feels like summer with warmer than normal temps and without those cool nights that say it’s fall. Despite the warm weather some salmon have been moving into the local rivers just not in the numbers we have come to expect after a few early runs in recent […]

With Labor Day behind us it still feels like summer with the warm temperatures. While the days are shorter trout fishing on the upper Manistee and Boardman during the lower light hours of the day seem to be best and when it is overcast -fishing is pretty consistent throughout the day. The terrestrial bite has been decent all […]

Trout fishing on the Manistee and Boardman Rivers remains a good place to spend the first part of the day. The Trico hatch is over but the brookies and smaller brown trout are still looking up and taking dries as well as small streamers (1.5 – 2″ in length). With the warm summer the terrestrial/”foam […]

When July and August come and matching-the-hatch goes try fishing a simple Deer Fly Pattern. "A Fly" brings brook and brown trout to the surface and makes for a great point fly when you tie a Trico to it as a dropper. Made with foam and CDC feathers this small fly floats really well.

The dog days of summer are upon us and the heat has mostly been keeping our fishing to the low light hours of morning and evening. Trout fishing has been decent for brook and brown trout on the upper Manistee and Boardman Rivers. The Trico mayfly hatch has been very reliable for about a month […]

August Fly Fishing Report – Traverse City Posted by  Ted Kraimer  -  August 11 2016 The dog days of summer are upon us and the heat has mostly been keeping our fishing to the low light hours of morning and evening. Trout fishing has been decent for brook and brown trout on the upper Manistee and Boardman Rivers. The Trico mayfly hatch has been ver...