Fall steelhead fishing on the PM has been great…and I do mean FALL steelhead. With unseasonably warm weather and a good push of fish we are enjoying ourselves. The fish have been hot and hard to hang onto with the lower water levels and bright conditions (since we are running light tippet). The water temps have been running in the mid to low 40’s lately. The water levels are low and clear, but the fish are there if you present the right offering. Light tippet and the right patterns are making the difference between a tough day and a good one. I am glad that I am a fishermen and not a deer hunter. I cannot remember a November that I have not thrown my rain coat in the boat for 10 days straight….incredible!
If you have never experienced a chrome cart-wheeling, tail dancing steelhead on the end of your line…give us a call…1-877-422-5394. Steve and I have some great open dates over the next month…My open dates are 11/19 and then things open up after 11/23 and Steve has 11/21 open and then things open up for him after 11/23 too. We deploy several techniques during this time of year…bottom bouncing, floating line with indicators and (my personal favorite) streamers! Plus, we cater to every skill level…from very experienced anglers to beginners trying to learn the ropes. You are all welcome and will most likely walk away with some new knowledge or perspective.
A wild fall PM Steelhead…does it get any better?
Good flies at this time of year are clown eggs, chartreuse nukes, OC glow bugs, pink estaz eggs and natural nymphs like brown stones, flash-back pheasant tails and green caddis. Streamer fishing has been very good on the right days. Large flashy leeches or smaller natural colored patterns have been working well for me.
Here are a couple brief comments and photos about some recent trips:
11/11 – Mark and Brandon joined me for an enjoyable day on the water. We had some good opportunities and soaked up the sun while steelhead fishing. We managed to find some players even though we spent most of the day sitting on the bank talking…ha, ha. Thanks for the very relaxed day and good luck down south Brandon…Mark, we’ll see you around the crick. Thank you!!!
Mark with a great buck on a sunny day
11/12 – An AWESOME day of fishing with nothing to show for it…Rob was in the boat when it was game on! We had SEVERAL great rides, but could not hang onto the fish for the grip and grin…oh well, we had a blast! Thanks again Rob and great job working the bobber all day. Take care.
11/13 – Friday the 13th!!! Happy Birthday Heather…I had the day off and went fishing with a very good friend that was in town for the night. We went 1-2 in one hour, but did not have the camera…it was great being on the water with you again Scooter…see you soon buddy!
11/14 – Eric and Tom joined me in the boat for the day. It was their first time fly fishing for steelhead and were rewarded with some great opportunities. These guys picked up on everything very quickly and had some great action. Like I said at the beginning of the trip…steelhead do NOT let you make a mistake. You guys did a great job…Thanks and see you in the spring!
Eric with his first ever steelie on the fly…well done!
11/15 – Frank and Jimmy were in the boat for this year’s gun opener. It was also their first time fly fishing…we battled through a slower bite and tougher conditions, but had a very memorable float. Jimmy saved the day by landing a trophy brown trout. What a remarkable fish for a young angler. Take care and please keep in tough guys.
Most fly anglers fish for many years before they get a brownie like this…Solid work Jimmy!
11/16 & 11/17 – John and Bob joined me for a couple days on the PM. Another couple incredible days of weather! While the fishing was a bit tougher on Monday (water temp dropped four degrees and east winds…so our theory goes?), But Tuesday made up for it. It was great having you guys in the boat again and showing you another season of our amazing resource. The PM is like no other! Thanks and take care…see you in the spring over by the “shed” for a pop.
John with a nice buck that ate a chartreuse nuke
Bob with an acrobatic little skipper
John with another solid buck
Long story short…all is well on the Pere Marquette!!! Please contact us to come join in the fun and make the most of the great steelhead fishing opportunities right now.
November Fly of the Month – Bead headed Soft Hackled Hare’s Ear
Recipe:
Hook – Dia-Riki #075 size 10 (size can vary based on conditions and species)
Tail – Hungarian Partridge fibers tied in as a tail
Body – Start dubbing (use favorite dubbing and colors); dub 2/3 of the hook tapering the body up, tie in flash-back material (optional), build up the body with dubbing, tie in and palmer smaller Hungarian partridge feather, bring flash over the back of the fly, tie off and finish with a small amount of dubbing to cover thread wraps.
Information on our Destination travel-
Alaska 2010 – July 31st to August 7th and August 7th to the 14th
The package price per person based on double occupancy is $1,995.00 for one week. This includes:
• Six full days guided fishing
• All your lodging and meals
• Lodge boats that are available around the clock for personal use
• Transportation to and from the Airport in King Salmon, AK
Argentina 2010
We also have openings for our annual Argentina trip (January 16 – 23, 2010). The package price per person based on double occupancy is US $2,995.00 and includes:
• Six full days guided fishing (with expert, local bilingual (Spanish-English) fly-fishing guide)
• All your lodging, meals and beverages.
• Transportation to and from the Airport in Bariloche
Please contact the shop to sign up for either (or both) of these exceptional trips!
Later & Fish-On!
John
