Shop hours are 8am – 6pm everyday!
We will be closed 11/15 for the firearm deer opener….not enough employees and our team has been working too hard….they have earned the day off!!! Enjoy and be safe everyone!
Steelhead fishing on the Pere Marquette River has been challenging! The river is extremely clear with low flows. Plus, we have been dealing with a high pressure weather system which is not helping. We have to take the good with the bad and make the most of the “hand you’re dealt”. We have been getting opportunities each day (bites, but light leaders and hot fish are a tough combination). I have been mixing it up the last 10 days with flies, plugs and some beads (Not in the fly water…of course…beads are illegal in the fly water). The plug bite has been good while the fly bite is slow and vise versa some days. A mixed bag attack has paid off for us in these conditions. The extended forecast looks to be switching back to a more “normal” November weather pattern which will help a ton.
Eggs still remain the best fly. Oregon Cheese, cream clowns, rag clowns, estaz nukes and pale orange glow bugs have been getting action. Donnie has been swinging up a couple here and there; so streamers are an option now too! Both stripping and swinging…I love both approaches and look forward to this time of year for the available opportunities. Our guide staff will cater to your desired approach and/or deploy whatever technique is productive.
“Protecting and preserving” has been a topic of discussion lately. The more I read about dwindling salmon & steelhead returns out West, Alaska, the Eastern Great Lakes and even the Western Lake Michigan rivers…it’s up to us to protect the amazing Pere Marquette River! There has been a dramatic increase of anglers on the PM over the last 5-7 years. Let’s all try to do our part to protect and preserve this wild fishery…PLEASE catch and release our wild steelhead!!!
Presentation is the name of the game! Presentation in all aspects; the drift, leaders & line, fly color/size, hook size, mends, proper weight, proper depth of your floats, physically approaching the pool/run, casting a shadow…you get the point. But it all makes a difference in finding a player most days in low water. Tread lightly and stay off the run as much as possible to increase your odds. That is just my $0.02’s. Also, please try your best to respect your fellow anglers as well…boats floating by bring in your lines, have a seat and drift thru the entire run with the least amount of disturbance. Just a friendly reminder…that is the proper edict around here…it will be appreciated!
We have been busy, but here are some photo worthy catches….
Our guides have been busy and looking forward to the next 4 weeks! There are still some prime openings for guides and Motel rooms if you are interested in some steelhead fishing. My personal openings are: November 14, 15, 18, 22, 27 – 30. Give us a call to make a reservation…231-745-3529. First come, first served…we have “limited inventory” of fall steelhead fishing days…I wish November was 60 days long!
Please catch and release all wild Pere Marquette River Steelhead.
Thanks,
John
