Not much new to share with you at the moment. I have been busy tying flies, getting orders done at the shop and preparing for a great spring season. There has been a few brief signs of spring around here in between cold fronts. However, it is still winter! Winter is always bitter sweet around here…a nice break after a busy year; but always way too long!
The shop is still running our winter hours (9am to 5pm – Closed Tuesday), but come March we will extend our hours. We are filling the shelves up at the shop, plus more inventory is arriving daily. But, we are still experiencing supply shortages which has been challenging, so please bare with us. We are working with some new vendors and companies. If there is something you want us to carry or new products we should know about….please let us know! Plus, you can make purchases on-line for pick-up or delivery…our on-line store is ALWAYS open!
The phone has been ringing frequently at the shop. People checking the guides schedules, Motel availability, river conditions and fishing reports. The river is in good shape at the moment with not much snow in the woods. We need more to get the spring flows were we prefer…but there is plenty of time for more snow. We do have guides and lodging available throughout the spring season….give us a call to inquire 231-745-3529. My personal open guide dates are March 3, 4, 6 & 7…then nothing until later in April. Steve, John Robinson, Donnie and Kam all have some openings in March and April.
I have not been out fishing myself recently, but several friends and other guides have been doing well over the last couple weeks. It’s winter steelheading and breaks in the weather are your best bet. There seems to be good numbers of fish in the middle and upper sections. I have not heard anything from the lower river (if it’s even open or passable?). All the reports I have heard have been “throwing the kitchen sink at ’em”…from flies, to beads, spawn and hardware. All producing and some out producing others on certain days. As always, just a friendly reminder…beads are ILLEGAL in the Flies Only Section. Even a bead with a nymph dropper…no beads please. We can toss beads from Gleason’s to the lake…that’s roughly 60 river miles.
I just wanted to touch base and let you know we are still here!!! And thinking about spring. We are NOT attending any shows this winter because our guide season kicks off later this month and we will be hitting the ground running. Looking forward to being back on the river every day, catching up with great friends/clients and making some new memories. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and see you out there!
Good luck and please respect your fellow angler. Please catch and release our wild PM steelhead. Also, please be mindful of the new regulation changes out there….March 15 – May 15 (on certain rivers/sections) it is a 1 fish limit on steelhead.
Later,
John Karakashian