Our spring steelhead season is up and running!!! The river got a shot of water this week to get things fired up! Saturday evening it rained throughout the watershed and raised the river for a minute (a couple days). The upper river is dropping quickly, but the middle and lower are holding a great tea color for the time being…we will see how long it last? I have been all over the river in the last week…from WAY LOW to WAY HIGH and in between. There are new fish on their way and more to come. Our biggest factor this week has been water temps…still below 40, but pushing the edge at times.
I had a couple prime dates cancel and those dates are up for grabs…March 31, April 7 & 8..please contact the shop to book or inquire about dates…231-745-3529. Please give us a call to book a guide trip and/or lodging. Not too early to start thinking about late April/May streamers trips and dry fly fishing in June…I have been seeing stones fluttering on the warm afternoons.
It’s been an great week! Typical early steelhead fishing…working for biters, covering water and taking advantage of opportunities makes or breaks your day. The fish are scattered throughout the system and thinking about spawning soon. Don’t overlook any fishy spot drift or run at this point in time…these spring steelhead act very trouty.
The egg bite has been holding strong for me in my boat. The larger clowns, mid-sized rag eggs, estaz eggs and fruity nukes have been productive. We have been fooling a few fish on nymphs (stones and hexes) over the last week, but the egg bit has been better! Beads in 10 and 8 mm down stream (where legal) have been productive as well.
“The old men used to say that the best part of hunting and fishing was the thinking about going and the talking about it after you got back” – Robert Ruark
I don’t have a lot of time right now..shop hours will change next week with the time change. We will keep you posted…enjoy the river and fishing!!!!! Please respect your fellow anglers and have fun on there river.
Here is a re-post from last weeks fishing report that I would like to “Repeat”…
Spring is trying to bust loose! Birds are chirping, days are getting longer and steelhead are in the river! What an awesome time of year! We have another year of fishing in front of us…spring steelhead, summer trout, fall salmon, steelhead & trout…what an amazing resource!!! The more I travel to fishing destinations, talk to fellow anglers and read articles of declining fisheries; it makes me appreciate and value our wonderful Pere Marquette River. It is an amazing wild and scenic river and fishery…we need to protect it for the next generations. If you would like to get involved in one of our conservation associations here are some links:
Pere Marquette Watershed Council
Pere Marquette Trout Unlimited
Good Luck and see you out there!
John
