Shop Hours are 7am to 6pm Daily
The spring steelhead season is off to a strong start! The shop is loaded up with inventory (except fly tying material…coming soon). All our off season down time is in the rear-view and we are ready! We are still looking for some additional shop staff, so if you are interested…please contact us. We have an amazing team and trying to expand it!
I had an unexpected day off today, so I thought I would toss up a quick report. The river is in GREAT shape for this early in March. Good flow and higher then traditional temps at this point in early March. We had a VERY mild winter with well below average snow fall. It could be an early run and a low water spring/summer? Who knows? We will deal with April when we cross that “bridge”. Until then we will be enjoying the mild weather and good fishing.
I was able to get out scouting with some friends this week. Now it’s time to go to work. I do not have any open guide dates until mid to late-April, but we do have some guides and Lodging still available…but going quickly (call the shop to inquire 231-745-3529). I am really excited for the season to get rolling and catching up with clients in my boat. “It’s go time” and I am ready….my boxes are full, rods are rigged, boat is tuned up and there are fish in the river!!!
The bite has been a mixed bag recently. Small stones, hexes, PM Blondes and cross-dressers have been getting some fish, but the egg bite has been better. Chartruese nukes, clowns, light clowns and rag eggs in pale colors have been productive. Try to adjust your fly size to match the water color/level. Low and clear water fish smaller and more natural sizes/colors…higher and dirtier water fish larger and brighter colors.
We will be deploying several different techniques to target steelhead. Fly fishing (C&D, switch rods with floats, streamers…both stripped and swung) and Spin fishing (tossing hardware and drifting beads under floats)…we do it all! Most days we bounce between a couple different styles to see what’s working best. If you are NOT a fly fisherman…NO problem! If you prefer NOT to spin fish…NO problem! When booking a trip just communicate your preferred approach with the shop, so the guide will be prepared in the morning. Or take the guides advice…we have our finger on the pulse and will be out there daily.
Please be mindful of the regulation on the Pere Marquette…Everything up-stream of M-37 and the Baldwin River are closed until the last Saturday in April, from M-37 to Gleason’s Landing is “Flies Only/Catch & Release” (NO BEADS WHAT SO EVER), from Gleason’s Landing to Lake Michigan is open to all legal techniques (bait, hardware, beads and flies). We have been doing some bead fishing a little more and sell beads in the shop; but trying to educate/communicate where they can be fished.
Presentation is the name of the game! Presentation in all aspects; the drift, leaders & line, fly or bead 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 bye bring in your lines, have a sit 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!
Good luck out there and enjoy yourselves!!!
John