Shop Hours are 7am – 6pm Daily!!!
It’s been another good week on the river!!! The weather was great, but then it was terrible over the weekend. We did get some rain Thursday afternoon and through the night. It bumped the water level and shuffled the deck. It was a much needed bump in water levels. That sent a lot of drop-backs to the big lake, pushed in some new fish and moved the staging fish….perfect!!!
It has been a strange spring thus far. A huge run of fall fish, very mild winter and low water spring to this point…who knows what is to come??? There is no shortage of fish throughout the system, but they are excellent at dissolving into the lumber and structure. After all, they are kind of small trout in a big body. Overcast days fish better and colored water is key to sustained success.
Nothing new….the egg bite was solid this week…cream clowns, pale nukes, 10 & 12 mm beads in the lower river in pale orange or chartreuse tones. Small stones, hexes, PM Blondes and cross-dressers have been getting some fish, but the egg bite has been better. 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.
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) & ONLY a one fish limit from March 15 to May 15. 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