Shop Hours are 8am to 6pm Daily
It’s been a lot of fun lately dry fly fishing the Pere Marquette River!!! The river is low/clear and we really, really need some RAIN! The action has been streaky (great to decent) depending upon conditions and volume of hatches. Too many bugs some nights, not enough other nights…but with low/clear water the mid-day fishing has been spotty. Banging flies tight to the banks and lumber is your best shot at fooling a respectable trout durning the daytime. The water temps have cooled back down after a big heat wave came through last week. So, we are in great shape overall with no issues in the foreseeable future…but who knows???
It remains a mixed bag of hatches up and down the river. Depending on what section you are in, you might see more of one type of bug or a bunch of everything. The hatches have consisted of Sulphurs, Yellow Sallies, Gray Drakes (LOTS), Iso’s and large Stones…plus, the banks are really coming alive! Damsels, small hoppers, ants, etc. are bouncing around the grassy edges and river banks. It a great time to be a dry fly angler in Michigan!!! Rubber legged bugs durning the day, drakes in the evening and mice after dark!!!
I think we are a week or 2 out from seeing any hexes, but who knows? It’s been a strange spring and much warmer then normal. My guide schedule is not as full as usual, so if you are looking for a float trip give the shop a call…231-745-3529. Here are my current open dates: June 10, 11, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29 & 30…Plus, Steve and John Robinson have openings as well…Give us a call! The shop is loaded up with everything you might need (or just want). We also have rooms available for all you night fisherman…stay the night at our Motel and drive to work in the morning.
We are in the heart of one of my favorite months on the Pere Marquette River. Banging the banks with foam flies, twitch bugs, bouncing stones around, great mayfly hatches and night fishing!!! What not to love??? The night fishing has been decent, but not great. We are in a big moon phase right now, but we will have a new moon by June 18…better for night fishing (hexes and Mousing!!!). My tying desk is a mess, boxes are full, staying up late and sleeping in daily…it feel like June!!!
Good luck out there and please respect your fellow anglers. We have some awesome fishing opportunities in front of us! I am excited to see how the season develops and unfolds. It’s like starting a good book…you are not sure what’s going to happen; you might hope for something, but the unexpected happens!?!? Good, bad, epic or humbling it’s June dry fly fishing. Watching, waiting, hunting…sitting and listening to the river roll by while wishing for bugs to take flight. Enjoy the thrill of the hunt and solitude of being a trout fisher!
Later,
John