Shop Hours – 8am to 6pm Monday thru Thursday & 7am to 6pm Friday, Saturday & Sunday
Unfortunately, not much has changed since my last report. This has been a tough spring run with much fewer fish then I can ever remember. There are still a some around, but being at the right place at the right time will make your day. Covering lots of water and fishing lots of different types of water has been paying off for me. We are working for each and every fish this year! But, that is what makes them so special….they are not easy to catch!!! We have been extremely busy on and off the river….Thank you!!! The shop is loaded up with flies, beads, lures, rods/reels and everything in between. We are still looking for some additional shop employees, so if you or someone you know might be interested give us a call…231-745-3529.
We will be hosting our Spring Clean-Up – Saturday, May 4th. We will publish a detailed schedule soon, but please save the date! It’s a great event to keep our incredible resource clean and preserved. Giving back will pay back…the river has given me so much! So please make an effort to join us…it’s a fun time with a great group of people.
I took a day off last week to spend time with family and friends…sorry for skipping a weekly report. But, it was much needed mental and physical break from a long hard season. We are still grinding daily for steelhead and trout. After this week, I plan on exclusively targeting trout with maybe a chance at a couple steelhead here or there. With the slower steelhead run, the trout are really fired up on the salmon fry. Fewer eggs then normal, they are in attack mode! Streamer fishing has been pretty good the few times we have done it. Smaller baitfish/fry patterns or darker natural tunes (Black & Olive) worked well a few days last week.
The warmer afternoons have still be generating decent stone fly hatches and even some BWO’s. Random rising trout have been spotted, but nothing consistently looking up…not yet! We could see an early dry fly season? I am going to have streamer & dry fly gear in my boat everyday from here on out as an option. When conditions are “right” it’s a blast banging the banks and wood waiting on an attack!!!
We are about to enter a transition period…from Steelhead to trout. Traffic will start slowing down, the banks will be greening up and the river will enter another phase of the year…Trout Season!!! May and June are great months for dry fly fishing the evening hatches and streamers when the water levels are up. We have plenty of openings for guide trips in May, June and July…give us a call to get a date or two on the books…231-745-3529. After this tougher steelhead season I am looking forward to the relaxed pace of trout season! Waiting and watching the river for the hatch to develop and pick out a couple rising trout to cast too. Hunting the river…That’s a great place to be!!!
As stated earlier, we are just on the front edge of our trout season. Stay tuned for developments! The season is like a great piece of music…starting off slowly with hendricksons; then sulphurs begin popping; now toss in a bunch of drakes & Iso’s; peaking with hexes (but NOT over); transitioning into amazing and explosive terrestrial fishing…plus, the after-dark action throughout. I am excited and ready!!! May/June will be here soon and that’s one of my favorite times on the Pere Marquette river for a dry fly fisher.
Thank you for all the support and business this spring! Great being so busy guiding, seeing customers at the Shop/Motel and anglers on the river. It is a “small world” full of amazing people all spending time on the river. Good luck out there and see you out there!
Later,
John Karakashian