Shop Hours 8am – 6pm Daily
We have set a date for our Spring River Clean-Up…Saturday May, 3, 2025. Stay tuned for details and please save the date!
Another crazy week in the books. The weather and water levels were all over the place last week!!! Things should stabilize this week, but we still have some cold days & nights in the extended forecast. All this colder water should help keep some fish in the system longer and extend our season…hopefully!?!? Over all fishing was a bit tougher last week with higher water levels and water temps dropping mid-week, but we still found some players everyday. The hardest part (but actually very fun) was trying to land fish from the boat…talk about a “fire-drill”!
Currently, The water level in the upper sections is perfect. Still a bit colored up in the middle and lower sections, but not too bad. All sections are fishable and holding fish. Please exercise caution when wading and rowing a boat in higher flows.
The high water concentrated fishing pressure last week into the upper sections. That certainly added to the “chess” game of finding key locations throughout our float trips. Overall, “knocking on lots of doors” and covering water paid off vs. sitting on a spot or two all day. Nothing new….Right place at the right time with proper presentation and you will find some players. Pools, runs and pocket water has been producing depending on water clarity and time of day. For big fish, our wild steelhead, act like little fish once they are back in the river. They are very good at “dissolving” into structure, under-cut banks and other hiding places.
We have been getting fish on nymphs, fry patterns and eggs. Don’t be afraid to try different patterns or your own “home-brew” patterns…they are opportunistic feeders! Fry patterns and cross-dressers are starting to become a staple for me. Small black stones have been hatching with the nicer weather. Pheasant tails, caddis, hexes and sparrows are great flies in the spring too. It’s kind of been the same story with eggs…pale oranges, pinks and creamy clowns have been very good, but chartreuse & OC are getting some attention too. Nukes, glo-bugs, estaz eggs and rag style clowns are all effective and proven patterns. Same theme with beads…soft oranges & light pink 8mm to 12mm have helped drain some bobbers (No beads in the “Fly Water”). Gauge your fly or bead size accordingly with water levels/clearity…low water = natural sizes and tones…higher water = bigger/brighter offerings.
Just a friendly reminder…beads are NOT legal in the “Flies-Only” section (even if pegged above a fly). Plus, it’s a 1 fish (Steelhead) limit from Gleason’s Landing to Lake Michigan year round…1 fish per person per day.
My guide schedule will be starting to open up a bit come Mid-April. If you are interested please contact the shop. My current available dates are April…4/17, 18, 20 – 23. We do have a few guides with open dates available throughout April. Plus, availability for Lodging at our Motel…Call the shop to lock in a guide trip(s) and/or Lodging…231-745-3529.
It’s not too early to start thinking about late spring and/or summer trout fishing! I have heard of some good streamer reports over the last couple weeks, seen some dry fly action on black stones on the warmer afternoons and salmon fry getting sharked in the back-eddies! Watching the river come to life gets the juices flowing for summer evening hatches and fishing in sandals. We are not too far away…It won’t be long unto the first brown trout is caught on a dry fly. Once the weather warms back up and stabilizes; I will toss a dry fly rod in the boat. Plus, I might mix in some streamer fishing if the customers want to mix it up a bit…why not!!
The shop is loaded up on steelhead and trout fishing gear. We have everything for your fishing needs….flies, tying materials, bait, hardware, fly rods/reels, beads, bobbers, centerpins, bait casters, spinning gear, waders, outerwear, swag….we got what you need no matter how you want to fish.
Another chapter is in the books chasing wild steelhead on the Pere Marquette River!!! I am ready and excited to make some great new memories & stories this week! Good luck out there and have fun!!! Please respect each others space and if in doubt…”ask before you cast”!
Later,
John Karakashian
