Shop Hours 8am – 6pm Daily
It’s April and it feels like I have been chasing my tail and burning the candle at both ends. However, it feels great and I am extremely thankful for being so busy on and off the river!!!! THANK YOU!!! It’s awesome to see so many people enjoying the resource!!! The PM is truly amazing!!! Each and every day I count my blessings!
We are on the “down-slope” of a high water event. It is wonderful to see and very healthy for the river…we needed a good flush (it’s been over-due). Please be safe and prepared for new obstacles. Trees will drop, sweepers will slide, logs will travel down river & that’s the fun of fishing a river. It constantly changes, evolves and we need to re-learn the holding pattern. After all, “you never fish the same river twice”. That is what keeps you intrigued and we will never mastering our craft. Everyday is different! You need to try new drifts, check new bubble lines, it’s nice looking at the river differently after high water…we have to get reintroduced and further our knowledge. Even though we have close to 100 years of guiding experience (combined) on our staff…we will have to be educated from this event. The high water event is very exciting! I look forward to checking out how “Mother Nature” remodeled our office.
The river is dropping fast in the upper sections, but still above normal and running in a heavy tea color. The middle and lower river will need some more time to flush out the sand, grass, leaves and debris. Fish are coming and going out of the Lake right now, so it’s not a bad idea to fish the middle and lower river. It just might be a couple more days until the river has good visibility for the fish down there. We have some more questionable weather forecasted for this week, so please keep an eye on the river gauges before you fish (or call the shop for current information).
There are still plenty of fish throughout the system, with new fish arriving daily. It has been a mixed bag of fresh spring fish, colored up spawners and even a few drop-backs. The trout bite fired up last week and we boated several very nice browns while steelhead fishing. Traffic is increasing and will probably continue to as we head into April. Please be considerate of other anglers and their space! It’s pretty straightforward…”treat others as you would like to be treated”.
The nymph bite has been very good lately…fry patterns, black stone flies, hexes/wiggler patterns and PM blondes (in several different colors). Egg patterns and beads are always a must! Pale oranges, bright oranges, chartreuse, clowns and larger rag eggs in brighter colors have caught fish for me recently. Once again, adjust your tippett, fly sizes and color spectrums to match the water level/color. Same theory with beads…any where from 8mm to 14mm have been working. (Please remember that beads are illegal in the “flies only” section of the Pere Marquette River).
We experienced a large stonefly hatch in the middle river last week, but only a few trout were rising. Very exciting to see and gets me looking forward to some dry fly fishing! So, it’s not too early to start thinking about some afternoon dry fly fishing. Once the weather stays warm, I will be tossing a dry fly rig in the boat. Trout season is right around the corner (we are weeks away from the Official “Trout Opener”)…take a look at your schedule and start making plans for your summer trout fishing. We have some great dates still open for May & June!!!
We still have some availability for guide trips and lodging…give us a call to make a reservation 231-745-3529. Personally, my openings are April 19 – 22 more openings the following week (But we still have guides with some great dates available in throughout April). We really should see an extended season with that cold snap we experienced…plus, streamer fishing is becoming a very good option with the warming water temps. I have heard of a couple very good reports from some friends that have been streamer fishing recently. Adjust your patterns to the conditions…small and natural in low water (or a bright day) and bigger & flashier in higher water (or low light). Starting in mid-April, we have lots of availability for streamer trips with some steelhead mixed into the day.
I would like to thank everyone that has booked guide trips, lodging and supported our shop!!!! Because of your continued support and our amazing guides & staff; we will be celebrating 30 years in the business this July. An incredible accomplishment in this industry!!! We have been very busy this spring so far and truly appreciate the business….THANK YOU!!!!!!!
We will be hosting our annual Spring River Clean-Up on Saturday – May 2. Please keep it on your radar. We will post more specific details as we get close to the event. I just wanted to drop it into a report for planning purposes. We would love to have you with or without a boat.
There are still opportunities to join our team….
BBT Fly & Tackle Shop is seeking full and/or Part Time Retail Sales Associates
Description:
We are seeking a passionate, knowledgeable individual to provide top-tier customer service, assist with rod, reel, fly, tackle and accessories selections, manage point-of-sale operations in an often fast-paced environment and take reservations for Guide Trips & Motel Rooms.
Requirements:
A solid foundation of knowledge in fly, spin and bait fishing as well as the equipment needed, experience with POS systems, and strong interpersonal skills. (Interpersonal skills is the only actual unconditional requirement as the right person could be trained on the rest.)
Responsibilities Include:
Assisting customers with gear, taking reservations, managing inventory, and maintaining a clean and inviting shop/work environment.
Experience Needed:
This varies a lot depending upon your work ethic, personality and ability to learn, but being “experienced in fly and/or spin fishing” is most certainly a major bonus as is some history in retail sales…
Benefits:
Employee discounts are nearly universal, alongside product discounts direct from many of our manufacturers and a very laid-back work environment despite the fact that it can and does get hectic at times. Pay raises will be quickly granted based on good performance as we are looking for long term employee(s).
“It’s the shop environment, spending time with quality like-minded individuals, talking hunting and fishing all day…, quality of life, low pressure work environment… the list is long!!!”
So, please call the shop and talk with either Jake or Jimmy if you have any questions about the position. Applications can be picked up at the shop and résumés can be dropped off there or emailed to [email protected]
(231) 745-3529
Good luck out there & “Let’s Go!!!”
John
