Shop Hours 8am to 6pm Daily
The river is very high and you should exercise extreme caution floating for the next several days. Wade fishing is out of the question, unless you are standing on the bank (even then, your boots will be wet). The upper river is right at the top of the banks in most areas and out of the banks in the middle river and “Blown-Out” in the lower sections. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!!!
We have been experiencing a great season and last week’s action was great! It’s nice to have so many fish around in Mid-April. The “normal” winter kept the fall and winter fish from spawning until March (instead of February). A real Michigan winter has us back on normal spring fishing conditions again. Thanks to everyone that has been keeping us busy…we appreciate the support!!!!
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.
The river is high & dirty and starting the crest in the upper sections. However, we have more rain forecasted for the next several days, but the warm temps and thirsty vegetation is absorbing lots of moisture. All the creeks are full, so it might take awhile to “drain the pipes”? Stay tuned and we will keep you posted. The middle and lower sections are “Blown -Out” right now and will be for a few days (or longer depending on the weather). This should wrap up our steelhead season with a bang…next week should fish great and we have lots of openings…give us a call.
There are still plenty of fish throughout the system. We should see more fish exiting the system with this high water, but we will get some news too. It’s been a great run thus far!!! There is still is a great mixed bag of new spring fish, colored up spawners and drop-backs. The trout bite fired up last week and we boated several very nice browns while steelhead fishing.
Fishing pressure was very high at times this season! It’s pretty straightforward…”treat others as you would like to be treated”. Resect your fellow anglers and their space…”ask before you cast” is the best policy.
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 did see stoneflies and BWO’s hatching on the river last week, but only a few trout were rising. Very exciting to see and it 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 throughout April). Streamer fishing is becoming a very good option with the warming water temps. I spent one day streamer fishing with decent success, but it was a blue bird day. Donnie had a couple good days when the conditions were better and did great! 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!!!!!!!
I am selling some used gear. If you are interested, please contact the shop (231-745-3529) with your contact information and I will reach out to you.
2 – Sage 790-4 Igniter (7 wt 9″ 4 pc.) – EXCELLENT condition $450 each
1 – Sage 8100-4 ONE – GOOD condition $300
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!
John
