New Shop Hours 8am – 6pm Daily
The Fall River Clean-Up will be this Saturday – October 24…Please reach out to the shop (231-745-3529) ahead of time to let us know if you are planning on attending…it’s nice to have a “ballpark” headcount to prepare for the BBQ appreciation dinner. 9am at the shop to assign beats, grab trash bags, figure out pairings and take a photo. The shop will provide the trash bags and cover your car spot fee, plus we will be hosting a BBQ at Steve’s barn next door at 6pm. It’s always a very satisfying day with lots for great stories, some treasures collected and tons of laughs!!! Great river karma and possibly even a steelhead or two might get caught??? We hope you can join us for the day and help protect & persevere our beloved Pere Marquette River!
The king salmon are in our “rearview” and we are now focused on steelhead & trout. This past week has yielded some pretty good steelhead action despite the conditions. The river is back to low and clear, plus we had “blue bird” days all week…and the extended forecast looks the same for the next week or 10 days. It has been really nice out there, but certainly making it challenging in the low/clear water. The trees are colored up and leaves are dropping fast. It is a beautiful time to spend a day (or two) on the river chasing steelhead!
There are still some fresh kings trickling up the river along with cohos and steelhead. Salmon are still spawning here are there, but fading fast. The traffic has also tapered off significantly. Covering water and “knocking on lots of doors” has been the most productive approach for me. But, being at the “right place at the right time” will also pay dividends. Take your time and grid out each run and pool (from the inside working out).
We have been throwing the “kitchen sink” at them…fly fishing, bead fishing and tossing plugs/spinners. Beads in natural colors (pale oranges, peaches and yellows in 8-12 mm) have been getting some attention. Plus, don’t be afraid to try some bigger/brighter colors (flies & beads) as the water temps drop…big and bright sometimes gets their attention in cold water. Proper presentation and patience will fool the fish even if “X” amount of boats have fished through that water. The right time & place with quality drifts is paying dividends.
We still have some excellent Guide dates available and lodging at our Motel. Give us a call and check availability….231-745-3529. My open dates are October 26 – 28 November 16 – 19, 24, 25 & 27 – 30, but Steve, John Robinson and Donnie Richards all have some days available. We have our fingers on the pulse of the river and deploy all fishing tactics…fly fishing or spin fishing or both! We just love catching fish and giving the clients the experience they are looking for and walk away smiling!!!
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.
This is one of my favorite times of the year! I always look forward to June and November each year and think fondly of all the great experiences/memories built during those two months in Michigan. I am 100% converted to steelhead fishing/guiding, but can switch to streamers for browns and steelhead at a moments notice. Fall streamer fishing can be extremely productive when the conditions are right. I love stripping streamers for aggressive fall fish! The visual strike is the addictive ingredient; it is a lot of work with fewer bites….but, the encounters you will never forget!
Here we go!!! Super excited about the next 6 weeks and the fish we are going to catch and even lose…sometimes, the heart-broken battle is a better story/memory then the grip-n-grin. The steelhead have been HOT and extremely hard to handle…we have lost many more then we have landed. They are a humbling fish, but that is what makes them so special…they are NOT easy to catch!
Good luck out there!
John Karakashian
