05-06-08

Wet cool Spring weather has been on the menu here in the U.P. over the past few days. Rivers are currently running high, but cold & clear for the most part. Steelhead are still present in many rivers across upper Michigan with most fish either finishing up their spawning or spawned out. A few chrome Steelhead are still being caught since water temps are still only in the mid 40's. If this cool weather keep up we should have Steelhead around in fishable #'s for a while. This past week Jeff from Ohio landed a very rare catch- a Springer Chinook that surprised us to say the least(see pic below). A few of these fish are caught every year on the Great Lakes tributaries, all are females for some reason. On the west coast (Pacific Ocean) a very reliable run of these fish enter the rivers every Spring. Quite the battle in heavy Spring runoff conditions! Resident Brook Trout and Brown Trout fishing has been steadily picking up as the water temps have been rising. Today I saw the first rising Brook Trout of the year, a pleasant sight after fishing subsurface for 6 months! As water temps warm the biggest Brook Trout of the season will be on the hunt for an easy meal-it's time for Trout fishing in the U.P.!

Ethel Disterheft, June 9,1910- May 3,2008 Rest in Peace Friend & Grandmother

05-01-08

Cold days & even colder nights has it feeling more like Winter in the morning here in the U.P. lately! The cold weather has caused rivers to drop in level and temps here this past week. Currently water temps are in the low 40's & rivers are running at a good level but are very clear. Steelhead and a few resident Trout have been grabbing well presented flies-eggs have been the main dish on the menu with a few fish interested in nymphs. There is quite a mix of Steelhead currently present- ranging from fresh chrome to dropbacks. The cold water conditions has slowed the spawning process down & fish are not so keyed in on finding gravel as soon as they get into the rivers. Forecast is calling for rain over the next few days so this should keep river levels at a favorable condition! Fly fishing in the U.P. for wild Steelhead-could life get any better?

04-24-08

Extreme high water had made for some difficult fly fishing here in the U.P. this past week. Rivers were @ flood stage for quite some time and have now finally crested and are falling. The unseasonably warm air temps melted our snow pack quickly and the rainfall just added even more water to the mix. Now that all the snow is essentially gone, rivers have begun to warm up. Currently water temps are in the 40's and Spring Steelhead are on the move. The past week the high water has made landing these feisty Steelhead quite a feat of accomplishment! Now that the warm weather is leaving us the snow is back in the forecast-opening day is calling for high is the lower 40's with a rain/snow mix. That is more like it weather wise for this time of the year here in the U.P.! The holiest day of the season is nearly upon us-Trout Opening day in Michigan. So many decisions to make- Steelhead, Brook Trout or Brown Trout fishing? You've thought all Winter about this day, good luck!

04-16-08

Heavy runoff over the past two days has rivers across the U.P. high and dirty-please use caution when wading right now. The past two days air temps have been in the mid to upper 60's, the snow melt from the high country is moving downhill fast into our river basins. It is now safe to say that Spring is here to stay as the forecast is calling for temps in the lower 50's for the near future. I was amazed to actually see a few buds on a tree yesterday on the river! Water temps are in the upper thirties currently and a few more Spring Steelhead have been trickling into the Lake Superior and Lake MIchigan streams. The long slow painful wait for Winter to end is finally over-this Winter was downright miserable with cold temps & late snows. I can't remember a Spring where it has been more satisfying to see the chrome sides of a fresh angry wild Lake Superior Steelhead on the end of a fly line!

04-10-08

Finally a break from the dismal arctic weather here in the U.P.! This past week saw temps in the fifties across the Upper Peninsula- this warm front provided for some much needed relief from this long Winter we have been enduring. The warm air temps/rain melted off a fair amount of snow which has the rivers of the U.P. running a bit high with a nice stain to the water. Water temps are 35-38 degrees and holding steady for the most part. A few fresh Steelhead are showing up & those that have been Wintering are getting more active with the warm up & melt off. The forecast is calling for more snow over the next few days-this should help keep water levels ideal. Spring Steelhead- game on!

03-30-08

The light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to shine very dimly-the first signs of Spring arriving are currently happening here in the U.P.! Fly fishing here in the U.P. has been very challenging as of lately, but this past week the holdover Steelhead from this Fall seemed a bit more interested in eating some meals! Steelehead are hanging out in the slowest, darkest & most cover filled areas they can find. Air temps in the upper thirties & lower forties helped break up some of the shelf ice & warm the stream temps a bit. Still our rivers are very clear and cold-not much melt off has happened yet. The melting snow acts like an ice cube when the melt off does occur, so the water temps are still in the low to mid thirties. "Karl" the weather man is calling for a large storm to hit the U.P. tonite-10 inches of snow to fall across Marquette County! Still not time to put away the "yooper scooper" yet! Spring Steelhead is one day closer with each snowstorm that hits us-it's almost time!

03-25-08

Not much has changed here in the U.P. since last week at this time-still lots of snow in the woods that is slowly melting. We have been getting some warmer daytime temps that has been melting the snow pack ever so slowly, but the night time temps have been in the teens thus ending the melt off. The long term forecast is calling for temps in the mid to high thirties which will continue the slow melt off. River temps are in the low thirties and clear/low at this time-some tough conditions currently exist. Nonetheless there is no such thing as a bad day on the river! March=cabin fever month!

Easter weekend was spent downstate celebrating the holiday by spending some quality time on the Big Manistee River with guide and friend Jamie Clous of Fuller's NBOC (http://www.fullersnboc.com). It is still Winter down there as water temps are in the mid thirties and a few new Steelhead are beginning to show up. Words can't express how good it felt to feel some big headshakes and how different it was to fight Steelhead on such big water! Spring Steelheading is getting going down south of the bridge, not to much longer here! We have a few prime dates left for this spring, shoot over an email/phonecall to book your day of Yooper Steelhead!

03-18-08

Finally some warmer weather has come our way here in the U.P., but it is sure going to take a lot more to melt the snow we have piled up in the woods to get this Spring going! Officially this Thursday is the first day of Spring, you sure wouldn't know it from the looks of things around here! Over the last week we have received even more snow that has us set up perfect for a great season of water in all our rivers if our cool weather & normal precip. keeps up! No significant melt off has rivers running very clear & cold-we are still in a Winter fishery as shelf ice/ice flow is still a major issue. Steelhead and Trout are resting comfortably in wood & dark areas with not much current, waiting for some warmer water temps before they get to interested in eating & spawning. Thanks to all who stopped by & chatted @ the MFFC show in Warren, MI! We had a great time & look forward to seeing lots of new faces this year! Get ready, Spring Steelhead are coming soon!

03-02-08

Finally a break from the cold here in the U.P., it sure feels good to experience some temps in the upper 20's! This Feb. has been one of the coldest in recent history, an average of 10 degrees colder than normal. Needless to say that our snowpack hasn't received any meltoff for quite some time, so rivers are running very cold & clear at this time. This may change for a brief time period as the forecast is calling for rain/freezing rain. A small meltoff would be great to help out with getting rid of the large amount of shelf ice that is making fishing tough. Steelhead & resident Trout are present, but challenging conditions have made for some tough fishing. Persistency & patience pays off in cold water winter fishing! Sure feels good to get some big headshakes in the middle of Feburary, a good cure for cabin fever! This next Thursday we will be giving a presentation on "Steelhead & Lake Run Brown Trout of the U.P." @ Colton Bay Outfitters in Ann Arbor @ 6 pm on March 6-a fly tying demo will follow the presentation. Also we will attending the MFFC fly fishing show in Warren, MI on March 8 & 9. Stop by & say hi! The photos below highlight the Eben ice caves- a natural ice formation here in Marquette County. Every Winter these caves are formed by natural springs that seep water over a cliff band. The caves are ever changing with the meltoff as the weather cools & then warms.

02-13-08

Brutal, foul, hideous, nasty, or crappy-these are the only words i can think of to explain the weather here as of lately. Rivers are for the most part right now rather unfishable due to anchor ice or shelf ice. Steelhead and Trout are resting comfortably as little to no angling pressure has occurred for a fair period of time. Ice fishing is one of the only options going right now! Needless to say all of us here in the U.P. are looking forward to a spring warming trend! Right now we have been starting our tour of the midwest fly fishing shows, this past weekend we had the pleasure of attending the greater Cincinnati fly fishing show. It was a pleasure to talking fishing with everyone & getting geared up for spring! Prime dates have been beginning to fill rather fast, to insure prime fishing conditions for your outing to the U.P. this season drop us an email or phone call for available dates. THINK SPRING!

01-27-08

Downright arctic temp have had us pretty locked up for the past week or so-rivers are running the coldest & most iced up of the year, making for some extremely challenging/unfishable conditions. Since conditions have been better suited for ice fishing or running a team of sled dogs versus river fishing, a heated ice shanty has been getting used more than usual! It kinda helps get you your fix when daytime high temps are only reaching a degree or so above zero! The forecast looks like this ultra cold snap may be over soon, temps above the 20 degree mark will feel like a vacation in the islands! Winter in the U.P.-it will make you never take a warm summer day for granted again!

01-13-08

Rivers across the U.P. have risen since the last warming trend gave us some meltoff & rainfall. Heavy rains fell in some area of the U.P. and other areas just received drizzle/warm temps. This meltoff should bring in some fresh new fish to provide for some fun for the cold months ahead of us! Steelhead and Trout are still hiding in their typical Winter lies as water temps haven't really risen at all. This next week is supposed to be downright bitter, so frozen guides and cold fingers will be back! Below in the pics is a colored up Atlantic taken by Rob Lion of Marquette on a streamer, a great sign for the future of the Atlantic Salmon fishery on the St.Mays! Also below the pics is a link for a new video -"A season of fly fishing the Michigan's Upper Peninsula". Winter fishing is upon us, a great time to enjoy the serenity of the U.P.. Link-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gopdK8B-AU

12-20-07

Slow & cold. That pretty much sums up the fishing, weather, and water temps! The first time the mercury rose above the 30 degree mark in over two weeks was today, it felt like the skies had opened & a chorus of angels were chanting hallelujah as we enjoyed the warmth! HAAA! This next week temps are supposed to be a bit better with some precipitation in the form of snow & freezing rain should help raise river levels a bit. Very few new fish have entered the rivers lately & the cold water temps are making for some technical fishing. Good casts & persistency is key this time of the year, covering water thoughly catches Steelhead in cold water. Best wishes to all this holiday season!!

12-08-07

Burrrrrrr... That word pretty much sums up the weather here in the U.P. as of lately. Winter is here with a vengeance, subzero temps at night have the rivers running very cold/clear at the present time. Steelhead and Trout are resting comfortably in their Winter lies waiting for an easy meal that they don't have to exert much energy to grab. Sorry for the lack of fishing reports over the past few weeks-I migrated south with the cold weather to work in Grand Rapids laying bricks and rehabilitating wetlands. The trip south made me realize how special of a place the U.P. really is, there was a small stream that ran by the worksite & every time i would pass over it I found myself daydreaming about the place we call home. Quiet, peaceful, and undisturbed by mankind-the U.P.

11-22-07

Persistency & well placed casts pay off this time of the year when water temps begin to drop-with water temps in the upper to mid 30's we are entering our Winter fishery. While most were in the woods chasing the illusive whitetail buck, the rivers across the U.P. were void of other anglers. Always a great week to try for some chrome! The past week has seen some above average fish in the net-large lake run Brown Trout and Steelhead have been pulling on streamers and gobbling nymphs with some good consistency. Only a few coho remain in the rivers, so the egg bite has slowed. Slower water has been most productive as allot of fish have moved into the Winter lies. Snow & cold is in the forecast-looks like Winter may be just around the corner! This is the time of the year for the true Steelheader to enjoy the solitude of the U.P.

11-12-07

Some stable weather has finally fallen across the U.P. this past week-water temps are in the low 40's and no major precipitation has the rivers still very clear. Some absolutely great fish were brought to the net during the last week of fishing. The fall fishery this year has been lots of fun-swinging streamers and nymph fishing gives quite the differing approach for fall fishing! Steelhead, Coho and Lake Run Browns are very spread out-pocket water, holes, wood, and all other dark water have been holding fish. Looks like the weather is going to hold on as no significant snow or cold weather is headed our way for a while. Prime time to catch some big fish on the swing!!

11-06-07

High winds, snow, & rain have been the norm here across the U.P. the last week. Last night parts of the U.P. received a harsh dose of Winter reality when 10 plus inches of snow fell over the higher terrain! This cold front has lowered water temps to the low 40's & made for some very clear water conditions. Nonetheless fishing has still been solid as Steelhead, Lake Run Browns, and resident Trout have been quite active on egg patterns, nymphs, and streamers. The majority of the Salmon spawning is a thing of the past here as the egg bite has slowed dramatically. Some fish are still being taken on egg patterns, but streamer fishing has been lots of fun! Hopefully this next week the winds lay down a bit & some rain heads our way to bring a fresh push of chrome in to contend with. We are transitioning into our late Fall fishery where a some fish are finding their Winter lies as other new fish are entering the river systems & filling in different areas. Deer hunting? Why sit motionless in the woods when you can have a flyrod in hand hand during one of the finest times of the year to be on the river!

10-27-07

Winter is in the air here in the U.P.-with the forecast calling for a half inch of snow tonight water temps are dropping everyday. Currently rivers are running in the low fifties to high forties and they have cleared up considerably since last week. Salmon numbers are quickly lowering as the bulk of the run is over-a few new fish have been tricking in daily. Our focus now is Steelhead and Lake Run Browns-this time of the Fall is the best time to swing streamers for exciting strikes! The past week has been quite productive for both swinging flies and the egg bite. The Steelhead still seemed to be keyed in on the eggs with the large amount still present from the Salmon, but the Lake Run Browns have been chasing well presented streamers. Fall Steelhead and Trophy Lake Run Browns-the finest of the Fall fishery! Take a look at the pic below of the Brown Trout, i realized something wasn't right when fighting the fish.. at first i thought that it had a lamprey wrapped around its midsection-but upon landing the fish i was in disbelief.. it appears to be some type of a metal ring that sometime in the trout's life it managed to swim through.. weird.. the ring was safely removed by sliding it forward over the fishes head.. any ideas of what the ring is from?

10-22-07

Increased water flows across the Upper Peninsula have our silver friends moving upstream to take advantage of the egg bonanza that is currently happening. Many Steelhead have moved into the rivers here in the past week following up the Chinook Salmon that are actively spawning. Check out pic below to see how the Steel have been keying into eggs! Water temps are in the mid to upper fifties and most rivers are a bit high with clarity on the dirty side. Larger egg patterns have been key due to water conditions-clown, steelhead orange & chartruese have been putting a bend in the rod! Look for more fish to continue their journey upstream as more rain is predicted for the next week. Autumn chrome-damn, it feels good!

10-16-07

Steady rain, cold nights, and mass wind has been the norm here in the U.P. the past week. Rivers are up slightly with a near perfect stain to them currently. The cold rain has helped lower water temps down the lower fifties which has Salmon migrating upstream. Nearly all rivers that get a Salmon run currently have fish in them-most fish are spawning or very near gravel. The forecast is calling for more rain over the next four days which should help move some new Steelhead in from the lake. Fall fishing in the U.P.-Chinook, Coho, Pinks, Steelhead, and Lake Run Browns. So many fish-so little time till Winter hits!

10-09-07

More warm weather across the U.P. has water temps very warm for this time of the year, so the Salmon run is still slowly getting better. The last two days the mercury has finally been below 60 and large amounts of precipitation have fallen nearly across the entire U.P..-this increase in cool water should help things along quite nicely. Currently river levels are great & this new rain/colder temps is setting us up for a prime fall Steelhead run! The Salmon that are currently in the river systems are not wasting to much time getting to the gravel- the late run has these fish anxious to get their business done! The eggs that are currently getting washed around the river is what's for dinner for everyone else that calls the river home. A few very fresh Steelhead are beginning to show up & take advantage of the free meal!! Fall Steelhead-chrome & angry!

09-31-07

Warm weather across the U.P. has made for another beautiful week of Fall-mild daytime temps with cool evenings have water temps in the low to mid 60's which has the Trout fishing quite productive! This past week was the final countdown to get out and enjoy many of the rivers as they have closed this past weekend. The Fall Trout fishery is great-vibrant colors, nice weather & cooperative BIG fish! The Salmon are still trickling into the rivers-no big pushes with the way the weather has been. This week is calling for the same type of weather-high's in the 60's with a few showers. If this keeps up we will be fishing Salmon into December this year!!

	Watch Video - 22.7mb Underwater release of chinook

09-19-07

Across the interior parts of the U.P. fall colors are really beginning to show, but the closer you get to the shoreline the colors are still yet to really begin too much. High winds and sunny skies have dominated the weather pattern here int he last week of fishing in the U.P. making for some challenging conditions. Trout fishing has been absolutely great lately as the cool water & lack of fishing pressure has the pre-spawn fish aggressive towards several different techniques! Big Brook Trout have been putting the feed bag on quite heavily as their spawning time is approaching-lots of fun!! Salmon fishing remains about where it did last week at this time-a fishable number are around but a only a trickle more came in the rivers at this time. The warm temps have not dropped water temps at all since last week & a few isolated rain showers hasn't brought river levels up much. Look for fish to continue the slow migration until another heavy rainfall comes our way-then it should be on! Only a few days left of the Trout season-enjoy it now, it's a long cold wait till next season!

09-12-07

Rivers at this time across the U.P. are at what I would rate just about perfect levels-we received nearly 4 inches of rain that helped out tremendously with the low water conditions we had experienced for quite some time. Our weather pattern has made a complete 180 as last week we had dry 80 degree days and now we are barely reaching above the 50 degree mark with rain everyday-some areas of the U.P. actually had forecasts for snow last night! Late season Trout fishing has been lots of fun lately as the fish are once again happy since they have plenty of water! A small push of Salmon have entered some rivers with the last rainfall we received-high winds have made conditions rather challenging for surf casting opportunities lately. More rain is in the forecast so fish will continue to sniff out river mouths in the near future. Trout and Salmon fishing in September-the final days of summer!!

09-03-07

The last week has been spent on the Big Manistee River down below the bridge for some tackle testing early run Chinook from Lake Michigan-quite a different change of pace versus guiding for small resident Brook Trout! We have been lucky enough to be placed on a USFS guide permit to be able to run outings now on this great river-only for a few weeks a year (early Salmon) will limited dates be available. All other outings are here in the yooperland! These fish are lots of fun as they are very fresh & angry-hold on when you hook up! The majority of fish were in the middle to lower sections of the river (Bear Creek down held the highest #'s). If interested in next season please don't hesitate to contact us now as these dates will go quickly!

Across the U.P. some ridiculously needed rain finally came this past week- it helped a bit but we still need more. River levels are still low & very clear for this time of the summer. The next week is calling for rain everyday & it is currently raining right now. Brook Trout fishing remains steady but the terrestrials are beginning to end- streamer fishing will pick up shortly as the water temps are slowly lowering. In the surf a few Salmon are beginning to show up-this weeks menu of fishing consists of lots of surf casting. Getting served by a chrome Chinook in the surf is enough to make anyone smile!

08-23-07

Low and clear water conditions still exist across the U.P. as only a few brief rainshowers have fell over the past week. We have been getting some much colder evenings that have brought water temps down a bit, but a good soaker of a rain is in order to get the fall fishery going. Brook Trout fishing has been steady on the spring creeks with terrestails still being the main entree on the menu! The warmwater fisheries (Bass, Pike, and panfish) have provided some good times with the river conditions being as they are. Fall is coming soon and Salmon/Steelhead fishing is just around the corner!

08-11-07

If ever their was a time when the Upper Peninsula was in need of rain it is right now-currently over 19,000 acres are burning in the area north of Newberry. The wildfire is just south of the Two Hearted River and is only 25% contained after burning for now longer than one week. Across rest of the U.P. there has been several other wildfires that haven't been publicized because of the severity of the fire North of Newberry. River condition are still very low and warm at this time-some larger rivers should not be fished due to conditions. The spring creeks resident trout have been quite content with the water temps in the low 60's-this is the time of the year when these guys get the feed bag on for anything on the surface! Hoppers, ants, crickets, mayflies and the fly on the end of your line makes for a good meal for a not so discriminating Brook trout!

07-31-07

The dog days of summer are upon us here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan-lack of rain & tropical like temps have water levels very low for this time of the year. These water conditions cause resident trout to get very stressed during this time of the year-unless you are fishing spring fed streams any type of other stress (i.e.-fishing pressure can result in mortality). Cold water=happy Trout right now! Spring creeks have good populations of terrestrials bouncing around that have been providing tasty meals for hungry Brook Trout. This fishery has been quite productive here in the past two weeks! Because of the warm water conditions we have been focusing our efforts on warmwater fisheries & exploring other remote fisheries on the Superior shoreline. This is the time of the year to get out and enjoy the weather-sure beats the sub-zero conditions of Winter!

07-17-07

Unseasonably cool weather has been the norm the past week here across the Upper Peninsula-this cold front has provided some much needed rainfall to help bring rivers up from low summer levels. The cool weather & rain has created a great scenario for mid summer trout fishing! Water temps are very stable in the mid 60's and resident Trout have been grabbing Caddis, BWO's, Cahills, and a few Iso's from the surface. On the East end of the U.P. the Atlantic Salmon fishing has slowed quite substantially as large amounts of Hex have been coming off & trying to compete with the natural flies can prove to be difficult at times! This next week should be some quality Trouting as the forecast is calling for highs only in the 70's-mid summer fly fishing in the U.P! Can it get any more relaxing?

07-02-07

Warming water temps in the St.Mary's River system have the Hex beginning to emerge on the warmer days-this bug activity coupled with the rise in water temps have the Atlantic Salmon's diet switched almost completely from fish to bugs! These hex nymphs have been coming through in the thousands when the evening have been staying in the 70's. This large amount of bugs can either provide for some great opportunities or your fly is just a needle in a haystack when there is too many! The next week should be excellent as fresh fish are still showing up on a daily basis to provide some high flying acrobatics on the end of your line! Two dates left during prime time to get your chance to dance with Sal!