A Day on the Water

I launched at Point Mouillee State Game Area.  Lots of Ducks, Herons, an Eagle and 4 Pelicans flying in mild wind conditions. A strong north wind quickly blew up with cold heavy rain.  I turned the corner and headed north looking for protected edges.  I sheltered in a phragmites thicket for 10 minutes until it let up.  As I continued north it settled back into dry low wind conditions so I began casting to phragmite edges. It was slow until I caught a few sluggish Pike on slow rip and fall retrieves that were small enough so it would be...

I got in above the coffer.  It was crowded with bottom bouncers, I was one few bobber guys to stick it out.  Not many fish jumping or being caught.  Several jigs didn't touch a fish.  First cast with an 8mm UV Orang Big Hole bead took the first really big steelhead.   I tried trailing other color bead and flies behind behind it and got nothing until I retied with a single 8mm Glow Apricot bead with a UV Pink spot.  That took a smaller big male and a brown.  Before getting those fish I thought I had hits and 2...

Salmon Alevin imitations have been popular this spring.  I learned how to get the little eyes securely Super Glued on without getting any excess glue in the yolk sac.  That is important so the soft Glo-Bug yarn yolk sac will not obstruct the hook gap.  The key is a procedure is explained at the end, using the wax paper and the tools shown.  The Tan Yarn on top soaks up a precise bit of glue to make the fly durable but keeps the belly yarn clean and soft.                  The Tan top yarn is tied mid head...

Water was up to 1900 Cubic Feet per Second and good Color.  Not many fishermen here on this Friday.  I saw one fish power up and over the coffer dam.  I watched a lot of guys hook fish before I finally hooked a bright Hen about 3 pounds on a #8 Rubber Leg Black Stone Fly Jig.  I gave up on the slower, shallower water at the tail of the pool and moved up to fish the faster, deeper and turbulent water upstream.  An Olive Rubber Leg Jig quickly hooked a good fish and I fought in  close where he...

Very few steelhead at Tippy Dam, we may see a couple lean years due to Covid reducing hatchery production.  Natural Reroduction Rivers may be better than normal if there is less competition from hatchery fish out in the great lakes.  I got one brown Trout pretty quick on a Nuke Minnow Jig.  I got a small skipper steelhead on an 8mm UV Big Hole Orange bead.  He seemed to hit after I had retrieved it several feet.  I stuck with that a wile longer before trying 3 other bead colors and 3 other jig colors, nothing.  First cast with a...