April 2014 Flood

Hi All

As most of you have herd or seen the flood pictures of the rivers up north this Spring. Although it is bad, it could have been much worse on the Pere Marquette River. We had a gradual melting with the water getting high a couple times it got up on the cement slab by our swing. If it would have all went at once it would have made 1986 Flood look like nothing. We were coming off a near record winter snow fall , so the writing was on the wall for something like this to happen and it did..We nearly hit 5000 at Scottville and the 1986 record was 6000..We didn't loose any bridges but a couple had water over the bridges and the roads..

The water has been dropping seance Tuesday afternoon and should be back to it's banks by Saturday. People( mostly guides) with drift boats are heading out with extreme caution to check out the river up top here M-37 to Gleasons Landing here today. I'm sure some trees will need some trimming. I'm on the water Saturday giving it a extra day to lower and clear. A boat just got under the bridge today. The last 2 pictures of the yard and bridge were just taken at 4 p.m. 4-17-14

So we have a few of our rooms open for the weekend and I'm open to guide on April 20,21,29 th.
May I'm open a bunch of days May 1,3,4,5,7,9,10 if you want to get in on some late Steelhead or Streamers for Big Brown Trout. Here are some pictures of our last outing April 12 th. and the flood that Started April 13th..

Tight Lines

Clint

Spring Has Sprung

Hi All

I'm seeing signs of Spring. About time. I'll keep this short. It's peak season for Steelhead and the water is busy with fisherman and fisher women..Have a safe adventure and respect the river at all times. Have heard of a few drift boats, sunken in high water. Be extra careful around the boat launches. Wading can be tricky know your water and stay dry.

Fishing has been good...

We have been having fun as you can see ! I have April 20,21,29,30 open to guide. We also have rooms open give us a call  and we hope to see you soon ! I'm ready to throw Streamers when ever you are and the water is getting right as well..

Tight Lines
Clint

Water Rising

Hi All

The water is on the rise. It's not over it's banks yet in my back yard but it's headed that direction..With that said use caution while boating and wading. Bring a little extra anchor and your "A" game rowing. Throw in a pair of work gloves to help pull your heavy anchor rope. Extra weight for your flyrods too..We had a nice day here yesterday and it was almost 60 deg..It stayed warm overnight for the first time in a while. The last few weeks have been winter temps during the day and arctic temps overnight and that kept the river at a slow melt till last Thursday.

We had a inch of rain last Thursday night and sense then the water has been stained and fishing was very good on Thursday 27th./ Friday 28 th. during the rise . I had a slow bite on Saturday and Sundays trips but most of that was due to LOTS of traffic and bright sun. The fishing improved some on Sunday night and Monday. The fish needed to adjust to the extra water and debris so knowing there next move is important for a good day..

I had 4 days open up for next week due to changes in peoples schedules and they all re-booked for later dates in April.  April open dates are 8,9,10,11,20,21,29,30..

Here are some pictures from Thursday/ Friday last week..We caught some nice trout and hooked some Steelhead over the weekend but like I said above boat traffic and bright sun got the best of us..The fish are in the system but some days they hide very well..

Tight Lines, Good Luck Fishing 

Clint

Still Cold

Hi All

Well the fly fishing remains good. Still fishing holes and runs for the most part with eggs and nymphs. The fish in the system would love to be spawning in 38 to 42 deg. water by now but those days are still weeks away. There is some spawning going on in 34 deg water but not much. We still have a foot of ice and crusty snow left in the woods and lots of thick ice on lakes to melt. So far it has been a slow melt but unseasonably cold. The guys doing guided trips with us on the river have been toughing it out despite the cold and for that we all thank them. The fish have been biting which helps keep them in the game and there mind off there cold fingers and constant ice build up in the guides.

My guide schedule has shifted around some.. My open dates are March 25,26,27,30,31..
                                                                                                April 1,9,10,11,18,20--24, 29,30

I have some great later season dates for those wishing to get in on some warmer weather and more Trout fishing mixed in with the later part of the Steelhead season.. We also have some great room openings here at the lodge as well..Give us a call...

Tight Lines
Clint

Much nicer than last week..

Hi All

With the warm up we have had some good water open up. Fish are moving up slowly from the lake. Lower river is still locked up, some is starting to open up where the sun hits it. From reports I've herd from car spotters is the Pere Marquette River open river from M-37 to Walhalla.

Today I ice fished with Sean Mc Donald, Chris R. and Jeff S.. We all caught Perch and Crappy mostly on minnows. It was wicked cold and windy, 30+ mph on the lake shore. If we didn't have shanty's we wouldn't have lasted very long out there. Today it felt like below zero and yesterday it was 42 deg.( go figure). Yesterday I was on the river with John Robinson fun fishing /scouting for Steelhead. The PM fished well and was a very nice day to bend a rod. All the fish were on egg flies. They were picky about the egg fly, you needed the right ones.

In a couple days we will warm up again and hopefully it will stay around a while longer. There is a few more fishermen/ fisher women showing up. But it's not what I would call busy out there yet. A few fish are working on some beds but most are still in the holes and runs. There is still a foot of dense snow to melt in the woods so until that's all gone the water is pretty chilly.

Spring Steelhead are here and the fish are acting like it too even if it's cold, there are still chomping flies and plugs. My open dates are March 14--19, 21,24,27,30,31
                                       April 1,2,11,15--18, 20--24,26,29,30

The Spring run is near and fishing is improving. Get out and fish!! Last ice is near too, decisions, decisions..


Tight Lines
Clint

Still Snowing

Hi All

Just plowed again. It has been a very cold week. Most of the shelf ice has reformed with lots of anchor ice and slush rolling down the Pere Marquette River. Walked in for a hour or so and went 1 for 1. It was more for exercise than anything. Lots of narrow spots and no place to pull over and park a boat. It was barely fishable. I gave it a go and cracked one on a egg fly. Said that's enough after another half hour. Fished 2 spots. Herd from a friend Gleasons Landing was down to a very narrow path and pretty much froze across, you would have a hard time getting a boat out of there without some man power.

So that being said warmer weather is near. I see some 29-34 deg..Heat wave kinda stuff.. It will take a couple warm days to get things back to where they were about 7-10 days ago when launches were opening up a little and shelf ice and anchor ice was gone. I'm guessing if we get the warm up there calling for things will be ok to good by Friday or Saturday and get back to somewhat fishable here on the PM..

I'm open to guide any day next week if you want to get in a half or full day and take advantage of the warm up..It's been a long cold winter..

Spring dates are filling.. March open dates 15-19,21,24,27,30,31.
                                    April open dates  1,2,11,15-18,20,21,23-30.

Tight Lines
Clint

WANTED " Warning graphic pictures below"

Hi All

I have some bad news. There is a WANTED man/ woman on the loose here in Lake County. He/ she has been killing WILD female/ hen Steelhead for the past few weeks out of the Flies Only No Kill section of the Pere Marquette River ONLY for there eggs and throwing the fish back in the river or on the banks to rot. Chances are very good there using bait to catch the fish. Chances are pretty good there running a spinning or centerpin rig also. So keep on the lookout and please call the Report All Poaching line 1-800-292-7800  if you have any information from the past month you can share that may help lead to a arrest. We have found 3 or 4 carcases total in these locations Miss Smiths, Tom Jacks,Spruce holes all 3 spots are between the Baldwin River mouth and the Claybanks. Here is a picture below of the poachers work.

I'm not against people keeping a fish to eat and using the eggs/spawn to catch more fish. But this is poaching in this section of river. Also a ethics issue of discarding a fish or animal just to lay to rot. Same as when people kill animals just for horns, or kill Deer just to leave them lay with a Block Permit that farmers get to thin the herd 20-100 Deer at a time to cut back on crop damage. These folks just don't understand rules are rules. There is hundreds and thousands of miles of river out there where you can perform this vulgar crap without a hitch. This person wants to make a statement. So we need to make ours and catch this piece of crap ! He obviously doesn't remember or never took a Hunters Safety course. Chapter #1 Ethics in 1984 when I took the course.

Beads are another hot topic in the Flies Only No Kill section of the Pere Marquette. We are finding them in the trees and also in the snags. Beads are not flies, glue beads are not flies, Otter eggs are not flies but all 3 can be used in the artificals only section Gleasons to Rainbow Rapids and Rainbow Rapids to Lake Michigan. The rigging on beads/ plastics must be on the hook or slid right to the eye of the hook. Rigging a bead 1/2" to 6" up from the hook is illegal. The Otter eggs I like they go right on the hook. Once again there is hundreds and thousands of miles of rivers in the State of Michigan where beads and Otter eggs are fine. These folks just don't understand rules are rules.

So the DNR needs help from the sportsman and sportswomen to educate people that don't know how to read, or just think the rules don't apply to them and there Special. So let's try to make them feel Special with there name & picture in the news and a court date with fines.

On a BRIGHTER note I have been catching Steelhead. I have walked in a few times when the weather was nice last week and had 2 days without chipping ice out of the guides. Now were back to winter and another arctic blast with single digits and sub-zero temps for the next week or so. The phones are ringing for Spring reservations on rooms and trips. So don't wait till the last min. to book.

I still have some peak Steelhead dates open to Guide March 24th.--28th., March 30th.--April 4 th., April 14th.--18th. Weekday openings mostly Sundays -Fridays when traffic is less and fishing is best!

Sorry about the Bad news and the Rant but it is ALL OF OUR resource to protect and we all have cameras, video cameras, and phones. Please make the call and help. 1-800-292-7800

Tight Lines
Clint