Another Blessing of the Bike Weekend has passed.

May 22, 2013

Hi All

The Blessing of the Bikes is behind us. Our town is quiet till next year.. It's a fun weekend for most and the weather was great for Saturday and Sunday sunny and 75 to 80..Friday when a large portion of people were heading up it was rainy and cold. Most of our check-ins were wet and some shaking cold..

I was out Trout fishin some this past week with friends casting with both streamers and lures.One day was pretty tought fly fishing,Tommy and I got crispy, in a hot all day sun. The other day was a decient bite and we had some clouds while rowing some friends pitching lures. Lots of 8"-16" fish were after those bait fish patterns.

Yesterday I was helping with some projects on John's big lake boat. Then we did a shake down run on a small inland lake trying for some Walleyes with no luck on eyes but did get 5 perch not keeper size.The 24' Great lakes Special ran well and we then rigged it for the big lake and had some lines to rig as well. This a.m. we went to Ludington to find out if we could find a few fish..We ( John Robinson," Katch Me" Sean Mc Donald and I ) set up and went 7 for 8 from 7 till 10:30a.m.. Then the rain started and we pulled lines and got out of there..

The fish were caught from 30' to 150' down in 200-250 FOW on dipsy divers, downriggers, and coppers. We caught Kings, Coho, Steelhead on this trip out. No Browns or Lakers..We saw a window for today's weather then it's suppose to blow and get ugly with 8'-15' waves the next couple days and a cool down. So the lake will be stired up and scatter the water that was setting up nice thermoclines that help you find fish and pattern them somewhat. So after a big blow it could take a week or longer before the water gets good again..So we went ! And had a great time ! Thanks John..We all had a Jones for some big lake fishen..Good first trip out..

Don't know much else, Memorial Day weekend is coming up quick and we still have some rooms open for Friday and Sunday. Only one double open for the whole weekend so were filling up which is a good thing..Hope to see you up here sometime this summer..

Tight Lines
Clint

Streamer fishing is on!

May 15, 2013

Hi All

The weather is getting really nice. Spring is here and so is streamer season. Were getting a mix of drop back Steelhead and some nice browns. Water levels are perfect and there is just enought stain to the water to get it done. Dry flies are hatching in the afternoons and evenings but there isn't a lot of fish rising to them during the day, must be nymphing. I see a couple small ones rise occasionaly. I haven't been out a evening yet to see if the big ones are rising. Jeff Hubbard and I went on a rainy day in the Pere Marquette and caught a few small browns and a Steelhead and I took Pete and Ken out on the Manistee yesterday and caught some nice chunky Browns 16" to 20" range.

All the Trout had Chesnut Lamphry on them on the PM and Big Man I have never seen it like that before. My guess is all the heavy water we had this year washed a lot of Lamphry out of the tribs. I've never seen that many around on the main stream of either river. Chesnut Lamphry are native and won't kill there host and unlike black Sea Lamphry which will hang on till the fish is dead . The fish may be eating the Lamphry and getting a few stuck to them in the process of the raid. Not sure but the color of big fly I used was real close to the ginger color of the Lamphry.

If your intrested in a guided trip I'm open most days and if I'm booked I'll be more than happy to find you a great guide. Give us a call this Trout season and well take you down our beautiful West Michigan Rivers..

Trout fishing, mushroom hunting and dirt biking.

May 8 th. 2013

Hi All

What is not to love about Spring. Getting outside and enjoying great activities, except one mowing the darn lawn.. I had Pete and Al last week Friday for some late Steelheading and Trout fishing. The fishing was very good as it has been of late. Dirt biking has been good as well. The dirt bike I forgot about for a few years has the dust blow off and is running great. Mushrooms have been up for a while now and the blacks and grey morells are almost done and the white morells are starting soon. Usually when I mow my lawn for the very first time is when the whites pop up, some even in the front yard. I mow carefully the first time. We are pretty slow for this weekend so come on up and do Mothers Day weekend up north at the Red Moose Lodge? Next weekend will be nuts with the Blessing of the Bikes motorcycle rally. Stay in touch and come on up and try the Trout fishing..

Tight Lines
Clint

Trout fishing is very good..

May 2nd. 2013

Hi All

Well a lot of trout are headed home after the Trout opener to a frying pan..It was a good weekend for the people that made it out for the big opener. Mushrooms have been poping too ( speaking of a frying pan)and the harvest for them is in full swing as well. I have been helping a friend Jeff get his KTM EXC200 ready for the trails. Him and I looked at it and he bought it a few weeks ago and it just needed some cleaning up and a few nuts and bolts were missing from ratteling out. Over all the bike is ready to go so the weather is right and the trails are calling.

I had a half day trip on Tuesday for Steelhead and Trout with Pete and Ken and it was great fishing for a half day the bite was very good .We landed a bunch of fish on streamers and nymphing rigs. We didn't take a ton of pictures mostly because both these guys catch a lot of Trout and so quick releases were the norm for the day. Biggest Brown was 17" smallest was 5" and some nice Steelhead were landed and lost. These warm water Steelies have NOS systems hooked up compaired to Winter and cold water Spring steelies. Some dries are poping off and a few fish are rising to them, mostly smaller fish is all I have seen eating them..

I have a bunch of good dates open to guide. If intrested in a trip give us a call and well wet a line. The Trout are really happy with the water temps and flow is perfect. I would say the river is full joy conditions wise.

Trout Opener Tomorrow

April 26 , 2013

Hi All

Today we getting ready for the big opener. Trout Season..Along with the re-Open of Walleye,Pike, Musky on Inland lakes and catch and release Bass (small and large mouth) seasons..I always love the guys that cast a line in the water at 12:01 a.m.with there fork stick in the ground, lantren on and a beer in hand sitting on a lawn chair. Classic..All you worm guys pretty please carry out your beer,pop,water and worm containers PLEASE..

I'm not sure what to do with myself for tommrow. This is the first Trout Opener I haven't been booked in a long, long time. Should I fire up the SS Minnow and troll for Walleye, dirt bike, or go streamer fishing?? I will be doning one of those thing. Usually I'm sitting in my drift boat (guiding) daydreaming about doing those things on the opener. I need to hatch a PLAN..

The Pere Marquette River is doing great..Back in it's banks. Becoming more wadeable each day. Still lots of Steelhead around first and last light are best for them. Lots of Trout still hanging around the spawning Steelhead.

I would also like to correct myself from my last report on April 4 th. Chase Creek Smokehouse is not open yet..I was taking Rose to the groomer Wednesday and stopped by took a quick picture. The place looks awesome, it's going to be really, really nice..As of now the front door area and the interior is still getting put in place..I must have gotten some bad info and herd it was open..Sorry looks like another month or so..

If anyone is intrested in a guided trip I'm open most days now, call and we will try to get you out on the water for the end of Steelhead season or casting streamers for Big Brown Trout..

Tight lines
Clint 

Great Fishing

April 20 th. 2013

Hi All

All I can say is the fish are here..They are hard to find but when you do they can be caught and the bite is better than normal. Lets see, they can't see the boat, the angler, the line, the fly till the last few feet, then they have a split second to decide to bite or let it pass by. What is not to love about high water..A few things pulling a heavy anchor up, and bring fish under lots of water pressure back to the boat..That's all I can think of. Wading and chasing fish is over rated. Leader shy fish and bright sun and wadeable conditions is for the birds.I'll take these conditions any day over low ,clear, bright, sunny.

The last couple days have been colder than normal and we are on a dropping water conditions in the upper part of the river. So it's clearing and dropping again..Should be back in it's banks by Monday..Wade anglers should be able to get back at it by Wednesday or Thursday (unless we get a bunch of rain ??? )
If you would like to get in on some great fishing I'm open April 22-30th. We can
Steelhead fish or fish for Trout with Streamers or heck both in the same trip..

High water no problem here...

April 17th. 2013

Hi All

Fishing has been great. The water is still at the top of it's banks and clearing..That's about to change by the looks of the ugly weather blob on the radar. Hope we don't get tooo much rain. It is nice to see the tempature going up finally. The fish have been responding to the warmer water in a good way..Dan landed the first fish of the day on the first cast I made to show him the ropes. I set the hook put the fish on the reel and said here you go. He listen very well and fought the fish back to the boat and I put the scoop on it. Welcome to fly fishing for Steelhead. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. He caught onto the casting & hook set and got another one to the net shortly after that one all on his own + some trout. Pete was quiet at first and the second half of the day was on fire after it warmed up. He caught 3 Browns on Streamers  a few Steelhead and a 17" Brook Trout which arn't very common to our system here on the PM..We had a great outting and the bite was ON. Eggs, Nymphs and Streamers all worked..Hooked and landed #'s were so many we lost count..

I have open to guide April 18,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30 Spring Fishing is just getting fired up. Book a trip and let's go play on the river.

Tight Lines
Clint