Sep 02
2010
We got a bunch of rain yesterday morning, but by evening the river hadn’t changed since the day before. It is as low as I’ve seen it all summer. Though the Pere Marquette can take some time to come up after a rain, so we’ll see.
Either way, there are still fish in the river, and by the looks of them, they’re pretty fresh. Steve and I went out yesterday afternoon with Steve’s son Mitch. Mitch is nine years old and while he’s caught plenty of fish before, he’d never caught a king on his own, Steve was always there with the assist. But tonight, Mitch did it all himself and brought that salmon to the boat in about a minute. When I asked him what it felt like when it hit he said: “like I got hit in the chest with a brick!” Congrats on a nice fish Mitch.
Sep 01
2010
The Pere Marquette River is as low as it’s been in quite a while, but we saw a lot of salmon moving tonight. Even hooked into one which promptly whooped my ass. Some much needed rain and a cold front are pushing through tonight and more fish should be moving into the system over the next few days.
And so here we are, right in the thick of early salmon, and along comes an email from the makers of The Lost World of Mr Hardy, a movie exploring the origins, history, and philosophy of Hardy Fly Fishing, the original tweed and split cane set. Well, we’re the original camo jacket, two-stroke and T14 set, but we appreciate quality gear and quality movies and I certainly wouldn’t mind owning a Perfect myself.
Turns out The Lost World of Mr Hardy will soon be available in the US. Looks to be a well made movie and something to check out for anyone interested in the history of fly fishing and of rods and reels generally. We’ll have a full review up in the next couple weeks. For now, check out the trailer. And don’t forget, you need to put oil in that gas.
The Lost World of Mr Hardy (trailer) from Trufflepig Films on Vimeo.
Aug 31
2010
Steve met his clients at Barothy Lodge this morning for some fly fishing and tying instruction and a half day of salmon fishing on the middle river. Crystal clear water had them thinking the day would be a clunker, but just one bend down from the put-in Josh stuck a nice king which proceeded to wrap him around a log a few times and came off. Then, just a few bends later, Josh tied into another salmon and after an epic battle the big fish came to the net.
Everyone was casting the fly rods well and they even tied a few flies. Steve came off the water and shot me an email that said, “Dude, I love my job.”
Aug 30
2010
Living Well in West Michigan
We had a good taste of Autumn last week but summer moved back in for a few days this weekend. With warmer weather and southerly winds the salmon run will likely slow down a bit on the Pere Marquette, but the forecast for later in the week looks promising and should get the fish moving again in good numbers.
Founded in 1898, Bortell’s Fisheries is a Great Lakes icon and located just down the coast from us between Ludington and Pentwater. They serve locally caught and imported fish fresh by the pound or fried to take away. You can even order a meal with fries and coleslaw, bring your own favorite beverage, and eat at the picnic tables or right in the grass out front. There’s not a better way to enjoy a late summer day in West Michigan. I’d recommend the Lake Michigan whitefish. It is some tasty stuff.
Bortell’s closes for the season after Labor Day, so get up here now, catch some salmon, let them go, then get yourself a pile of fried whitefish. Nelson’s Frontier Market has a great selection of cold craft beer and is located on the way to Bortell’s just south of Ludington. You can’t beat that. Good living.
