The sun is (was) shining. The temperatures are (were) warm. The trillium are blooming. The bugs are popping. The fish are rising.
After weirdly warm temperatures in the 80s for a couple days last week, Michigan came crashing back down upon us with rain and cooler temps in the 50s over the weekend. There was even a frost advisory last night. But it’s too little too late. Spring has officially sprung here in Northern Michigan. Hendricksons are coming off in good numbers throughout the middle river and fish are looking up. I saw a 20″+ fish slashing at fluttering duns last night for about 5 minutes. Just long enough for me to get hung up in a tree trying to get at him from the bank. The upper river had fewer Hendricksons coming off but good numbers of what appeared to be Gray Drakes. Caddis are also coming off sporadically and most fish are quite willing to take a #12 tan Elk Hair Caddis.
JR and Ellie were up on Saturday just in time to catch a day long rain and cooler temps. They got their heavy sink tip technique dialed in and rolled a few nice fish in the stained water but nothing to the net. It finally took some willing risers and Ellie’s picture perfect dry fly work to actually land one.
Surprisingly there are still quite a few steelhead around in the upper fly water, but who knows for how long. This week we should see great streamer and dry fly action on the Pere Marquette River. It’s a great time to catch some beautiful wild brown trout.
