Archive for the ‘salmon’ Category

Pere Marquette River Fishing Report – October 1st

Thursday, October 1st, 2015

Summer had been lingering and following probably the longest run of perfectly comfortable weather I can remember yesterday’s first frosty morning put a chill into the fishermen of the PM, myself included. There was a good rush of fresh salmon at the beginning of the week but the older salmon seem to be dying at about the same rate as new arrivals.

A day of rain has the level up and has pushed in some color which is good as the low and clear water had been making for some challenging conditions. In the upper river it had been especially tough, leaving anglers struggling to get close enough to make a presentation without spooking the fish.

So that’s good.

Also good:
A few steelhead have arrived. Those spunky little 3 to 5 pounders that are always the first to make an appearance.

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Black Magic

Monday, September 28th, 2015

Anyone who has spent a day with me fly fishing Michigan salmon know that I have a definite thing for black Wooly Buggers with just the right amount of flash.

We were on a nice bite a few days ago. A day which was way too hot and sunny for anything good to be happening in the salmon world. I had my customer throwing an egg and Bugger combination and though we landed several salmon on that black Bugger two were special.

Special in that they inhabited shallow water clear enough to watch the fly as it drifted and swung and in two different spots during our float these salmon rushed forward and woofed down that black intruder. On that warm sunny day the light was perfect and we watched those fish eat as one would on a high-definition television.

One of the greatest things about fishing is encountering the unexpected and on what should have been a very plain and ordinary day I think you could say we were blessed with a little Black Magic.

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Pere Marquette River Fishing Report – September 25th

Friday, September 25th, 2015

Salmon numbers on the PM have increased possibly tenfold over the past several days but before you grab your gear and make a rush for the river understand that this is still very low, but at least it is going in the right direction. The other side of this low-fish coin is that we have been seeing much lighter pressure compared to past years and even though the salmon numbers have not reached the level to which we are accustomed, we’ve been getting into enough fish to make for good days on the water.

Current conditions are low and clear, especially as you head upstream. My best fly lately has been a two inch black Wooly Bugger with a bit of flash.

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Who would have thought?

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015

As you may have heard the salmon fishing this year has been a little tough, but a recent bright and crisp fall day seemed to smile on us as we arrived at the section of river we had chosen, and seeing almost no other anglers we easily found happy and willing fish.

After a bit we dropped anchor in a new hole and the first cast pulled tight into a big hot salmon that doubled the rod and immediately ran screaming for the brush, taking all of ten seconds to break free and in doing so removed both flies from the end of the line. That hole remained productive and gave up several more fish, a couple of which found their way to the net. Eventually we pulled anchor and headed downstream, that first fish in the back of our minds as we listened the little voice that speaks to all anglers whispering, “would have liked to have seen that one.”

A quarter-mile downstream and three casts into a new hole the rod doubled again and after a few minutes of battle the big salmon moved toward a sandbar where I stood ready to lead the fish into the net. That’s when I saw it: The fish had one of my flies in it’s mouth, which was obviously to be expected, then a few feet up another of my flies, which was hooked to another one of my flies followed by another, the latter two currently attached to our rod. The riggs were hooked together. This was the fish. The first-caster from the hole upstream. The one that almost got away.

We stood in the sun that bright and crisp fall day and smiled into the net.

Who would have thought?

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