Posts tagged "current works"

Winter Mode – Steelhead Fishing and Fly Tying

Posted by Ted Kraimer - January 20, 2013

Winter is bouncing back and forth between mild and severe offering decent windows of opportunity when the temps are comfortable. There are steelhead in the local rivers with a mix of fresh and winter fish in all systems including the Manistee, Betsie and Boardman. The thaws and rains over the past couple of weeks helped bump water levels up which mixed the fish a little bit moving them around as well as inspiring a few fresh fish to enter the rivers.

Water levels are normal for winter steelheading and rather than typical gin-clear water, there is just a little color to it which is good. Since the fish in the systems are mixed, you will find that the increases in water shuffled the deck so to speak and this will help to keep the fish from being overly stale which can be a problem this time of year as they tend to hibernate in the deep, slow water. Water temps are running in the mid-30s. The drag-free drift is most important this time of year as the fish are demanding. Egg patterns this time of year do a decent job of catching fish and their attention so if heading out be sure to fish a tandem rig with very realistic looking nymphs like hex, caddis, and small mayflies. Presentations under an indicator/float is a good idea this time of year to help with the subtle take but also to help you suspend your flies above structure. Look for the inside of seams to be more productive throughout the winter.

The forecast isn’t calling for any warm-ups and should the weather service remain true to its prediction you might find the cold of January is a great time to tie some flies or read a book on fishing. Some old and new favorite books of mine include: Mayflies – Top to Bottom by Shane Stalcup, Dynamic Nymphing by George Daniel, The River Home by Jerry Dennis and Bonefishing by Randall Kaufman. Check your local fly shop, club or group for fly tying classes this winter – it’s a great way to spend a cold, dark night thinking about fish, filling your fly box and learning more about flies and fishing.

Good luck,

Ted

Winter Special: Take advantage of warm-ups this winter! 5 hours of fishing and lunch – $250
Gift Certificates: Ask for or give the gift of a guide trip or casting lesson. It’s a quick and easy gift! Click here.
Spring Steelhead: Mid-March isn’t that far away – get your dates secured and reserve your place in the boat.
– – Currently Booking for all 2013 Seasons – –

current works, fly tying, hex, indicators, manistee, manistee river, michigan, nymph, nymphing, steelhead, ted kraimer

Fall To Winter Steelhead & Trout Fishing

Posted by Ted Kraimer - November 26, 2012

It didn’t take long for mother nature and conditions to go from a lingering fall right into winter mode. Temperatures have become more seasonable and so has the water temps slowing fish down a bit. It has been a while since we have received any significant precipitation so most of the steelhead in local river systems have been there a while and have been settling into their cold-water behaviors and lies. Water clarity is a little too good right now coupled with the low water levels so a little lighter line/tippet highly recommended.

Look for fish to be near wood structure in the slower moving water just and often just on the inside of a bubble line. As water temps drop these fish become a little more lethargic but they are still eating, albeit often selectively. Fishing with floats and suspending flies through bubble lines (fly pinning) is an effective method from now until spring as it helps with the drag-free drift and keeps your flies out of the wood. The swing bite for those looking to cast two-handed rods remains decent as this method can encourage some fish out of the wood to eat something big and flashy; target the soft water on the inside off the bubble line just like the nymph and egg angler and let the fly hang-down a little longer as this time of year the fish seem to get curious about big streamer/spey flies dangling in the current.

Trout fishing remains a viable option for those looking to catch some browns and bows. Streamer fishing in some of the bigger water this time of year requires a lot of casts but often with big rewards when you hit. Fishing below Tippy Dam offers both streamer and nymph fishing as there is a higher concentration of trout in the first couple of miles of downstream of the dam. Small, natural looking (pale and/or translucent) eggs are a great pattern to fish in tandem with either a scud/sow bug or bwo nymph under an indicator. While it appears that our warm summer had an effect on the trout population in this water, there are still plenty of fish to target.

Firearm deer season ends 11/30/12 so wearing a little blaze orange isn’t a bad call as hunters tend to get anxious to fill unused tags the last few days of the season.

Good Luck.

Ted

Late Fall Steelhead: Target angler’s favorite sport-fish through December – Stay active this Holiday Season.
Late Season Trout: Fish the Upper or Lower Manistee and have the river to yourself. Nymph & Streamer fishing.
Gift Certificates: Ask for or give the gift of a guide trip or casting lesson. It’s a quick and easy gift! Click here.
Booking for all 2013 Seasons and through September – reserve your place in the boat.

current works, fall steelhead, fly-fishing guide, manistee, manistee river, steelhead, ted kraimer, traverse city, upper-manistee

Steelhead Fishing Report – Mid-November

Posted by Ted Kraimer - November 14, 2012

Not much has changed with conditions on the Manistee over the past week. The water is still low and clear because it’s been a while since we received any significant amounts of rain. Same with fresh pushes of fish. The fish in the system are spread out and becoming weary with a few new fish trickling in. With water temps dropping fast (lower 40’s) due to more seasonal weather we have been receiving, the steelhead are starting to transition into to slower seams and pools. Multiple approaches are working including big streamers swung on sink-tips to pull fish out of structure to eat something big. Fishing under indicators/floats, too, are allowing presentations in water that would otherwise result in snags if drift fishing. Cover lots of water, fish thoroughly and enjoy the solitude on the river – most people are in the woods right now leaving the rivers less pressured. With Firearm Deer season extending from Nov. 15 – 30, a little hunter’s orange will go a long way for safety while you fish.

Good luck,

Ted

Fall Steelhead: It’s time to target angler’s favorite sport-fish through November and into December.
Fall Trout: Fish the Upper Manistee throughout fall or Lower Manistee through November.
Booking for all 2013 Seasons and through September – reserve your place in the boat.

current works, fall steelhead, fly fishing, manistee, manistee river, s, steelhead, ted kraimer, traverse city

Steelhead & Trout Fishing Report – Nov. 8 2012

Posted by Ted Kraimer - November 8, 2012

Steelhead continue to be the target of most anglers these days on the Manistee, however the targets are moving around and getting smart. The lack of any recent rainfall has kept any fresh pushes of fish from moving in from the lake and the fish in the system are spread out from Tippy dam to Lake Michigan.

With the low, clear water, fish are scattered and can be found in various types of water with more recently fish moving to and near wood structure. The runs, slots and holes are still a great place to target but look for fish in the secondary lies to provide opportunity as well. Float fishing/Fly pinning is a good way to keep your flies off of the bottom and keep your drift natural. With water temps in the mid-40s, now is a great time to carve the active fish away from wood and grabbing a swung fly. For more on rigging and the methods used for steelhead, click here.

Look for fresh fish to continue to trickle in until we receive rain when a larger push should migrate. Trout fishing with streamers is a good bet for anglers looking to catch post-spawn browns on the upper and lower Manistee with a few nice brookies also eating after their fall activities.

Good Luck,

Ted

current works, fall steelhead, fly-fishing guide, manistee, manistee river, michigan, steelhead, ted kraimer, traverse city, upper-manistee

Lower Manistee River (below Tippy Dam)

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 14, 2012

October Morning on the Manistee

Tippy Dam is known for its migratory runs of Steelhead and Salmon. The dam itself is the upper boundary of these great game fish that leave the big water of Lake Michigan and return to their natal river to take part in their spawning mission. Beyond steelhead and salmon, anglers will find healthy populations of both Brown & Rainbow Trout and Smallmouth Bass.

The river below the dam is some of the widest water in the state, varying from 200 – 300 feet in width. Depths vary depending on run, pool, tail-out relationship but all wading anglers will want to be cautious when on foot — especially in times of stained run-off conditions.

Spring Below Tippy Dam

Much of the land adjacent to the river is USFS property and is open to the public. As you move downriver and approach the High Bridge access and Bridge, private property becomes intermixed.

Those fishing the Manistee are typically best served fishing from a boat as not only is it a strong and often deep river, but a lot of submerged logs can trip you up, a reminder of the lumbering days of northern Michigan.

The Fish
Salmon

Chinook / King Salmon

Most anglers have heard of “The Big River” from stories told by a friend or articles in magazines. This river simply has one of the best salmon runs in the lower 48 states. Chinook (King) Salmon are the most common salmon, but Coho (silvers) numbers seem to be getting stronger each year.

While snagging was once legal years ago, the practice is no longer legal or acceptable. With the big fish come some crowds, so having the place to yourself isn’t a problem in the Spring and Fall. There are sections of the river that tend to be less populated and are some of my favorite sections.

Frankly, there are plenty of fish to go around in the Big Manistee.

Fall Steelhead

The Fall Steelhead follow the salmon into the river each year at the end of September and continue to build in numbers through the fall. When water temperatures are good and water/river levels are strong after a fall rain – things only get better. Hooking a fall steelhead that has been living on a steady diet of salmon eggs in 50-degree water can give you the hardest, most unpredictable and spastic fight you can imagine a freshwater fish could provide.

Throughout the winter anglers will find fall fish that become characterized as “winter fish.” With those hold-over fish comes trickles of new fish throughout the winter months, and those looking to get a cabin-fever-reliever can find some fish to play the game while getting away from the four walls that seem to close in on us during the Fall Steelhead winter months.

Spring Steelhead

Spring Steelhead are typically in the river system in good numbers from Mid-March through the first part of May. Fish that entered in the fall and winter join the newly arrived fish with their intent to spawn and thus the number/population of fish in the river are at their highest.

A Right of Spring, fishing for steelhead is one of the best times for people to get into steelhead and after a winter spent indoors, it feels good to get fishing again. Look for a warm rain to bring up the water temps and levels bringing up a fresh a “run” of fish in the river.

Brown Trout

Brown Trout

Throughout the spring steelhead run, anglers usually find their fly rods bent, but not by the sheer weight of a Steelhead alone. There is a healthy population of Brown Trout in this section of the river that remains here all year. And why should they leave? The dam itself creates a tail water fishery which equates to a food factory.

Large populations of scuds and sowbugs provide a healthy diet for the fish when the midges and baetis aren’t around. In the spring and fall there are literally thousands of pounds of eggs drifting down the river from spawning fish for the trout to eat.

If that isn’t enough, there are lots of fry from steelhead, salmon, suckers and walleye which makes this fishery an all-you-can-eat fish dinner for the resident trout. Ever see a trout with stretch marks? This is the place where they live.

Trout fishing below Tippy Dam is scenic, solitary and peaceful river setting compared to the spring and fall seasons when the migratory fish are in season. Fishing remains good until early July when water temperatures become dangerous for trout survival but turn optimal for Smallmouth Bass.

Smallmouth Bass

Smallies migrate into the river in mid-June as water temps increase and provides both great streamer and top-water action through August. Targeting woody structure and rocky drop-offs, these “bronzebacks” are fun to watch as you feed them a fly. And once hooked, they pull hard and often throw in a couple of jumps to make it more fun.

Gaudy baitfish streamers one day, loud poppers and sneaky sliders the next offer the angler a variety of conditions during the warmer months making them a great alternative to trout fishing in the Summer months.

Tippy Dam on the Manistee River

At one time the dam significantly fluctuated water levels on a daily basis when “peak electricity demands” required it. Through efforts of the Federation of Fly Fishers (Now FFI), Consumer Power and FERC, this now is a “run of river” where the amount of water flow above the dam is what comes out of the dam. This has helped eliminate some of the erosion and as a result has exposed a lot of gravel for both aquatic insects and natural reproduction.

Map & Directions

Tippy Dam is 25 miles West of the City of Manistee, just north of Wellston and East of Brethren 4 miles. Coming from Cadillac the drive is about 40 miles. It takes an hour from downtown Traverse City.

Map of the Lower Manistee River

big manistee river, coho salmon, current works, fall steelhead, fly fishing the manistee river, fly-fishing guide, high bridge, king salmon, maniste, salmon fishing, small mouth bass, smallmouth bass, spring, steel head, steelhead, streamer, ted kraimer, tippy dam, tipy dam, trout, wellston michigan, welston michigan

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The FishSalmon

Fall Steelhead

Spring Steelhead

Brown Trout

Smallmouth Bass

Tippy Dam on the Manistee River

Map & Directions

The Fish
Salmon