As July winds down, so does the Hex Hatch. The hot weather of mid-June got the bugs going early this year and relatively steady if not predictable, then the weather changes came. With the cool downs, I suspect hatches will continue through the upcoming nights, just not heavily, and spinner falls will be similar – sporadic and light. Then again, there is no telling.

Northern Michigan finally got the rain it so desperately needed and not too much of it like downstate. The local rivers (upper Manistee and Boardman) did come up, but not terribly, nor are they considered high. A little stain entered the river, too, as the increase in flow pulled some of the silt off the banks and pushed it down river. Water temps range from upper 50s in the a.m. to mid-60’s most evenings.

The cloudy weather has made for better trout fishing in daylight hours and some of the weather has encouraged some Isonychias to emerge; it’s been good to see these bugs show up again after a few years of sparse emergences. A smattering of other bugs are around including medium yellow/brown stoneflies (mattress thrashers) BWOs, Little Yellow Sallies, and Bat Flies. Because the hatches have been so sporadic this year, having your early June dry fly boxes in your vest would be prudent because you never know when an outlier might make an appearance. Some smaller streamers fished on a floating line can yield some nice brown and brook trout this time of year, too.

Bass and bluegill fishing remains strong on the area lakes. The largemouth bass are becoming more aggressive in their post spawn phase and the bluegill continue to feed both sub-surface and below. Weed beds near drop-offs and structure should be where you focus your casts.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout Fishing – July and August is Terrestrial and Trico time! Start the day off casting to brook and brown trout
and get back to the family for lunch time – it’s a great way to start the day when in Northwest Michigan.
Learn to Fly Fish – Tailor a half-day trip to learning how to fly fish –perfect for beginners.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain in November and into December.