January 17, 2019 - Deep Freeze Inbound

It's alarming how many people have mentioned the Birdbox Challenge lately. Please, for the love of God, do not attempt this! There have been dozens of reported car crashes and other various mishaps lately nationwide because of this movie. If you must attempt it in a drift boat, at the very least, make sure you are BELOW the sixth street dam. You will not make it! But seriously, do not attempt this...

Steelhead are scattered throughout our river systems, and sounds like more came up over the past few days. We haven't been out much lately, since we had a show in Novi over the weekend and are busy at the shops. But reports from our friends have been fairly positive. A few fish taken on eggs, and a few on nymphs. Our rivers have dropped and are pretty low, clear and cold again. Just have to persevere! Ross and Dylan found some winter players.

There are plenty of fish around to justify spending a day on the water. The only problem, is the forecast. This weekend is going to be painfully cold. Sunday night is supposed to be ONE degree overnight in Grand Rapids. That will probably shutdown the bite for a few days, and create shelf ice along the riverbanks. Yes, it can be tough to get motivated. One time I drove to the river, and almost went home because of all the slush and ice floating down. Instead, I geared up, trudged through the snow, and got to one of my favorite bends in the river. I wasn't expecting anything to happen since it was about 20 degrees out, but boy was I glad I stuck it out. I ended up hooking several steelhead in a row out of this one spot. Basically the exact opposite of what I was expecting. But there have been more cold, fishless days than I care to admit since then. So yea, you never know what will happen. 

It's likely this Spring run will be epic. Our fall push was quite weak, so hopefully the rest of the herd will show up in late February like they normally do. We can only hope! It wouldn't hurt to have some snow on the ground, since that is a large contributor to heavy spring flows when it melts. Sounds like there might be a decent snow storm later next week, which would be fun. 

Fly tying is in full swing, and a great way to pass the time when the rivers are locked with ice. Check our SCHEDULE and sign up. Some are VERY close to being full so let us know quick! Shops are loaded with materials, and we offer free shipping on website orders. 

Good luck if you get out, and remember trout are another great target species throughout the winter. Check the regulations and make sure your river is open and legal this time of year. It can be surprisingly good if you hit them on the right day. Drew got this stud earlier in the week. Strong work!

Thanks for the support, see you out there.

-Erich