October 4, 2018 - Kings Abound
It's no secret, the Kings are running strong. They are basically everywhere at this point. With the recent rains, more fish have arrived locally, as well as up north. However, most of the fish are inland and spawning. They are quite large this year, with several fish in the upper 20 pound range landed. Coho have been running strong as well, with a few steel starting to show up.
The salmon will continue to do their thing all month. It's a great way to get a buddy into the sport of fly fishing. Simply seeing these gigantic fish in such huge numbers is very exciting to someone who has never witnessed it.
Trout fishing is still fantastic, primarily with nymphs and eggs. Streamer bite will only improve with the cooler temps and stained water. On bright days with low water, the streamer program can be pretty much nonexistent, with a stray chaser here and there. Look for those dark cloudy days after a good rain, and the odds are more tilted in your favor.
Nymphing has been good for trout too. Lots of fish taken on copper johns, large stoneflies, and euro nymphs. Look for the standard nymph water; dark bottom with a little texture on surface.
This Sunday we are hosting a Steelhead 201 class in Portland MI. It starts at noon, and should run until about 3pm or so. We will cover the 3 basic steelhead approaches, with some one-on-one instruction mixed in. This is a free class, contact us for more details. The weather looks questionable however...
This weekend looks to be very rainy, which is perfect. Nothing beats a sustained 3 day rainstorm in early October. Could not ask for better timing, or a better weather pattern. Things are shaping up very nicely for the Fall season. Should be another epic year.
-Erich
Also, I had a buddy send me these pics today. He is up north somewhere, helping Trout Unlimited with a sampling project, where they shocked several gorgeous brook trout, as well as a Tiger Trout. Pretty amazing!
Brookie
Tiger Trout!
For those who don't know, a Tiger Trout is a cross between a brown trout and a brook trout. They are exceedingly rare, so finding one is always a big thrill. This one is obviously a baby, but still cool nonetheless.