September 13th, 2023

This weeks rain has brought water levels up locally a touch so we are moving in the right direction. There have been plenty of reports of Salmon moving throughout the Grand River, and starting to make their way up higher into the larger tributaries. Fish are being caught downtown and more are showing up every day. Rivers to the north like the Manistee and the Pere Marquette are also reporting good numbers. Water levels to the north have ticked up a bit with this weeks rain, but much like the rivers down here, levels are dropping fast. So keep your fingers crossed for some more rain events in the near future which should definitely help conditions overall. 

In the mean time, the cooler weather has been great for the trout bite. Low water requires light line and fine tippets, but their are plenty of willing participants around. Eggs will become an increasingly important menu item in the coming weeks, but for now stonefly anchors and smaller euro nymphs have been productive. 

Steelhead are on our minds and before we know it we will be swinging flies for our aggressive silver friends of fall. If you are interested in learning about swinging flies for steelhead, or looking to further hone your skills, consider joining us next Saturday September 23rd at our Grand Rapids location for a class led by local guide and author Kevin Feenstra. He will leading an in depth discussion on the finer points of swinging flies for steelhead as well as sharing some of his favorite swing fly patterns. Class cost is $75 which includes $25 of store credit. Space is limited so be sure to RSVP below. 

Additionally, if you are interested in learning more about the spey casting, mark your calendars for September 30th and come and see us at the Muskegon River Spey Fest at Henning Park in Newaygo MI. More details can be found here on the Muskegon River Spey Fest Facebook Page.