February 13, 2019 - Spring in Sight
Most rivers are still icy and slushy. There are some steelhead around for those of you willing to go and chase them. The only thing we need right now is a break in the weather. The cold temps and precipitation have made conditions less than favorable. Our forecast looks to be pretty cold, but nothing compared to what we endured a couple weeks ago.
Normally, this is the week where we start to transition into Spring Steelhead season. Valentines Day has always been the unofficial season switch date. Obviously, it's all weather dependent, so it doesn't always correlate with the calendar. But regardless, there is some great fishing on the horizon. Fish numbers will increase, water temps will rise, and the overall "energy" on the water will go up. Some of the best steelheading can be done in late February and early March. During this time, there is a mixture of dark winter fish, and bright chrome ones that have just entered the rivers, waiting to spawn, and have not yet gotten on their beds. As the water warms, they start to slide into different types of water, seeking out gravel areas. They are energized and willing to play. Just have to wait for the weather to provide that setup.
Trout fishing with small nymphs has been good, and becoming a popular winter option. Using 4 or 5 wt rods, you can have a fun day nymphing for trout on nearly any river on the list, so long as the conditions that day are tolerable. Scuds, small beadhead nymphs, and caddis larvae are standard fare, as well as any euro style jig flies.
Check out the Echo Shadow II Nymphing Rod. We cant keep these on the racks, they are super affordable and the perfect rod if you are thinking about getting into Euro Nymphing.
Other than that, fly tying has still been the most popular activity lately. Lots of folks prepping for Spring steelhead, trout, smallmouth, and pike. Shops are loaded with materials, and remember we offer free shipping on website orders.
Orange Crush STEP BY STEP
Still a few spots open for Brews and Bugs GR with Drew Rosema tomorrow night at 6pm. Call the shop during business hours to reserve a seat ($20).
Grand Rapids:
Feb 20th Kyle Hartman-Spring Steelhead Essentials 6pm
Feb 26th Ryan White- PM Steel Flies 6pm
Feb 27th Streamer Techniques and Fly Design - Fly Squad Fundraiser at Rockford Brewing 7pm
March 6th Nomad Staff - Smallmouth Flies 6pm
East Lansing:
February 20th - Steelhead Swing Flies
February 27th - Articulated Streamers
We are also hosting a couple STEELHEAD 101 classes. This is a FREE class, and we do them right in the GR shop. Let us know if you plan on attending.
STEELHEAD 101 DATES:Feb 28th 6pm
March 26th 6pm
We've always gotten a lot of questions about reel selection. Here's a quick write up on one of our favorite reels; The Lamson Liquid. These are some of our most popular reels, and they are super affordable. --> LAMSON LIQUID REVIEW
Good luck if you get out!
