Michigan Fly Fishing Report RSS

Today is the Vernal Equinox, indicating the first official day of Spring. On this day, we receive equal amounts of sun exposure and darkness. 12 hours of sunlight, and 12 hours of darkness; hence the name “equinox.” Compare this to the Summer Solstice (June 21), when we receive almost 16 hours of sunlight. Back in December, during the Winter Solstice (Dec 21), we received a scant 9 hours of sunlight. So basically, we are a 1/4 through our yearly trip around the sun.   We are getting more sunlight, at a more direct angle, which rapidly heats up the surface....

Lots of fish showing up! We are seeing some bright chrome fish lately, and more are on the way. Warm air and rain are coming this week, which will help draw more steelhead upriver. Watch the river levels before you go out, as the thawing snow combined with heavy rain can make for dangerous wading conditions. Many rivers will probably blow out, but it's a blessing and a curse because nothing draws more fish inland like a good spring flood.    We are entering peak steelhead season. Once the water resides next week, things should be primed for an epic 2...

Don't want to jinx us, but seems like we might be getting closer to permanent warmth. We all know better than to assume Spring is here, but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel. The past 2 months have been tough on everyone. Hopefully it turns back sooner than later. Here's the 8 day outlook for GR. Not too shabby! Good numbers were caught over the past week. Lots of options in play right now. Pick your favorite method and get it done. Swing, strip, bob, pin, chuck, all are on the table and will work...

Things are really ramping up here in our lovely state of Michigan! Spring is on the horizon, and the sun arcs higher in the sky each day. Very exciting times! Fish numbers are strong pretty much everywhere right now. Standard flies are doing most of the damage, with eggs and large nymphs still being the best choice. Watch for those tiny little stones to appear on warm days. Lots of sz 18-16s lately, and soon the larger ones will become more active. Drift an orange egg with a small stonefly or similar nymph below it, and you are golden.  ...

Well folks, our spring steelhead season is underway. Maybe it's the cabin fever reaching a tipping point, but either way, there are new fish swimming upriver on a regular basis. We are not even close to being done with the cold, but the short term forecast actually looks pretty darn good.   Some of the guys got out over the weekend, and had pretty good success. Lots of hours devoted for a few hookups, but the overall consensus is positive. Fish were taken on hex nymphs, stoneflies, nuke eggs, clown eggs, etc. If you can stay focused all day and keep...