I’ve been chasing trout for a while. I feel I’m pretty good and knowledgeable on the subject. I’m also constantly learning. And you never know everything, but you can know a lot. My skillset when it comes to trout is pretty adept now. Which makes learning new places and figuring things out a quicker process. It’s still a process. How many of my clients have spent more than a few trips learning how to fish. I myself took months to even catch a fish on a fly rod. I’ve met so many people that have encountered fish on their first try and many that haven’t. We all go through this process of angler development.
Angler development has stages and it changes. The simple version of it is, you learn the basics, stumble and fumble for a bit, start catching fish, start figuring it out, start losing a lot of fish, get better at not losing fish, then you might like big fish, or a specific kind of fishing like dries or euro, or maybe you like creeks and small rods, or maybe you are a two handed steel chaser, or just like plopping poppers for bass. We develop into anglers and change as we continue to fish.
Learning new places helps anglers really figure out what they like. It also makes you a better angler. And travel is good for you. I myself after 20 years am still developing. Fly fishing, and I have had a lot of time to settle. Changing it up helps with getting stale. I went to Florida and wasn’t impressed with saltwater fishing. But for some anglers, it’s their MF jam dude, and that’s rad. I’m all for passionate anglers. I love trout fishing in the west. Coming east, of course, has shown me how unique Western fishing is. There is nothing like what we have in Montana, Idaho, B.C., the OP, the Oregon coast, or the heavy fast water of Colorado, and all the stuff in between. Those rivers are special in that there aren’t any like them expect there.
Michigan trout fishing from my perspective is wittled down to three big rivers, and a few smaller creeks, lakes, and the big areas where the lakes and rivers meet. For comparison to western stuff, it’s like the state has three Rock Creek Montana sized rivers that cut through the state flowing south and then east and west into the big lakes. Which catch all the water. Everything flows into the big lakes.
The Pere Marquette, the Ausable, and the Manistee River are the big three. They each have branches or forks, or tribs, depending on where you’re from. They call them branches out here. There are some smaller streams or creeks. Teanaway, East fork of the Root, upper Blackfoot size, and a few creeks that resemble Flint Creek MT, or Black Tail Ponds WY. Less than 300 cfs. These rivers are the Pigeon, Black, Rifle, Sturgeon, and so many others. They make up the majority of the 29 rivers that call Michigan home. There are more in the Upper Peninsula, which is a 7 hr plus drive. It’s kinda like driving from Missoula MT to the OP in Washington. We explore those later.
Max cfs for fishing out here is less than 1800 on the big rivers. They kinda blow out after that. Big rainstorms will do that here, just like MT. These are small meandering rivers like the smaller spring creeks of Idaho and Montana. They have fish, not as many as Western anglers are used to, and there is a robust stocking program for all these watersheds. Blue ribbon means good access, good fishing opportunities out here. Large fish are throughout the rivers accordingly in structure, deep water, like browns do. Hanging out being lazy on the bottom a lot of the time. Hiding in structure like shelves, grass beds, logs, the few rocks, and all of the underwater sand dunes. These fish will slide up and around the sandy bottom like Sandworms from Dune looks to smash food.
It’s a low light game in the summer. Just like out west, but it’s more like that 2 hrs window of caddis fishing as it gets dark. The fishing during the day is slower than I anticipated. After over a dozen days on 2 different rivers and a few smaller creeks, the activity is low during the day. Like dead silent most of the time. Fish that do eat are small. The larger ones eat at night, they’ll move for a streamer, but it’s pretty uncommitted so far.
The rivers are easy to wade, but soft bottom and sand are taking me a little, getting used to. I recommend boots, not chacos. The rivers have current and lots of fun places to punch streamers and dries in. It’s all structure, bank, and shelf fishing. Tail outs, recess water, subtle riffles, multiple seams of cross current, its all there, its all trouty anglers. Different but trouty. There are bugs, but nothing that rivals anything out west yet. The Hex have started, and I’ve been able to observe fish eating them in the 45 minutes of the hatch from about 9:30 10pm to about 11pm. Night fishing is an interesting game, and also one that isn’t consistent. They may eat hard one night and then not at all the next, which I have also observed.
I am going to snorkel these waters. They are clear, tannin but clear. The best way to understand how fish be fish is to just go look. My years and my experience, as well as my little bit of time on these Michigan rivers, tell me that fish hold in deep and tight and move in the mornings and evenings. Browns are naturally more nocturnal. They are set in that all too familiar early am late pm cycle. Which is a summer thing. The spring and fall are different, of course. Population is something else. There isn’t a lot of room on these rivers compared to places out west. Are there 1000 fish per mile in sections, absolutely. I’ve seen pods of 30 plus large trout feeding on midges on the Ausable, and I’ve heard and seen pods of 5 to 15 feeding in various places. They are there. I want to know how they compare to Western trout. How do they move about these strange rivers, the sand and grass beds, how do they use them, the deep water and structure, how do they pod up, how territorial or friendly are they, do they react more to light, or movement, are they sensitive to boat traffic and people.
All of these things have now spiked my curiosity to learn more about these places so that I can better understand and appreciate them. I don’t particularly care if I catch fish most days. And when I do, it’s usually just for one. But I do want to understand how a river system works, and these rivers are oranges to apples from what I understand. The fish are the same. But their environment is not.
Michigan is a fucking deciduous jungle. Currently, it’s 80 degrees and probably 60 plus humidity. I love the humidity anglers. It’s so nice. It’s like Florida was in November. Just pleasant. Made the beard get shorter, but man, the weather is nice. Also it’s cloudy like all the time here. Not Seattle gross clouds in November, but just normal awesome fishing cloud cover. The wind here ain’t near as bad. And even when it is, there are so many damn trees they soak up almost all of it. Even on the lakes wind ain’t been like the Yak or other western rivers.
Camping here is wonderful. With lots of room. You can float to campgrounds and have shuttles run for multiple day floats. Lots of canoe and kayak access, plenty of raft and drift boat, and skiff access. Most people use the same boats as out west. A lot of old Hyde driftboats, a few adipose, lots of stealthcrafts. I even met another Hog Island skiff owner on the lake near where I live. There are tubers and kayakers all over. Doesn’t bother fishing too much. It’s got a similar feel to the summer as out west. The birds are way cooler out here. I’ll say that. It’s what makes it like a jungle. On any given day, there are 10 to 25 birds making noise.
Also, there are fucking fireflies every night! No one told me how freaking rad those little light up butt Beatles are. They are like little blue and chartreuse sparkly LED lights from 10 to 1am. So awesome to watch them. The other night, Kristen and I watched them blink and twinkle along the riverside of the Manistee in the thousands while fish ate Hex, caddis, and Spinner Fall. It’s not always about fishing. Sometimes, it is just about appreciating the space and the opportunity to explore and witness it.
Being so attached to the Western rivers, this place can make one feel out of sorts as an angler. A new phase of my development as an angler. I’ve needed a good challenge, and it’s part of what I was seeking out making this move. More to explore here in regards to trout. The opportunities for other species are more vast than the trout fishing here in Michigan.
Lakes upon lakes and several big short rivers that hold bass, musky, pike, gar, and carp. I have only ticked the surface of that kind of fishing here. It’s much more straightforward, in my opinion, than trout fishing. Especially bass, but pike eat, that’s what they do. Musky are a challenge, but they are more abundant here than places I’ve chased and caught them before. The salmon and lake run rainbows they have here are of little interest to me personally and professionally. As I felt out west with steelhead, it ain’t for me. I’ve caught my chrome. It was fun. I’m good. I’d rather chase something warmer in the winter months. Just not Florida.
The start of my summer has been interesting. It’s strange not working and being on river rhythm each day. Things change this next week. My son will be here, and we will be exploring this place together. Something I’m looking forward to. Taking time off of work was a necessity for many reasons. My body is a little wore out after 10 years. Many know my knee was funky two seasons ago, no more jumping outta the boat for me. I’ve been fishing less because my right elbow needs a huge break from rowing but also fishing. I wear a brace when I do row and fish now.
Most importantly. I wanted to take the opportunity to spend time with my kids this summer and the next few as they get ready to become young adults themselves. My oldest kids are almost 17 and 15. The youngest is 10 now. They are easier to see living here in Michigan. Flying them is much more affordable here, especially as they get older. They are getting to point where they also want to explore and discover. I want time to be there with them through that.
I have a partner who is building something out here and needs support. Her business is taking off and requires more hands and eyes, and we work very well together professionally. New opportunities that allow me to continue working in fly fishing without the wear and tear on my body are here. New ways of teaching and learning, new people to bring into fly fishing, and for once I get to be less of a boss and more of an employee, running a business for 10 years is some shit. Especially in recent years. The ability to let the Yakima take care of itself and my clients being the most awesome and supportive booking trips the way you all have is a freaking huge weight off my workload. It is because of all of you I am able to expand.
Lastly, and I guess selfishly, but also just because I need a break. I wanted time off. Guiding takes it’s toll and I’m in this for the long haul. I needed time for myself. I have other things that have come into life that I want to give my attention to. I’m almost 40 and have to start thinking about what’s next and what my career looks like, where I want to be, and what I want to be guiding. It’s a little scary, but it’s what I need, so I don’t burn out. I never set out to only guide one river or one place. This time off was to give myself the break to search that out. I can’t guide like I’m 28 anymore, nor do I want to. I have developed into a different guide and want more and different just as we all do as anglers. I want different experiences in new places. Adventure is the journey of figuring that out and what is discovered along the way. I can’t accomplish that for myself if I’m on the river for others every day. I wanted some time for that. Needed it. This world isn’t always easy. Especially when you chase your passion and try to make a living doing your own thing. It’s a choice I am happy I made. Things have settled a bit here in Michigan. I’m ready to start sharing some of these spaces with anglers and clients into July amd August. The opportunities are vast and diverse here. I’m only just getting into it, and it’s always a good time to explore and experience it with others. I hope to see some familiar faces out east, and meet new and excited anglers here.
See ya riverside anglers.
Tamarack
Tamarack's Guide Service 