TROUT HATCHES, SUMMER STEELHEAD UPDATE

Depending on what today's severe weather does to the rivers, we have great water flows and excellent river temps on western Michigan rivers.

                                                                     Isonychia-JGM

 The Muskegon is at the peak of the Isonychia, still a zillion gray drakes, steno Cahill's, sulphers,  caddis, midges, with the planters getting very heavy. The larger browns are targeting salmon and steelhead fry, hatches and crayfish next to shore now that the sucker spawn is over ( now is the time for the meat slinging streamer addicts!!!)

                                                                   Hexagenia and Lithro-JGM

 Hexagenia is starting slowly with water and weather delays up north and almost winding down south- but weather has kept them hatching on small streams like Coldwater/Rogue/SW Michigan stream- the heavy rains, cold nights have delayed the hatches significantly

SUMMER SKAMANIA STEELHEAD

                   ( Christine LaRocca from New Jersey with a 18 lb summer steelhead last summer 2014 on the St Joe on a Skamania beetle- dry line)

Some summer steelhead are being caught off the Michigan City and St. Joseph pier heads with a few in the rivers and creeks. With the cold winter and spring, the run will be long and heavy with some large fish being caught trolling in northern waters of Lake Michigan...along with Atlantic salmon strays from Lake Huron. Brian Breidert from the Indiana DNR just sent me another picture of an Atlantic salmon caught by a young boy off the Indiana coast. 

NOTE: I will begin guiding for summer Skamania steelhead July 10 thru early September- still have some good slots available for guided trips. If you are in PA/OH/IN/WI ...or Chicago bound, the St. Joe and Indiana tribs are very close.If you have caught winter strain steelhead and never experienced these amazing fish, you owe it to yourself.  With my new Stealthcraft, I will be able to cover more water and smaller waters than ever before. 

All indications are that the reduction in Chinook /Coho forage feeding on baitfish will greatly improve the summer steelhead fishery and size of fish since they will have the bait fish spoils. Last year we landed 9 fish in the 17-19 pound range and I expect more. If you are into streamers, dry line nymphing or swinging these magnificent fish are for you...NO LEAD CHUCKING!!!!

(B. Breidert IDNR biologist sent me this image of a boy with an Atlantic caught off the Indiana coast just the other day)

Posted in: gray drake lodge , Great Lakes summer steelhead , hexagenia , Indiana Skamania , isonychia , mayflies of Michigan , Selectivity book , siphlonurus gray drakes , st.joe skamania , summer skamania steelhead