Seasons are changing here in the U.P. as we have blessed with some fantastic weather as of lately.  Daytime highs in the low 70’s have a feel of early summertime in the air, a nice change of pace to say the least!  Right now there is a multitude of opportunities available for the fly angler, a nice time of the year to visit.  Resident Brook and Brown Trout have been getting more active with the warming waters and our guests have found some high quality fish as of lately.  More and more insects have been showing-Hendricksons, Blue Winged Olives, Caddis and some Stoneflies have a few fish looking up. Some Steelhead are available for those who are still interested.

Snow?  Cmon now, you have to be kidding me with this as it May 12 and the last two mornings we have been greeted by a blanket of white covering the ground here in the U.P.!  On the bright side, that is more water to keep our stream levels happy and our Great Lakes increasing in volume.

Steelhead fishing remains pretty good overall, water temps have climbed into the mid 50’s and now back down into the 40’s.  Water levels range from high to normal for this time of the fishing season and water clarity differs from river to river.  Congrats to our guests this past week, many 1st Steelhead and some trophy class fish-nice work!

Trout fishing has been slowly gaining a bit of steam, some sporadic insect activity has been present.  Blue Winged Olives, Black Caddis and Stoneflies are starting somewhat-warmer weather will get these hatches fired up.  This week saw our first dry fly action of the year as many Brook trout were brought to hand off the surface.

An extreme amount of water in a short period of time, that’s what has transpired as of lately here across the U.P..  Quite possibly the highest water I have ever seen in rivers has been present as of lately due to a quick melt off of our heavy snow pack.  Large scale flooding has occurred in many areas which has caused some highways even to be closed due to concerns.  Nearly all rivers are running at a very high flow rate as of right now, although they now have been dropping for a few days now.   But even with decreased flows from peak runoff,  I would rate fishing nothing short of challenging.  There are plenty of Steelhead currently around, but current conditions are definitely in the Steelhead’s favor.  Regardless, the diligent angler who can present a fly properly in these conditions will be rewarded with some nice opportunities.

Seems as if spring has finally sprung here in the Upper Peninsula, the long term forecast looks nothing short of fantastic-this weekend temps may hit mid 60’s!  The warmer weather has snow melting and rivers are running at spring levels with high water.  Most rivers are up and carrying at good deal of color with a water temp in the mid 30’s.  Best of luck to all anglers heading out for tomorrows opening day festivities on the trout streams!

Spring is creeping in here across the U.P., the snowbanks are slowly becoming smaller as our warmer days have been a pleasant change of pace.  There is still a TON of snow in the forest and it is going to be quite a long time till all of this is gone.  This should provide for some large runoff for an extended period of time. Rivers range from low to quite big at this point of game, Steelhead numbers range quite widely depending. Seems as if the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, welcome spring!

Make sure to visit Downwind Sports in Marquette, now providing a fine selection of fly fishing gear to the community.  Riversnorth will be working with Downwind, providing clinics & seminars about the finer points of fly fishing with personal instruction available.

Truly local owned companies with over 50 years of experience working together, stop in Downwind & check it out!  Good people that provide the finest in outdoor recreation equipment!

Plenty of snow up here still if anyone is interested in this stuff!  It has been a very slow melt happening over the course of this past week around the U.P.. Some rivers are up a bit, but water temps are still extremely cold & low for the most part. A few Spring run Steelhead are around, but I would rate overall numbers at low currently.  Resident Trout have been becoming more active with the somewhat nicer weather.  Please take a moment and visit The Greater Lake Superior Foundations website, they have an ongoing project on Coaster Brook Trout rehab on Lake Superior.  Contact them to purchase the sticker below and help support a great cause!

A glimmer of hope on the horizon, that’s what comes to mind today with the warm sun filled skies.  It seems like forever since temps have been above the 30 degree mark here in the U.P..  There has been virtually no snow melt so far to speak of and we are in a more normal spring time timing than the past few years.  Forecast is calling for temps in the 40’s for the next few days, which is great to help melt off some snow.  Water levels on streams are still low at this point and all there is pretty much is winter Steelhead and resident Trout-add a few brave eager spring run fish and fishing I would rate as rather poor at this point. Some early tiny Black Stoneflies can be seen climbing around on the snowbanks near the rivers, a sign that spring is not far off.  Look for fishing just just keep getting better from this point on, keep calm & fish on!  Pictured below are some new Riversnorth hats, represent the yoop - $20 gets one shipped to your house!  Easy online payment avaialable, contact us for details :)  Happy Easter to everyone!

Doesn’t seem to be much of a sign of Spring time showing up anytime soon around the Upper Peninsula, snows keep coming and temps remain chilly.  A few days of warmer weather have been pleasant, but short lived as the cold and snow is back.  These small windows of opportunity can provide some Steelhead or Trout chances and it is good for the anglers mental well being :)  Once spring shows this season, we are going to have a solid snow pack for melt off which is something we haven’t seen for a few seasons.  In the meantime, the cold weather boosts productivity in the fly tying department…..

Recently more snow & wind here in the U.P. has it still pretty much the heart of winter.  Although, a small window opened for some fishing & some eager Steelehad were found.  A nice blessing of sorts for this winter at least. Days this winter have been far & few due to the more “normal” U.P. winter we have been experiencing this season.  Look for Steelhead in typical winter lies as water temps are as cold and clear as it gets right now. Our snow levels are very nice currently and i am hoping that this weather pattern continues.

Winter continues its course here in the U.P. with more heavy snows, areas across the Superior coast recorded 30 inches of snow over a course of 2 days this past week.  It’s great to see these more seasonable snows verses the weak winters we have grown used to the past few years.  A bit of a warm up is coming this week which may offer some Steelhead and Trout opportunities.

Also, we are starting to look forward to a fun expedition that is going to happen this summer.  We have teamed up with friends Alalska Fly Anglers for a back country remote float trip in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. A small group of clients will be traveling with me for a 6 day remote float on Alaska’s premier trophy Rainbow Trout water. We will fly in via float planes and be away from civilization the entire time as we float/fish through some of the worlds finest Trout/Salmon water, camping the whole trip down the river.  Alaska Fly Anglers offer a true Alaska experience for those that want to really see what this region is all about- a first class company that offers that finest to their guests. Please be sure to check out Alaska Fly Anglers site and view the video-this years trip is fully booked & we are now filling dates for our 2014 outing, please feel free to contact us w any questions/information-this is the trip of a lifetime!!  Sign up for some fun :)