RIVERS NORTH UPPER PENINSULA FISHING REPORT!

The light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to shine…

March 30th, 2008

The light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to shine very dimly-the first signs of Spring arriving are currently happening here in the U.P.! Fly fishing here in the U.P. has been very challenging as of lately, but this past week the holdover Steelhead from this Fall seemed a bit more interested in eating some meals! Steelehead are hanging out in the slowest, darkest & most cover filled areas they can find. Air temps in the upper thirties & lower forties helped break up some of the shelf ice & warm the stream temps a bit. Still our rivers are very clear and cold-not much melt off has happened yet. The melting snow acts like an ice cube when the melt off does occur, so the water temps are still in the low to mid thirties. "Karl" the weather man is calling for a large storm to hit the U.P. tonite-10 inches of snow to fall across Marquette County! Still not time to put away the "yooper scooper" yet! Spring Steelhead is one day closer with each snowstorm that hits us-it’s almost time!

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Not much has changed here in the U.P. since last week…

March 25th, 2008

Not much has changed here in the U.P. since last week at this time-still lots of snow in the woods that is slowly melting. We have been getting some warmer daytime temps that has been melting the snow pack ever so slowly, but the night time temps have been in the teens thus ending the melt off. The long term forecast is calling for temps in the mid to high thirties which will continue the slow melt off. River temps are in the low thirties and clear/low at this time-some tough conditions currently exist. Nonetheless there is no such thing as a bad day on the river! March=cabin fever month!

Easter weekend was spent downstate celebrating the holiday by spending some quality time on the Big Manistee River with guide and friend Jamie Clous of Fuller’s NBOC (http://www.fullersnboc.com). It is still Winter down there as water temps are in the mid thirties and a few new Steelhead are beginning to show up. Words can’t express how good it felt to feel some big headshakes and how different it was to fight Steelhead on such big water! Spring Steelheading is getting going down south of the bridge, not to much longer here! We have a few prime dates left for this spring, shoot over an email/phonecall to book your day of Yooper Steelhead!

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Finally some warmer weather has come our way here in the U.P….

March 18th, 2008

Finally some warmer weather has come our way here in the U.P., but it is sure going to take a lot more to melt the snow we have piled up in the woods to get this Spring going! Officially this Thursday is the first day of Spring, you sure wouldn’t know it from the looks of things around here! Over the last week we have received even more snow that has us set up perfect for a great season of water in all our rivers if our cool weather & normal precip. keeps up! No significant melt off has rivers running very clear & cold-we are still in a Winter fishery as shelf ice/ice flow is still a major issue. Steelhead and Trout are resting comfortably in wood & dark areas with not much current, waiting for some warmer water temps before they get to interested in eating & spawning. Thanks to all who stopped by & chatted @ the MFFC show in Warren, MI! We had a great time & look forward to seeing lots of new faces this year! Get ready, Spring Steelhead are coming soon!

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Finally a break from the cold here in the U.P….

March 2nd, 2008

Finally a break from the cold here in the U.P., it sure feels good to experience some temps in the upper 20’s! This Feb. has been one of the coldest in recent history, an average of 10 degrees colder than normal. Needless to say that our snowpack hasn’t received any meltoff for quite some time, so rivers are running very cold & clear at this time. This may change for a brief time period as the forecast is calling for rain/freezing rain. A small meltoff would be great to help out with getting rid of the large amount of shelf ice that is making fishing tough. Steelhead & resident Trout are present, but challenging conditions have made for some tough fishing. Persistency & patience pays off in cold water winter fishing! Sure feels good to get some big headshakes in the middle of Feburary, a good cure for cabin fever! This next Thursday we will be giving a presentation on "Steelhead & Lake Run Brown Trout of the U.P." @ Colton Bay Outfitters in Ann Arbor @ 6 pm on March 6-a fly tying demo will follow the presentation. Also we will attending the MFFC fly fishing show in Warren, MI on March 8 & 9. Stop by & say hi! The photos below highlight the Eben ice caves- a natural ice formation here in Marquette County. Every Winter these caves are formed by natural springs that seep water over a cliff band. The caves are ever changing with the meltoff as the weather cools & then warms.

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