Fishing Report 6/17/23

June has been anything but predictable this year.  From the incredibly warm end of May and early June to 10 days of weather that felt more like mid May, the good news is, the fish are really happy with the steady water temps in the mid to upper 50’s.  Trout fishing on the Upper Manistee has been really fun with trout eagerly taking dries.  Fishing this season has been FUN!!  It is incredible to see the difference that a year can make without the didymo blooms covering the gravel. The number of fish, the amount of aquatic insects is encouraging, but I still think we need to look at better management practices and stream structure improvement.   Bass fishing has been a bit slower with the colder temperatures, but that will change this weekend with the return of the warmer temps.  Just in time to get out and fish with Dad for Father’s Day weekend.   

Upper Manistee

Have your fly boxes ready for a wide variety of dries when you hit the river.  Isonychias, stoneflies, bwo’s, leftover brown drakes, sulphurs and both light and yellow cahills are emerging in the early evenings.  Cooler temps have slowed down the hatching but look for that to change with the warmer, more June-like weather coming back into play this coming week. The fish are looking up and this makes for a fun and exciting outing, not as many opportunities for the bigger fish in the daytime with the low clear water. However, each day we are seeing some nice fish rise to the flies, but hard to hold on to with 4X.  It is really nice to catch trout on dries during the daylight hours!  Hex is just around the corner with the next warmup, things will really start to get rolling, so change the batteries in your headlamp, and get ready for the late evening spinner falls that will provide stories to share over the next year…

Boardman River

The Boardman has been steady and productive this entire spring and early summer.  Although it is not known for great hatches, there are pockets of bugs and fish rising.  Small rubber legged attractor patterns have been enticing fish to the surface.  Nymphs and smallish streamers have also been really productive over the past few weeks.  

Stop by the shop and restock your boxes, floatant/dry shake leaders and tippet.  Don’t forget the headlamp and Simms Insect Shield Hoodie and you should be set for the next few weeks!