Fishing Report 1/9/19

Well, I doubt anyone is excited about the rain we're getting today but if there is a chance it will bring some fresh fish into our rivers, I'll put up with it. 

Despite some cold weather this weekend, a friend of mine and I made it out to the Manistee to try and coax fish into chasing a streamer. 

Between breaking ice out of the guides and untangling our lines, we saw a few fish and stuck one. Water temps are cool so presentations need to be slower. It's definitely a departure from the high speed retrieves we all enjoy but it works. Drop em, strip em, stall em, jig em and hang on; that's the program. Have some fun picking out flies this time of year, even though the water can be crystal clear the fish may need something to get their attention. We found that Chartreuse was the ticket yesterday. 

Steelhead anglers continue to work hard for the occasional fish. The standard fare has been the most reliable such as  single beads, eggs, caddis, stoneflies, and hex nymphs. Get the bobbers out and work low and slow for those lethargic fish. As I said previously, our hope is that the rain will bring in some more fish from the lakes.

If you're not fishing this time of year and doing some tying check out our tutorials here. If you need some human interaction you might want to attend one of our classes or Flies at The Franklin. 

See you on the water!