Fishing Report 10/2/21

What a beautiful end to trout season we were able to enjoy in Northern Michigan! I sincerely hope everyone has been able to take advantage of the weather the past two weeks and sneak some late season fishing in before some of our streams closed down.

SALMON

Kings & Coho have been running now for a month and although fresh fish should continue to trickle in (especially with the chance of more rain this week), more and more fish will be hitting the gravel. 

As more and more fish start to work the gravel, egg patterns will become more and more effective. For now though, a variety of patterns are working and there is no silver bullet. 

  • Egg Sucking Leeches
  • Green Caddis Nymphs
  • Black Stonefly Nymphs
  • Egg Patterns (chartreuse, orange, peach, pink)

STEELHEAD

It's probably no secret but Steelhead are what we really look forward to all September long. We've been hooking up with skippers consistently all week with the occasional adult that are so hot we rarely get a glimpse. As water temps continue to drop down into the 50s and we get some more fall rain events, more adult fish will start to show up for the feast the salmon eggs will provide. 

This is a great time to prep your spey gear for targeting early fish that have yet to hone in on the egg bite. If you're not a two-handed nut (like some of us) I'd start rigging up bead rigs or topping off your yarn boxes. The fun is on the way!

  • Glo Bugs (oranges, yellows, chartreuse, peach)
  • Beads 8mm & 10mm (glo roe, oregon cheese, fireball, clown)

TROUT

Although "trout season" has officially ended, many anglers are still not aware of Michigan's extended season on some of our favorite rivers. It's probably time to put away the hopper box for the season but this is a fantastic time to knock the rust off your nymph game and tie up a few extra streamers to chase some trophies with. 

Dive into the Michigan fishing regulations and you'll find some spots for wonderful late season trout fishing that won't have even a fraction of the crowds you'll see downstream with the salmon crew. 

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