April 24, 2017

Blossoming Riffles

Looking outside, dogwoods blossom with flowers of pink and white. The hardwood’s buds are still tight, but lawns are greening and the yellow heads of dandelions seem to have exploded to view in the past couple of days. With these flowers come the blossoms of our trout streams. Mayflies and caddis are beginning to bloom in the fertile riffles of our favorite waters. Just as plants need sunlight and warmth for their buds to develop and open, so do trout stream insects. For insects to shake off winter and develop into emerging adults, sunlight is key, and the past couple of days have provided this ingredient. Today is bright in Rockford, and the Rogue and her riffles are basking in the sunshine. What does this mean to anglers? In my view, it means we will have insect activity in the mid-afternoon. Hendrickson and caddis will be the primary emergences. In the early afternoon, fish soft hackles and emerger patterns below the surface film. As more bugs hatch and fish begin to feed on top, dry flies will be productive. The window of feeding activity, as in any hatch, may be small, but worthwhile. Now is the time to steal an afternoon and head to the water, or at least the indicators are pointing in that direction.

I wrote this last week after the rain. Thought I would share…

Dogwoods bloom pink and white
The river looks like a latte
Beneath the torrent cling fragile buds
Mayflies and caddis soon will blossom
Providing nourishment to winter worn trout
And my soul

April 7, 2017

Postal Surprise

Everyone likes surprises including myself. The postal service delivered a great one this week from angling author Jerry Kustich, a manuscript of his soon-to-be-released fly fishing book, titled Holy Water. Upon seeing the return address and ripping open the envelope like the proverbial child on Christmas morn, I sat down and begin reading. As in Jerry’s previous books, the essays are based on angling themes, but have an overriding voice of personal journey. These essays instill emotion, provoke contemplation, and are personally passionate. Similar to a multi-course meal, I have savored each chapter – slowly tasting Jerry’s words, allowing them to develop in my mind’s eye. Tonight I plan to read a couple more essays, and continue to enjoy this pleasant surprise.

April 5, 2017

Rogue River at the Rockford Dam

The steelhead were crashing at the Rockford Dam 4-4-17

March 30, 2017

Spring Outing

Last Friday I fished this rifle. Although I hoped for some early blue winged olives, stoneflies, and even to the task of my eyes midges on the surface, nothing was rising. Thus I nymphed. Choosing a midge and BWO pattern, I began picking apart this section of water. No one was around, I was fishing Spring Creek in central PA and although the water was warmer than the air temperature, the air temps kept anglers away. A couple of hours passed on the clock while I drifted tandem nymphs. The size 20 zebra midge was the ticket, hooking the majority of the wild trout, my presentation fooled. I landed nothing that one would classify as noteworthy, other than they were all wild. All were healthy, colorful, and ranging from 6 to 14 inches. Best of all, I was not distracted by anything except for a pause in my drift, most often it was the bottom, a rock, a mat of moss, occasionally it was a trout, as I had turned off all electronics. I nymphed several riffles last Friday, looking for rising fish in both the tail outs below and the pools above. None held risers. Optimistically I tied on a Griffiths gnat and a BWO emerger at the pool above, what my late father called “steps” riffle. Believing his divine intervention would cause fish to surface feed. I was wrong. Mother Nature is who dictates rising trout, not dad’s memory, nor my optimism. Certainly a fish will feed in front of me this spring. Until then, I have to be thankful for the fish feeding below the surface.

March 23, 2017

Conservation

UPS just dropped off a package at the shop. It is a print by David Ruimveld. So what does this have to do with conservation. Well allow me to explain. I am speaking and doing a fundraising auction for Woodcock Limited this weekend in PA. This is their annual meeting and fundraising event. I mentioned this in passing to David and he generously sent me a piece of art to donate on his behalf to support their cause. David and Ginny support many conservation causes with their artwork donations. So where am I headed with this ramble. Spring is banquet season for many conservation groups. There are many Trout Unlimited banquets across Michigan this spring, as other conservation groups. I urge you to support as best you can, be a volunteer, attend an event, buy raffle tickets, bid on an auction item, how you support doesn’t matter. It is the fact that you do, is what is important. All of these organizations have strong missions and seem to be doing more with less. Conservation is now more important than ever, whether a trout stream, the Great Lakes or our public lands.

Just a ramble.

March 23, 2017

Fishing Activity

It is a sunny day here in Rockford. Yes there is still a chill in the air, but both robins and woodcock have return to the Rogue River Valley. The past couple of days, stoneflies have been active and this has spurred fish feeding activity. It has also spurred questions regarding will our hatches continue and dry fly activity begin earlier than average? My answer is maybe. My crystal ball regarding the weather is cloudy at best. What I do know is the above average water temps and bright days will accelerate insect maturity. Aquatic insects do not understand air temperatures only water temperatures. Although the last couple of nights have been below freezing, our water temperatures continue to climb throughout the day. This in theory will allow bugs to mature and hatch sooner. The only way to know is to be on the water. This time of the year, 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm give or take a few minutes, will be the magical time when our early stones and mayflies will be most active in the adult stages, the nymphs prior. If our weather regresses, so will the bugs, but for now it is time to grab the trout rods and take advantage of our early season dry fly fishing.

March 7, 2017

March brings longer days, runs of chrome steelhead and show season.

March brings longer days, runs of chrome steelhead and show season. The next few weeks we will be busy meeting our customers at various locations. Beginning this weekend we will be at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo, March 11-12 at the Macomb Community College, in Warren, MI. this is the largest fly fishing show not only in the state but the midwest. We will have books from all the featured presenters and more.

Next week finds us at DeVos Place at the Grand Rapids Sport Fishing and Travel show. This is the Grand Daddy of all general sport shows in Michigan. The Grand River Fly Tyers will be there teaching folks to tie fly’s and we will be teaching casting as well.

March 25^th I will be giving the keynote talk for Woodcock Limited’s annual membership event. This event celebrates Woodcock and conservation of their habitat. Held at Bald Eagle State Park in Howard, PA I will be discussing Woodcock literature.

The last show of the spring is the Three Rivers Fly Fishing Show, April 1^st in Fort Wayne, IN.

This one day club show is fun and full of enthusiasm.

Hope to see you this spring at one of these events.

Glen

March 7, 2017

Reflecting on another year passing

Last Thursday was my birthday. And I have been reflecting on another year passing. Allow me to share some thoughts. First of all as I age, I enjoy spinner falls more than ever. Sulphers on a warm May evening are the best. Big bugs still excite me, but landing a large fish after dark is just not as important as casting to a rising trout as the sun drops below the horizon. Fishing poppers for bluegills and bass is another opportunity for angling pleasure. Strolling around a farm pond or casting from a canoe is simply fun. I find myself thinking of rubber spiders, bass bugs, lily pads, and bombastic surface takes. Brook trout also seem to garner more of my attention, both here in Michigan and on the streams of my boyhood in Pennsylvania. What draws me is not only their beauty, but that my angling mentor’s adored them. Fishing a back country run in PA, I can hear the lessons of my father, grandfather and great uncles, teaching of conservation, respect, and angling. Wading upstream casting an ant or an attractor dry, again is another simple pleasure. Maybe that will be the theme of my fishing this year, simple pleasure. To enjoy the water, the fish, the times casting a rod. And if I am lucky, the rod will bend and my knots hold.

March 7, 2017

Hunting Musky with a Fly by Rick Kustich

Great Lakes steelheader’s are certainly familiar with Rick Kustich. He has authored two books discussing steelhead angling and is a featured speaker at this year’s Midwest Fly Fishing Expo, March 11-12, 2017. His newest release by Stackpole Press, Hunting Musky with a Fly continues in his tradition of writing informative fly fishing books. Musky’s have become the hottest species for fly anglers to chase over the past 3 to 4 seasons. Big fish, flies and rods add to the allure. Rick has searched from Wisconsin to Virginia for these toothy critters and shares the information he has gleaned. This book contains not only techniques for fishing but fly tying as well, with four-color pictures and recipes for Musky patterns. Hunting Musky with a Fly is a solid work, full of flies and techniques that will help you land these fickle fish. Signed copies are available for $40.00.