Early Season Trout Fishing in Michigan

I define Early Season Trout Fishing as that time between the steelhead runs and the big bug hatches. It is a time of year that requires many contrasting types of fly fishing. A fly angler based in Traverse City, Michigan can fish the Manistee below Tippy Dam or the Muskegon below Crotin Dam searching for steelhead and large brown trout with oversized streamers and big rods with sink tips. On the same day a fly angler can be using a five weight rod and 6X tippets casting Black Caddis or Hendrickson imitations to rising fish. Big trout are caught at this time of year yet the fishing pressure is the lightest of the prime time periods. I believe the pressure is light  because of the complexity of the trout feeding habits this time of year. I'll try to decipher some of this for you in the article.

The easiest and most successful fishing this time of year is done with streamers. If bugs aren't hatching or spinning we throw streamers. More large fish are caught every year with this method than any other. The process is simple. Use a 6-9 weight rod loaded with a 200 or 300 grain sink tip. I use 12-15 fluorocarbon ( 3 feet) as my leader. To that I attach my fly. An entire article could be written about fly selection, I'll try to hit the highlights here. Carry flies in both sculpin and baitfish shapes. Have them in size 8 down to size 2. The colors should be at least white, yellow, ginger, olive, olive and white, brown and black. Some of my favorite patterns are Hawk's Nutcracker, Hawk's Little Rascal, Jon Ray's Aussie Sculpin, T&A Bunkers, Circus Peanuts, Mad Pups and Swimming Jimmy's. Cast your fly as close to structure as your are able, a 1/16 of an inch isn't too close. Strip the fly back with a variety of retrieves. Use different lengths, cadences and pauses until you start getting hits. If you make twenty good casts and don't get as follow or a hit, change flies. A couple of other tips are strip strike when you get a hit, when you retrieve the fly keep your rod tip close or in the water to keep a more direct connection between you and the fly, and on bright days start with bright flies. dark does start there.

Hatches that you are likely to encounter on the Manistee, AuSable, Pere Marquette and Muskegon Rivers this time of year vary depending on the habitat of the river. The Manistee below Tippy Dam and the Manistee Flies Only section are completely different waters so the hatches are different. Below Tippy dam expect mostly Caddis hatches. In the flies only section of the Manistee this time of year you'll get, in order, Black Caddis, Hendrickson's, Grammon Caddis, and both Sulphurs. In addition to these major hatches you can run into Grey Fox, March Browns, Isonychias and a variety of other bugs. As always observation is key to successful dry fly fishing. Often you'll have a variety of bugs on the water. If you have a splashy rise the fish isn't eating spinners. A head and tail rise might be emergers etc. A couple of things to remember are that hatches generally come in order so the sulphurs won't start until the Hendrickson's are done. Stop by the local fly shop and find out what's been happening and buy a few flies that are working at the  time. All of the fishing with dries will be best from late morning until dark with the fishing getting later the closer you get to June 15. Hendrickson's typically emerge in the early afternoon (though I know of a couple of places that you get a small emergence just before noon) and spin in the evening. Sulphurs will hatch in the late afternoon and spin at dusk. Go ahead and sleep in just make sure you fish late. You can save the early rising for Tricos in July.

In many ways early season trout fishing is the most challenging because of the complexity of the hatches. Buy a good bug book, hire a good guide and get on the water. You'll get a kick out of landing a giant brown on a streamer in the afternoon and another on a size 18 rusty spinner in the evening. As always, Hawkins Outfitters is here to get you on the water and help you realize these dreams. Give us a call to see what April and May Trout fishing is all about, 231-228-7135.