2018 Season

[Steve_C]

Couldn't take it any longer, finally had a nice day with temps in the 70's and caught up "enough" on rod work where I can take a few hour break so I got out for about 4 hours on the Clinton (local river). Was searching for steelhead but after 6 months of cold & snow I was just fine with anything that wanted to put a bend in the fly rod. Ended up landing a walleye and about a half dozen white suckers that were built like sherman tanks. Real enjoyable day after such a long winter and a good primer for the real steelhead trip to the Au Sable that is coming up before long.

 

[Steve_C]

Just finished this up this morning. Finally caught up on customer rods enough where I was able to sneak in a few minutes here & there to work on a new rod for myself. This is a 10' 4wt that I built to add to my own collection and use on the big waters of the Au Sable. Blank is Xi H&H 10' 4wt 4pc, grip has seven coats of urethane, classic twist brown & black wraps with metallic copper trim and a custom matching sock.
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[Deadliestviper7]

Just finished this up this morning. Finally caught up on customer rods enough where I was able to sneak in a few minutes here & there to work on a new rod for myself. This is a 10' 4wt that I built to add to my own collection and use on the big waters of the Au Sable. Blank is Xi H&H 10' 4wt 4pc, grip has seven coats of urethane, classic twist brown & black wraps with metallic copper trim and a custom matching sock.
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That is one classy rod, truly the merkel of fishing rods

 

[Steve_C]

Spent 4 hours searching for steelhead today. The only thing that came out to play was the ever elusive great Northern Ghetto Trout! Can't complain though, fish or not there's no better way to spend a 70 degree spring day than on the river fly rod in hand.

 

[Steve_C]

Couldn't let a beautiful 80 degree day go by without fishing. Spent the day on Paint Creek for most the morning & afternoon. Fished the new rod I built for streamer fishing Paint Creek and it worked just as I hope, throws the sinking line with ease and is short enough to make it easy fishing in the tight confines of the creek. Landed about 8 or so trout today and had at least that many slash and grab as the fly. Also spooked three deer while going through the brush, dunno who jumped higher the deer or me. real enjoyable day on the creek today.

 

[Steve_C]

First fish of the trip in the net today. Getting to my normal fishing spot was a bit dicey to say the least and had to do my best Indiana Jones climb to get to it, but rewarded with a dandy steelhead as the first fish of the trip. Just got here today at a little motel for today and tomorrow. Headed back out for steelhead in the morning, then shooting up further on the river system tomorrow afternoon and staying at a different place to chase trout for the next week or so.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

First fish of the trip in the net today. Getting to my normal fishing spot was a bit dicey to say the least and had to do my best Indiana Jones climb to get to it, but rewarded with a dandy steelhead as the first fish of the trip. Just got here today at a little motel for today and tomorrow. Headed back out for steelhead in the morning, then shooting up further on the river system tomorrow afternoon and staying at a different place to chase trout for the next week or so.

Have you tried some mouse flies yet?

 

[Steve_C]

Mousing around here usually doesn't pick up till about late June most years so I usually don't start using mouse flies till about mid June right before dark.

We spent Monday back on the steelhead waters of the Au Sable. Seems the suckers had moved in pretty thick between Sunday night and Monday morning as we ended up putting about 50 white suckers in the net. They were big ones between 2-5lbs but still was not what we were after. manged to hook up with a couple steelhead between all the suckers.

We left the steelie waters of the river and headed further up stream to where we like to trout fish on Monday night. Fished all day Tuesday with my buddy Mark and it was pretty tough due to the flow still being high. It's 'fishable" but pretty difficult fishing. It is slowly dropping daily so it should be better by the weekend. Managed a couple small bass and walleye Tuesday evening. Hooked up with a pretty decent trout right before dark but thrashed at the surface and managed to throw the streamer.

My fishing buddy Mark had to leave to go back to civilization (work) this morning so I switched rooms at the motel and am now here all alone for the next week. Will be doing a lot of fishing over the next 6-7 days now by myself. Always nice to spend some alone time in a little country motel along the river to recharge your soul. Kicking back at the room right now and gonna hit the river a bit later this afternoon/evening.

 

[Steve_C]

Quite a day today on the river. Fished from about 3pm till well after dark. I guess the river doesn't know I am trout fishing because I'm catching everything but trout so far. Not complaining though, I love any species on the fly. Caught a couple pretty nice thick river pike. Have caught many pike on the fly but these this evening were the first I have taken on the two handed spey rod so that was really cool. Caught a half dozen smallmouth and must have caught well over twenty walleye. All in all a real enjoyable day on the river. Water is going down still so hope to be able to get into spots where I always find nice trout by Friday. I'm not big on "selfies" but wanted to get a pic of me where I am at my happiest, along the banks of the Au Sable. Time to eat, shower and wash the DEET off, then hit the sack so I can get up at daybreak and do it all over again tomorrow.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Nice, do you fly fish at night?