ohhhhh that smell....

It's the height of a busy guide season & spare time is at a premium right now.  Not much time to update this blog, let alone being able to spend time with family & friends.  I guess that's the price of running your own business & being on the water when the Trout want you to be.  It is truly a wonderful time of the year to be a fishing guide, the forest is alive and the rivers are teeming with life.  Being able to share this bounty with others is very fullfilling, so much nowadays that i'd rather have a new angler catch a great Trout than myself to have the opportunity.  The joy that fills one new to the sport when the hook into a quality trout is unexplainable.

Lately the conifers here have been pollinating or whatever it's called. I'm guessing as my truck has been covered with a yellowy looking powder every morning.  The other night on the river my clients & I had to hide off in the woods as a heavy storm rolled through that dumped biblical amounts of rain as well as heavy thunder & lighting.  After the storm several nice trout were brought to hand & we had a journey out in the dark form the river after fishing.  I couldn't help but notice an overpowering wonderful smell of pine.  It was like nothing I had ever smelled in my life before, so aromatic & just downright pleasing.  I'm guessing it was form the pines being damp & this pollen being present.  I have never smelled this before & it was quite the treat leaving the forest with this in the air.  The essence of the woods during trout season.......

Ode to da Opener

Opening Day-it's all about traditions here in the Upper Peninsula.  This a day of the fishing calendar I clear the slate every year to enjoy the surrounding of this great place I call home.  As an angler it isn't about catching fish to me, it's about spending time with friends & relaxing.  If we make it astream that's wonderful, if not-who cares.  Many people in this day of age are always in a rush, it's not worth even going fishing if you are in a hurry to get out.  Trout fishing, especially here in the North Woods is all about kicking back and soaking in the environs.  This weekends heritage in the U.P. runs so strong that words really cannot explain it, since Trout have been here anglers have celebrated this holy day.   Trout only live in the most beautiful places on Earth, these are the places I like to spend my time.

Become a fan of "Fly Fishing Michigan's U.P." on Facebook-
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fly-Fishing-Michigans-UP/180748555302275

Seeing Any?

This is something that I will never understand I have come to accept.  Frequently during this Spring run of Steelhead when you encounter other anglers on the stream they frequently ask "Hey, have you seen any spawning Steelhead?"  They seem saddened or not enthused about fishing unless they can actually "see" Steelhead.  Sure, I used to fish to spawning fish-so I definitely don't hold myself above any other angler who chooses to do so.  But it was because I wasn't informed or didn't know any better to leave these fish alone.  Spawning fish are not fish that eat, they are fish that are getting their freak on.  How many times have you felt like eating a pastrami sammich during the middle of sexy time?  Yeah, prolly not to many times i'm guessing.

 

 

Join the Laughing Whitefish on Facebook-

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fly-Fishing-Michigans-UP/180748555302275

Fly Fishing Michigan's U.P.-

http://www.riversnorth.net

Slow & Steady

Old School-that's the two words I can think of the describe this Spring here in the Upper Peninsula.  I remember that the month of March used to be classified as another month of the Winter here instead of the beginning of Spring. I myself am guilty as well as many others are of getting used to these early Springs we have had over the course of the past few years.  Many inland lakes across the Upper Peninsula have a solid 2 feet of ice still on them, you can drive a full size pickup truck on that very safely!  Yesterday as I peered out across Lk Superior all i could see was ice as far as the eye could see, granted this ice blows in & out with the wind.  But there sure is quite a bit still out there & that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  As it is right now though, we are in a major drought.  Since February there has been very little precip (snow or rain), this doesn't fair well for fire danger or river/lake levels.  I'm hoping that April brings some nice rains, heck even a snowstorm would be fine by me.

Recently I purchased a new camera , so these shots are local images from the Marquette area.  Learning how to operate the camera is in adventure in itself, but I see how one can become very involved with the art of photography.  So much is require to get a great photo, I'm looking forward to providing some images of the essence of this beautiful place I call home-Michigan's U.P..

Become a "fan" on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fly-Fishing-Michigans-UP/180748555302275

Fishing Michigan's U.P.
http://www.riversnorth.net

Da Flashdancer!

I thought a tutorial of a newer streamer pattern I have found to be effective would be kinda cool to share.  This pattern is primarily used for migratory species, but if it is tied in smaller sizes with different colors variation/use of flash it is effective on resident Trout as well.  It can be fished in a variety of different ways, my best results have been while swing/actively slow stripping this pattern.  It is designed to target aggressive fish in water temps in the 40-55 degree range.  The liberal use of flash on this pattern grabs attention from fish that are a long distance away- I have found this pattern to work well in varying water clarity conditions, although clear water has been the most productive.  This pattern was inspired by the patterns of friend & fellow river guide Kevin Feenstra.  This is a extremely easy fly to tie, a nice choice for beginner fly tiers!  Due to the heavy use of bright/flash materials in this fly, I chose the appropriate name "The Flashdancer" for this streamer.

Materials needed to tie this pattern-
Hook-Size 2 TMC 9395 or suitable high quality 2x heavy streamer hook
Size Medium Lead Eyes
Chartreuse Large Cactus Chenille
Flour. Pink Ice Dub
Silver Holographic Polar Chenille
Silver Flashabou
Pink Flashabou
Gun Metal Flashabou
Uni-thread black Big Fly thread

First step-Secure lead eyes to bottom side of hook just back from the eye of hook. Then bring thread to rear of the hook shank.

Secondly, add a generous amount of gun metal or silver flashabou to the rear of the hook.

Next, tie in your silver polar chenille at the rear of hook. Palmer the chenille all the way up to to right in back of the lead eyes.

This is what it should look like once the polar chenille is all the way up to the lead eyes.

Next, add your pink Flashabou. I also add another material at this point that is more of a rubbery  feel to it. It looks like Flashabou & has some holographic properties. I just can't remember the name of this product.  Krystal Flash can also be used in this step to gain more iridescence to the pattern.

Now tie in your cactus chenille behind your lead eyes & then after a wrap or so behind the eyes figure 8 the chenille around the eyes to thoroughly cover them.

Here is what it should look like once the eyes are covered with the cactus chenille.

Take a pinch of the pink ice dub & push this through the eye of the hook. Wrap 2 or 3 times over the top of the ice dub. Then push ice dub back & secure the front of the ice dub to hook by the thread grabbing a few fibers.  Now finish the fly with some half hitches then done!

There ya go, all done. The finished product, an easy tie that is a big meal for a willing participant!

Visit Riversnorth Guide Servce for info on fly fishing outings in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Become a "fan" on Facebook-
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fly-Fishing-Michigans-UP/180748555302275

Weekend of the Dogs

The past week has been a roller coaster of weather patterns up here in the U.P. and across all of the Midwest for that matter. This past weekend was one of my personal favorites of the Winter, the annual U.P. 200 sled dog race weekend.

The weather ended the race early because trail conditions were tough on both the dogs as well as equipment. This years race had 19 teams from across the United States attend, mushers/teams that have raced the world famous Alaska Iditarod compete in this race. It is a remarkable event for our small northern Midwest community to promote and host.

For those who have never participated in spectating a sled dog race, it is quite the event!  It seems as if the dogs actually feed off the crowd as you can literally see the excitement in their eyes as they act as a team to pull their musher to victory.  These dogs live for this time spent on the trail, they train all season long for the opportunity to get out racing.  These dogs are not house pets, they are specifically bred to race.  They are high energy thoroughbred animals, although they are very friendly pre-race when the crowd gathers downtown Marquette, but once the race starts they are all business!

Many mushers welcome the spectators to pet and get their pictures taken with the dogs, it a cool chance to get talk to the teams and learn more about sled dog racing.  There are several operations here across the U.P. that allow sled dog enthusiasts to take part in trail riding themselves and experience this cool sport first hand.

Visit here for info on how to take part in your own sled dog adventure here in the Upper Peninsula. Ive had family members, friends, & clients try this and everyone says its a once in a lifetime experience- I look forward to trying it myself next Winter. Come visit Marquette next Winter for the U.P. 200 weekend, a unique & fun time here in God's Country.
Join us on Facebook.

http://www.riversnorth.net

Hustle

Hustle, this is the one word that was profound to me in the President's message today here in the Upper Peninsula.  Working hard to come out on top and be the best that you can be, don't accept coming in second. He quoted JFK in his speech as well as when he was discussing how the U.S. needs to become #1 and that nothing other than that is acceptable in this global economy.  Just sitting back and watching as the world takes center stage is not good enough, America needs to move forward.  He declared that America invented the Internet, so we need to be the leader in providing broadband Internet to every home in the U.S.. The President stated that by having this ability to access faster Internet throughout the country will directly spawn entrepreneurs, invention and economic stimulus.

The overwhelming feeling of pride was very evident in all the people in the community-those that attended the event as well as those who didn't.  When the President opened his speech by saying "Hello Yoopers-the crowd went berserk! Yoopers are extremely proud of the place we call home and the President definitely recognized this.  The President commented on how special of a place the U.P. is and how genuine everyone was here he met with, joking around about the Packers at the start of his speech got the crowd chuckling. Sen. Levin also during his speech commended the Pack and stated he wished his Detroit Lions could follow suit!

Whether you are a supporter of President Obama or not, it was very special to have him come visit our small town here in the Upper Peninsula.  It isn't everyday that the leader of the free world decides to take a trip to the frozen north.

A rewarding day for NMU and alums-a day our president came to visit our school/town because we are leaders, not followers!

Many thanks go out to Senator Debbie Stabenow and her staff for inviting Riversnorth Guide Service to attend the Obama event today in Marquette.  It was a phenomenal experience to participate in and the opportunity to see the President in person was very rewarding.  Senator Stabenow has been at the forefront of the Asian Carp battle and has been steadfast in her stand to keep the Carp out of our Great Lakes.

Keep up the good work Senator Stabenow & Thank You!
http://www.riversnorth.net