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Michigan - Grayling

8K views 120 replies 8 participants last post by  SDHflyfisher 
#1 ·
#3 ·
Cool article...thanks. Always wanted to catch a Grayling. I don't know what is more sad. The fact that the Michigan Grayling is gone or that all of our beautiful white pine forests got plucked...dunked...and cutt up, only to be replaced with those jack pines.:rolleyes: If we only knew then........
 
#4 ·
Yes we can only imagine what it must of looked at but if you go to Northern Wisconsin North Woods you will see a lot of white pines. Its beautiful country up there and there are trout and of course the king of freshwater fishes (Esox) which is what I was there for a number of times.

However the Michigan jack pine country is still beautiful.

PM Out
 
#10 ·
Michigan steelhead

Too bad the steelhead didn't come up into the Pere Marquette or Big River this Fall the way they normally do. Some shot into the Little River, though.

Guess all we can do is hope the Spring spawning run is "normal"--if there is such a thing when it comes to Michigan fishing! God only knows I've seen just about everything during the 27 years I've chased those buggers!!!

Tight Loops'
CapT
 
#11 ·
Tony,

Keep the faith they will come. Been a strange year, the summer runs were way off also

Welcome to the forumn, quite a dichotomy florida to Manistee, ehh.

Love that little river, took some good pictures there this spring.

It was one of the first michigan rivers I fished in 1980 when I relocated from NJ to South Bend, IN. Really it has not changed much in the last 23 years as far as its surroundings, the steelhead runs though are not as large as they once were.

True story, my first big steelhead trip was in the spring of 1980 went to the PM, LM, and PM for a week by myself. It was late april and I did not know that the runs were almost over. A rookie mistake, hey I did not have the internet then only magazine articles and hear say as to when to go.

Was fishing the first pool I got to on LM below 6 mile and all of a sudden this silver 10-12 lb steelhead comes flying out of the water right in front of me. I can still visulaize that fish jumping now almost 23 years later.

Have a good holiday

PM Out
 
#13 ·
Your "Introduction to Steelhead 101" was much more pleasant than mine. I went "swimming" in the PM TWICE in the same frigid March day (below the Whirlpool and again below Doc Winery's)! Fortunately, our club outing (Red Cedar Fly Fishers of the FFF) was being held at Barothy's and they had industrial-strength dryers or I might STILL be soaking wet!!

Yes, going back and forth from the headwaters of the Manistee to the flats of the Gulf of Mexico takes a bit of adjusting (both ways). But, the fishing's fine, each in its own way. Where we live in MI the Manistee is a spring creek mostly populated with beautiful wild brookies. The browns don't "take over" until we go about five miles downstream, near Cameron Bridge. We live in the Deward Management Area--the last place that was logged out after the turn of the century. We have so many hundred-year old stumps that it looks like the graveyard that it is.

Florida's a bit chilly, but the fishing's been pretty good all things considered.

Tight Loops,
CapT
 
#14 · (Edited)
Tony

Yes the PM's flow can be very deceiving, I have seen many anglers go for a dunking.

First steelhead I caught on a fly was at the first Clay Banks, just above Deer Lick. Best single steelheading day I ever had was just above the Birch Hole on St. Patricks day, in Shaptons,and yes I went for a dunking into that black michigan mud on the south side of the Birch Hole. Was fighting a steely trying to keep him from going further into the whirlpool, had him just about ready to be beached, leaned back on the 8 weight and 4 lb leader, the leader popped and I went almost face down into the black muck.

It was in the thirties and snowing, but I kept fishing. Hooked 13-15 and landed three that St. Patties day morning all by myself with no one else around.

I can only imagine what I looked like when I walked out that morning to the Clay Banks parking, a frozen, shivering mud caked, happy steelhead fly fisherman.

Had to drive to Baldwin wash/dry my clothes in the laundry so I could get back to the river ASAP.

Priceless !!

PM Out
 
G
#15 ·
Claybanks is a nice area, had my best day there upsream by Deer lick. That was one hell of a hole, I recall fish stacking up in there like cord wood.

Remember the trip down the bank prior to the stair installation?
One wrong step and that slick clay would carry you to the bottom, the walk up after a good rain was also an adventure to remember.
 
#16 ·
Had to some edits to my last post, was getting hurried of the PC last night by wife and kids. It was the Birch Hole and Shaptons where I had the great St. Paddies day in the snow storm.

But above the Whirlpool is also good, like this past spring, heck almost any one of those runs and pools in fly no kill water can hold fish at times. There are only a couple I have never touched a fish in. Can't figure that out since they look beautiful and have to hold fish.

Had a wonderful afternoon at Deer Lick this spring, and all to myself, see previous posts in this section for that trips report. Deer Lick has changed though it is not as deep as it once was, you knew it was good when you had to beat DS, Bear Andrews, Jed Davis and all of the other guides to get their at first light for first water advantage.

Don't think my heart can take those sprints through the woods down the clay banks in the dark first thing in the morning, like we did before the stairs were there. Actually the stairs are the long way around. Used to come straight down that deer trail, was dangerous if it had rained and if snow forget it.

I have taken my falls on those steep banks one time skinned my hands good on the ice, but never broke anything, and of course kept fishing in pursuit of wild chrome.

God I love that river.:D :D

PM Out
 
G
#17 ·
Slid down that bloody deer trail a few times, the stairs make it easier(at least saner).

Would have loved to owned that cottage by deer lick. Imagine the fishing in your own back yard.

With all the drift boats\guides on her she is starting to look like the Dan Ryan on a Friday afternoon.

Such is life.
 
#18 ·
For some reason, I never spent much time around the Claybanks. Fished there some, of course, but I guess my best success was upstream.

My "personal best" was on the big redd in front of Doc Green's one day long, long ago. I'd hook 'em on that redd and fish 'em down below the dogleg. There was a neat little sandbar and an opening in the tag alders there--just above Simmy Nolph's--and I'd beach 'em and release there. Then I'd walk back upstream and start working the pod again.

Alas, those days are done! With all the pressure on the PM now, if you work your fish downstream there'll be five guys fighting shoulder-to-shoulder to get into your former spot. I mean, I'm GLAD the snaggers are (mostly) gone and that people are fly fishing, but I certainly miss those mid-week forays when you could have huge stretches of water like that all to yourself.

That's why Kate (my wife's been a fly angler for 22 years) and I feel fortunate to live in Deward. It's narrow and tough to fish, so most people come once and don't come back. We don't have to contend with hordes of other anglers, and we like that (and our beautiful little brookies) just fine.

Tight Loops,
CapT
 
#19 ·
Tony,

Upstream from Green Cottage became my favorite area, but first few years I fished mainly at Clay Banks area. Doc Greens is a favorite spot before they put they new walk in access path there. yes I used to walk in, before light from the Green Cottage, ford the river at Winerys then up over the clay banks, past the Olde, Ledge Hole, and Baldwin, it was a sprint through the woods in the dark to get there at first light and have first water advantage. Great area there above Simmy Nolphs some classic water. Right in front of Nolphes is a good run.

Never forget one morning at first light I got to the Olde Hole another good one. Landed and released two steelhead I look back and there is this big guy in a red hunting jacket and hat looking to see if I was using a legal fly set up. I was. It was Simmy Nolphe, we talked for a few minutes. I guess I can say I talked to a PM ledge never say him again in all of the trips up there, and he passed away a few years ago.

You are way up on the head waters of the LM. Isn't the upper Baldwin near you also. On old time who owned the Tarry Motel in Baldwin took me back there in the early 80s showed me his secret spots one afternoon.

Paul passed away in 1986 great old guy who loved trout fishing up there. He would give me honest information about when to come and not to come, etc...

PM Out
 
G
#20 ·
Had the pleasure of meeting Zimmny once very cordial gentleman. Did you get a chance to look at his hands? Very gnarly came from years on the river I guess.

Green Cottage is a nice area, liked the upstream portion also the tail out below the cottage is pretty good. One problem... too many people even during the week. Took to fishing out of the flys water and a few other hidden areas which worked out better. Not too many signs of man.
 
#23 ·
Ah, yes!!! Jones Ice Cream. It's still there. So are the old-time photos of the days when Baldwin/Idleylde was a hot resort area.

Actually, the steelhead runs didn't start until the early 70s. Up till then, the PM was a big brown trout fishery. The anadramous fishery came about because of the proliferation of alweife in the lakes, and MDNR had to find a way to control them. Ergo, chinook and steelhead. The NDR tried McCloud River steelies first, and ended up bringing in about eight different strains over the years. Today, Michigan has a cross-bred hybrid that's named Little Manistee Steelhead. Unfortunately, the genetic trait of looking UP (for a dry fly) was bred out of these fish--unlike Umpqua and Deschutes fish.

Speaking of LM--that's not where I live. I'm on the headwaters of the Manistee--right where it begins between Grayling and Gaylord. About two hours from Baldwin. It'll take less time in the near future, when a bigger chunk of the 131 freeway gets finished north of Cadillac.

Do you guys ever get down to the Venice/Sarasota/Boca Grande area to fish salt?

By the way, Ray Schmidt, an old, old friend of mine who guides the Big River out of Wellston, sent me an e-mail yesterday telling me that he's having lung cancer surgery Jan. 6. If you know Ray, or have fished with him, I know he'd appreciate your prayers and/or psychic energy on his behalf.

Tight Loops,
CapT
 
G
#24 ·
I have met Ray many times, he is a great guy and knows the Big M. like the back of his hand. His shop in Wellston is always a favorite stop when we are in the area. He directed us to Hodenpyle(SP?) for some trout fishing, nothing huge but a great time.

Its amazing that tucked away in Baldwin is Jones Ice Cream. It also is a favorite stop. That stuff is so rich, the guilt from eating it makes you want to walk an extra mile of river bank.

I pray for the best for Ray, I can't say enough good about him.
 
#25 ·
Tony

Aaah yes Jones Ice Cream shop.

Will be saying a prayer for Ray only met him once at his shop in Wellston.

So you are way over by Grayling on the Upper Manistee head waters. Only did the hex hatch there once but nice country and river. Got to get back to the Ausable south branch again Mason Tract too many rivers not enought time.

Will be visiting my brother in Jupiter, Florida hope to get some SW fly fishing in, even if its only small lady fish, tarpon, or snook.

Do you guide for tarpon on the fly rod ?

Hal

PM Out
 
#26 ·
Yes, eating Jones ice cream is an exercise in sublime decadence!

There are some VERY large brown trout in Hodenpyle Pond. In fact, I have a plain-jane 16-ft boat down here in Florida that I'm going to take back to Michigan in the spring to use on H-pond. I'm also going to use it along the coastline of the lakes, fly fishing for carp and smallies.

Yes, I do guide fly anglers for tarpon down here in Charlotte Harbor/Boca Grande and off Sarasota. We actually get the largest concentration of tarpon here. Homosassa gets bigger fish--up over the 200lb mark (our really big ones are 175)--but we get more fish. That happens in late April through early July. The spawning moon this year is June 14.

I used to get to Jupiter Beach when I lived in West Palm (three or four lifetimes ago, it seems like!). Back then, there were no condos or other developments along a lengthy stretch of beach, and we'd go there late at night and build a fire and roast hot dogs and marshmallows. Bet you can't do THAT anymore, eh??!!

Tight Loops,
CapT
 
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