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Manistee River - July 24th, 2006
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing
RECORDED: 
85 °
FISHING: Good
JULY 24, 2006
OVERVIEW
Sorry it’s been so long since my last Report, but first I was guiding nearly every day, then my mother passed away at the age of 84. As you can imagine, that rather consumed all of my time while dealing with myriad details.
Now it’s time to get back on the water. Those of you who’ve had to deal with this sort of thing understand what I mean. Lawyers. Funeral homes. Details, details, details. I need beautiful brook trout and maybe the resounding “slurp” of a hook-jaw brownie eating one of my hopper imitations!
I also need to get Ghost into top shape for the upcoming bird season. She had to miss our Inaugural Shoot-To-Retrieve hunt test sponsored by North American Dog Sports and Registry because of my mom’s passing.
But, it’s now legal for bird dogs to run loose because the grouse and woodcock chicks have fledged, so tonight we put the bell and beeper on her neck and turned her loose in front of the house. Ghost was perfectly content to crash through the fiddlehead ferns and slosh around in the cold, cold water of the Manistee River.
It wasn’t a very long run, but she was thrilled being free in the woods again. Same for Kate and me!
MICHIGAN
The weather has been very unsettled around here during the past month. First, during Hex, nighttime temps dropped into the 40s and even mid-30s. Naturally, that shut down the hatch, and made this Hex Season the worst in recent memory. We caught a few decent fish, maybe 20 inches, but never any of the really big guys.
Then the mercury zoomed into the 90s, bringing rain that has made the lower Au Sable below Mio unfishable for the past week. In fact, four inches of rain fell in three hours on July 17 (the day of my mother’s heart attack) and the river rose to heights never before seen by local residents of the Mio/McKinley area. The river down there still is the color of chocolate milk—or latte for the Starbucked among us!
Conditions on the Holy Water are good, and the Manistee is in excellent condition. I did a “buddy check” today, and learned that gray drakes are popping on the Manistee below M72. Hoppers are doing their thing, too—which means Kate’s favorite fishing “hatch” will keep her (and the rest of us) smiling for the next couple of months.
Let’s see. Since my last Report I had the pleasure of fishing Blue Lakes Ranch with Dave Smethurst. He and his wife were caretakers there for 13 years, and I subsequently bought much of the beautiful tongue-and-groove pine and Douglas fir that I used to finish the addition to my house up here. I laughingly tell Dave and his wife that “I’m living in your old house.”
Dave “made” me do most of the fishing, and I had a blast landing a bunch of those big catch-and-release bluegills. A three-pound bass was a pleasant bonus.
Rex Farver floated the Manistee with me the next day, and it was a very tough one indeed. The fish simply wouldn’t co-operate. Sure, Rex caught some fish—he always does—but it was surprisingly slow going.
And the next night was worse. We were in a favorite spot waiting for Hex, and they never showed. Meanwhile, a few miles upstream, Doc Powers had several “bowling balls” feeding in front of him. Ah, the luck of the draw!
Tracy and Joe Ignash floated Stephan-to-Wakely with me a few days later and they each caught several fish. It was their maiden “float”—in fact, they’re pretty new to this fly-flinging business. So I was especially happy they got into some brookies and browns.
The following day I took Dave Poland, of Grand Rapids, and Brent Goldon, of Knoxville, on what was primarily a photographic mission. Brent does infrared imaging that is really amazing. His shots give the image a frosty-Alaskan-winter look. And most of the pictures he made centered on my Au Sable Longboat. He promised to send one of the prints to me (HINT, HINT, HINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
Oh, yes. They caught some fish, too. Lots of small ones, but Dave nailed a 15-inch brown that sorta “saved” the day.
Diane Barker joined me for a half-day instructional trip two days later, and we spent a lot of time on the upper Manistee working on casting, reading the water, and wading. Next time we’ll work on releasing fish. Right, Diane? At least she felt some wiggles on the black caddis emerger before the “longline release.”
After that it was bingo-bango trips with Paul Coussens, Walt and Xa Johnson from Indiana, Bill Henry, from Colorado, and 10-year-old Cole Paul, from Petoskey.
I’d LIKE to say that they all had the “trip of a lifetime,” But that only was true with the Brothers Johnson. THAT day it was “Isonychiaville” all the way. They had a double-hookup three minutes into the trip, and that’s the way it was on the rest of our float down though the
Mio-to-Cumins float. Truly a “career” day. Both are relatively new to fly fishing. And both agreed “we’ve never caught this many fish in our lives.” It simply was that kind of day!
At least with young Cole, we managed to keep him dry and safe. His casting improved markedly as the wade trip progressed, and he even hooked some fish as a bonus. Next time, Cole. Next time.
FLORIDA
The reports are encouraging. Sarasota Bay is starting to fish—well, better. Some spotted sea trout, but nothing large. And Admiral Parker boated a 28-inch redfish near the Ringling Flats a couple of days ago. That’s the good news.
The BAD news is that red tide has drifted into lower Pine Island Sound around San Carlos, Redfish Pass and Captiva Pass. While fishing has slowed there, action is good further up the Harbor around Gasparilla.
Lots of snook are off the beach around Casey Key. Some lingering tarpon, too. Kevin Cooke, shop manager at Casey Key Anglers & Outfitters, hooked up a few days ago but just seems to have “snake eyes” tattooed across his forehead. He keeps losing his “First Ever.” Don’t worry, Kevin—all of us finally has “It” happen!
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
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Manistee River - June 16th, 2006
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing
RECORDED: 
84 °
FISHING: Excellent
June 16, 2006
OVERVIEW
I’m back in Michigan. Kate and Ghost weren’t sure who was getting out of the truck at first, since I came home with a face full of fuzzy whiskers for the first time in my life.
“All I need is an eyepatch and I’ll look like a salty old pirate,” I told Kate. I won’t tell you what she told me. Ghost sniffed apprehensively for a nanosecond, then did the Fosbury Flop onto my shoulders.
Happy to see me? Naw. Ghost ALWAYS leaps six feet into the air when I come home.
We’re all settled in now. Kate even told me the beard and ‘stash “doesn’t look all that bad.” I asked if she wanted me to shave it off, since I don’t really have a philosophical attachment to it. She eyeballed my face for a few seconds and then replied, “keep it.”
So, I have. For now, anyway.
MICHIGAN
I did a full day float on the Manistee with Harry Blessing on Tuesday, and he had a ball. Harry previously fished with me in Florida when Joseph Meyer, owner of One More Cast, in suburban Chicago, brought a group of tarpon anglers to Venice.
So, Harry decided to call me for a float while he and six other friends were staying near Grayling. “I’ve never fished the Manistee in all the 25 years we’ve been coming up here,” Harry said. “Could we go there?” We could, and did.
“This is absolutely beautiful,” Harry repeated time after time during our float. “It’s wild. There aren’t many cabins, so it really is scenic and peaceful.” And full of fish.
Harry must have raised 50 fish during our float. He caught some, lost some and missed plenty. But he boated his “Personal Best” Michigan fish during our trip when I netted a fat 17-inch brown trout just below the Chimney Burn Athletic Club.
Yes, we got photographs. And, yes, Harry kept the fly that caught that fish—The Manistee Special.
I’ve been busy the past two days getting my office in shape. Now that I’ve sold my rep territory, the mortgage(s) are getting paid through guiding and writing, so I’ve been busy contacting various publications around the country.
Speaking of which, take a look at the July issue of Fly Fisherman Magazine. I have an article of vast importance to everyone who fishes the Manistee and Au Sable rivers—and everyone who simply cares about avoiding a potential disaster.
Hydrocarbons leaking into the aquifer threaten to destroy both of these world-class trout streams. Carefully read the article and then
e-me with questions, comments, and suggestions. I’ll have more on this subject soon, since the matter has gone to Circuit Court.
Back to fishing!
Cold temps have temporarily stalled the Hex hatch, but the big bugs should start popping in the next few days. It’s warm but windy today. Good thing I decided to catch up on query letters and fishing reports. Casting would be tough, and shoving the Longboat around would be a nightmare.
I’ll be attending the Federation of Fly Fishers’ Great Lakes Council conclave tomorrow, where I’ll present a Temple Fork Outfitters’ rod and reel to the Federator of the Year. It’ll also be a time to visit with old friends from the GLC—which is always fun. Hard to believe it’s been 30 years since I got involved with that gang.
Then I’ll be back on the water next week. There’s a catch-and-release bluegill lake that I’m going to hit on Monday. It’s got ‘gills in the 13-inch class. Big, fat monsters that really take you for a ride.
Then it’s back to Hex on the Manistee. Ain’t Life grand?!?
FLORIDA
Alberto, that impish little devil that went from Tropical Storm to Hurricane and back to Tropical Storm, certainly played Hob with the tarpon activity.
Of course, the full moon last Sunday was the Trigger Point for them to head to spawning grounds in the Gulf’s deep water. We’ll have to see how many make their way back toward Venice.
I had a great time with John Freeland, one of my regular clients, just before I headed back to Michigan. We fished off Venice the first day and he hooked up on his first tarpon ever.
“Agggggghhhhh!” He yelled as the hook popped free. “I forgot this is a circle hook and I tried to strip-strike!!!!!” He and fishing partner Lee Strauch literally saw hundreds of tarpon during the two days we fished together. And they had dozens of shots—some mere feet from the boat.
“Next time,” John intoned, “I LAND one!”
The big snook are cruising the beaches now, so that’s something to target. And everything else will continue to fish well until the temps get so blazing hot that it just isn’t any fun being out on the water much past nine in the morning.
I’ll keep you posted!
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
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