Fishing remains hot in the U.P.

It certainly has been a busy month and the fishing, along with the temperature, has heated up. Last week’s temps reached the middle and upper 80s, rough weather to take for those who are seemingly more comfortable when the thermometer dips to a chilly 30 below zero. The fishing has remained solid with brook trout up on top taking caddis, stoneflies and hoppers. Small rainbows have also been willing to take dry flies off the surface with the larger fish more tuned into nymphs. The streamer bite has slowed dramatically perhaps due to warmer stream temperatures. That being said, some of our waters are approaching that “don’t fish” range of 68-70 degrees (65 degrees for brook trout) which means it is important to carry a thermometer and find cooler water (or a cold beer) in order to minimize your impact on our favorite fish. Rain and cooler temperatures are in the forecast which means any limitations will not last long.

Hot U.P. fishing in June

It’s been a busy month of June for the U.P. Fly Angler, but I wanted to take a few moments and give

an up-to-date fishing report. So, how has the fishing been? In a word, phenomenal. The brookies have been very active chasing dry flies of about any size, shape and color. Stimulators and caddis have been the strongest at taking fish. Nymphing has been equally good with Copper Johns doing plenty of damage to the area rainbows, some of which have been sizable. Water temps are good as we have had cool days and frequent rains. Lows tonight are expected to reach into the mid-30s. We still have a few open dates in July and August so give us a shout.

Snow just won't quit

For the second Tuesday in a row, the U.P. has experienced snow. The proof is in the picture to the left. That’s just the kind of spring it has been and it has made the fishing tough some days and great others. This week Pete and Bob joined me and for the first eight hours of Day One, the fishing was brutal, as in no fish landed. It took a change in river systems to break the drought and Bob did it in fine fashion, landing a coho salmon from the first pool. Granted it wasn’t the largest coho ever caught, but it was the first I’d ever seen from that river. The next pool was literally ridiculous. For 90 minutes, it gave up rainbow after rainbow, the total exceeding three dozen. The day kind of summed up this spring … either crazy good or stupid bad. Streamers and nymphs continue to take the most fish, with the occasional trout falling to a tan caddis. It’s raining right now and we are expecting a solid inch over the next 24 hours. It is much needed moisture and, with more normal weather forecast for the rest of the week, fishing should shape up nicely. Continue to follow our Twitter and Facebook pages for updates.

The one that got away

In the world of angling, there are really only two kinds of fish – the ones you caught and the ones you lost. If you’re like me, it’s the ones you lost which haunt you. I’m fortunate to only be haunted by a few fish, the most recent of which I lost on the Wind River in Wyoming a few years back. I can now add a U.P. fish to that list.

I was fishing a stretch of fast water in a spot I had not fished in a couple of years. There’s nothing overly inviting about the piece of water and it’s really not much fun to fish. It is fast, deep and the steep banks are choked with tag alders. I had pretty much given up hope of moving any fish when I hooked what I thought was a log. When the log started to swim, it came at me quicker than I could strip line in. My 4-weight rod could do little with whatever was on the other end so I was pleased when it decided to stop ten feet away from me, slightly bull-dogging but mostly moving a few inches from side to side. The fish then made three head shakes, the third shake expertly designed to toss the sculpin pattern from its mouth, and left me in a state of shock wondering what I could have done differently. I mentally marked the spot and hope I am offered a rematch later this summer. That’s if summer returns.

Last Thursday, the temperatures were in the 80s. Tuesday it snowed. Surprisingly, the cooler temperatures improved the fishing and I got into an awesome Hendrickson hatch mid-day last Friday. Streamer fishing and nymphing have also been solid. If you can find a set of beaver ponds, they have been fishing well and likely will continue to do so until we those waters heat up. The weather is expected to warm in the coming days so I expect to see the dry fly fishing to pick up.

Summer-like weather has arrived

Last week felt more like summer than spring and water temperatures continue to climb higher with most streams and rivers stopping the thermometer in the mid-fifty degree range. Bugs – including at least one mosquito – are showing up as well. Yesterday I encountered a great little black stonefly hatch and caught a few glimpses of caddis. Unfortunately, the fish don’t seem to be looking up yet and that’s what I am hearing from other anglers and guides. That being said, streamers and nymphs are still the only game in town for those looking to move fish. I offer the 13-inch brook trout pictured as evidence caught yesterday on a streamer. Finding cooperative fish has been difficult, but if the chance is out there to put a fish like this one in my hand, you’ll know where I will be.

Closing in on opening day

With opening weekend in the crosshairs, I spent some time this weekend scouting streams and found plenty of good news as every stream I visited is ready to fish. That news is opposite of last year’s report when we still had plenty of snow on the ground and the rivers were unfit for any type of recreational pursuit.

The Upper Midwest spent much of last week feeling more summer-like than spring-like. Here in the U.P. we actually touched 70 degrees on Friday and stream temperatures have responded well. Water temps are now nearing 50 degrees and the aquatic insects are responding nicely. On Saturday, I saw a number of stoneflies in the air alongside many, many midges. The fish did not seem to be dialed into any of that part of their diet, preferring instead to chase streamers, the bigger the better. My best luck came throwing a size 4 Sculpzilla.

The weather is forecast to take a turn for the worse this week with temps in the 30s and snow likely to happen. I’m not about to complain, however, as we can use the moisture. Stream levels are surprisingly low and could stand a good dose of precipitation. All in all, I’d have to say that things are looking up compared to the past couple of opening days when ice fishing was the only game in town.

Way ahead of last year

Spring has been trying to arrive throughout the upper Midwest and the U.P. is certainly no exception.We are weeks ahead of last year, when April brought storms with snowfalls above the one-foot mark. Depending upon where you go right now, you will find anything from rivers that have seen the bulk of runoff to those that are still frozen. 

I did manage to fish a bit this week and found the fish very reluctant to cooperate. That is most likely due to the water temperatures, the warmest of which I measured at 36 degrees. However, barring a repeat of last April, I suspect that we will actually be able to do something other than go ice fishing when opening day arrives later this month.