Steve@BBT
01-28-2005, 10:55 AM
Hey guys,
I checked out a couple of the slower spots on the river this morning before opening the shop and found them to be more open than I'd thought. With it being like -20 yesterday morning and -15 this morning, I was almost certain that those locations would be locked up entirely, but that was not the case.
Apparently all the sunshine we had yesterday not only kept the shelf ice from moving out much, but also actually knocked some back in places. At the moment it's still not real pretty by any means with all the slush and anchor ice, but if the weather holds true, it'll probably clear by this afternoon and we might just be in fair to good shape thru next Friday.
This shot is looking upstream of Bowman's. A few days ago it was just a small slit.
http://bbt.steelcity.net/01-28-05-1.jpg
This one is looking upstream from Gleason's. A few days ago, it was locked up tight.
http://bbt.steelcity.net/01-28-05-2.jpg
I'm in the shop on my own today so I won't get another chance to check any other areas before I get off, but with these two looking like they do, I think we'll be OK. I certainly hope so, as I don't mind too much heading north or south to fish, but I definitely prefer the tighter quarters, solitude and intimacy of the PM.
There's just something to be said in my mind about being able to step out and wade at each location and the challenge of having to be stealth at the same time. I like being forced to make those first casts count and I like having to scramble to keep a fish from wood. Call me weird, but I'll take one fish from the Pere Marquette over ten on a larger river.
Now, if I can just convince John of that, we'll be fishing the PM both Saturday and Sunday, but something tells me that one of those days might be a road trip... If you do go out, be sure to try some nymphs along with your arsenal of eggs. Word has it that hex's, stones, pheasant tails, hares ears and the like have come back into play with many of the most recent fish caught.
That's really all I have for now, but I'll be sure and post sometime shortly after the weekend with our results.
Tight lines all,
Steve
I checked out a couple of the slower spots on the river this morning before opening the shop and found them to be more open than I'd thought. With it being like -20 yesterday morning and -15 this morning, I was almost certain that those locations would be locked up entirely, but that was not the case.
Apparently all the sunshine we had yesterday not only kept the shelf ice from moving out much, but also actually knocked some back in places. At the moment it's still not real pretty by any means with all the slush and anchor ice, but if the weather holds true, it'll probably clear by this afternoon and we might just be in fair to good shape thru next Friday.
This shot is looking upstream of Bowman's. A few days ago it was just a small slit.
http://bbt.steelcity.net/01-28-05-1.jpg
This one is looking upstream from Gleason's. A few days ago, it was locked up tight.
http://bbt.steelcity.net/01-28-05-2.jpg
I'm in the shop on my own today so I won't get another chance to check any other areas before I get off, but with these two looking like they do, I think we'll be OK. I certainly hope so, as I don't mind too much heading north or south to fish, but I definitely prefer the tighter quarters, solitude and intimacy of the PM.
There's just something to be said in my mind about being able to step out and wade at each location and the challenge of having to be stealth at the same time. I like being forced to make those first casts count and I like having to scramble to keep a fish from wood. Call me weird, but I'll take one fish from the Pere Marquette over ten on a larger river.
Now, if I can just convince John of that, we'll be fishing the PM both Saturday and Sunday, but something tells me that one of those days might be a road trip... If you do go out, be sure to try some nymphs along with your arsenal of eggs. Word has it that hex's, stones, pheasant tails, hares ears and the like have come back into play with many of the most recent fish caught.
That's really all I have for now, but I'll be sure and post sometime shortly after the weekend with our results.
Tight lines all,
Steve