PM Reports 4-13-04 thru 4-18-04

[Northern_Outdoorsman]

Mickey and I set out last Tuesday for our 5 day Spring Break of Steelhead Fishing! What a GREAT 5 days! Mickey arrived early in the day Tuesday and got the SMALL cabin and I joined him after work. When I got there it was clear to see that Mickey made nice nice with the local Bar Maid...what was it you were trying to say anyhow Mike? ;)

Here was our "Home" for the 5 days...
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47524_camp.jpg

My father joined us Wednesday Morning and we set out to float the Pere Marquette "Flies Only" Section, from M-37 to Gleason's.

We all tied on and egg fly with a nymph dropper and the search for steel was on!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47507_boat.jpg

Here is my Father Fishing...it was his 1st time floating the river in anything but a canoe and his 1st time river fishing for steel on the fly!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47504_dadfishing.jpg

My goal for the week was to show my father how much fun River Fishing is. After he hooked into his 1st River Steel on the Fly, the smile on his face was PRICELESS!!!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47501_dadfishon.jpg

[Northern_Outdoorsman]

Over all the Steel in the flies only section was Spotty...there are fish, some fresh and some beat up, but ya have to look hard to find them and witht the bright sunny days most were hooked in the deep holes. We all hooked close to 10 fish a piece per day but as you will soon see I was wearing the "SKUNK" hat, my father got the skunk out early with a resident rainbow, and Mickey absolutely showed us all how it was done! Here is his 1st steel landed ( I was the NET MAN...remember that Mike!)
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47502_mickeyfish1.jpg

There were alot of Salmon fry in the shallows and I snapped this pic:
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=505/47505_salmonfry.jpg

The day was Beautiful and Mickey brought another one to the net!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=505/47503_mickeyfish2.jpg

Both Wednesday and Thursday we floated the same Flies Only Strech. Mickey Landed a NICE 20 in Brown! NICE FISH!!!!!!!!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=505/47506_mickey20inch.jpg

Of course I still couldn't land a fish to remove the "Skunk" loomin' over my head...but I enjoy rowing so much it didn't really matter, The smile on the faces of the people in my boat are all I reall need... B)

My dad finally got to land a Steelie Thursday at dusk! What a feeling to see that smile on his face!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=505/47508_dadsteel.jpg

Friday it was me and Mike and Stelmon joined us. We had to do the short float from Sulak to upper because we hard a hard time getting up after the great time we had at the local watering hole. Mickey sure made an empression there Tuesday night before I got up there because when we walked in everyone said, "HI MIKE!!!"... Note to self..."Don't walk, after midnight...when Rose is looking for you!!! :crying:

Friday's float left Mike 1-1 for the day...me skunked again and Stelmo sick with some mysterious illness that actually kept him in the cabin sleeping all weekend! STELMO not fishing??? :dunno:

Mickeys Steel Friday
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=505/47509_mickey_fish3.jpg

Friday night was another long night at the local watering hole...(It's the only place that serves food after 10pm which is when we got off the river each day) 10 Cowgirls, two barmaids and US...WHAT A COMBINATION! :cheers:

Saturday Morning at 7am it was time to go and meet Mike (Spentwing) at the Muskegon River to float next to him in his new HYDE!!!! On the way there we came across this house on fire...My window was open when we went by and mike flet the 100 degree heat in the passenger seat!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47516_fire.jpg

Here we are at Pine Street Ready to fish!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47517_Hydes.jpg

Spentwings new Hyde!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47520_mike_hyde.jpg

While we were anchored and fishing, I felt this strange feeling behind my back and turned around to see....THE SHORT BUS!!!!!!!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47519_attack.jpg

HI JOHN!!!!!!! (Hey...you got any worms left????)
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47518_shortbus.jpg

Now I was determined to get rid of that stinky skunk. The river had alot of fish in it, and I hooked my shared along with everyone else. Then we anchored in a deep run way below some gravel. Both Mickey and I were drifting our flies perfectly. We knew we were "In the Zone!" and I said this is the drift Mike... and BAM FISH ON! This nice male took me upstream...then down stream...then back up stream...around the back of the boat, OVER the anchor rope, back down stream...rod caught on the front of the boat...rod uncaught...ok, he's tired...MIKE DON"T F-Up the NET JAB MAN...fish up to the boat...Mike slides the net under the fish...fish in de boat and it was like it was my 1st ever steel...Just ask anyone on the river that day who the 'MAN' was....here's the pic!...oh yea the skunk is off of the new 11'6" Spining rod I made myself...this brute hit a latex wiggler!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=505/47510_mefish1.jpg

Another look...
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=505/47512_mefish1a.jpg

It was great floating with you again Spentwing and NICE BOAT! Thanks for lunch!

Sunday Stelmo and Mickey headed for home and I went to meet my friend John (JnpCook) and he and I floated Rainbow to Sulak to finish off this great 5 days! I had a great time fishing with John, he and I live a block away but we never get to fish anymore cause I am on the afternoon shift...We found alot of good water and finally while fishing a deep hole behind a redd I had a SLAM from this chrome hen!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=505/47513_mefish2-med.jpg

John did a great net job and then it was his turn and he landed this nice, beautiful male on a caddis nymph in red!
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=505/47514_john_fish.jpg

After these 2 fish we decided to float out and enjoy the nice weather...

Like all good things the weekend had come to an end...Good Friends, Fun, Fishing, and chics at the local watering hole...who could ask for more??!!

THE END (Re-entry to the real world SUCKS! :wallbash: )
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/watermark.php?file=500/47531_the_end.jpg

[bjm]

Glad to see you guys did so well -- I really wish I could get 5 days right now to float. Thanks for the update and great pics!

Ben

PS -- not sure which fish you were releasing, but they'll have a much better chance at survival if they're not handled by their gills. You probably knew that already, but for others reading this, it may be helpful. Thanks again for the report.

[Northern_Outdoorsman]

THANKS! :)

10-4!!! The ones that we are "gilling" were kept for the smoker...the ones from the Flies Only were lifted for a split second for a pic and then revived til they Ripped out of our hands!

[bombcast]

sounds like you had a great time. Jeeeez, does everybody row a Hyde these days?

[stel]

Jeeeez, does everybody row a Hyde these days?

Yup!!! Within the last year in a half 4 of my friends have gotten one. Now I want one!! :D