Pere Marquette

[ozark trout fisher]

You must stay in the water still. I made some calls for you this morning (going to school in Ann Arbor) leaves me area contacts. There is no real reason to leave the water it's a fairly large river (Think lower Current) in the flies only and deep below the flies with boat only access. Some of the others I mentioned are worth the adventure from a fishing standpoint. One other thing of note if you take the train tracks out of town in Baldwin (Hard to Miss) There is a Bronze monument where the claim is the first rainbows were stocked east of the rockies by train back in the day. Interesting piece of history if your a trout buff. It's very sparse grey hackle and shwiebertesque. Used to be a seperate secies of grayling in that country before the logging. Visit the fred bear museum and spend some time in grayling and fishing some of the other rivers as well. Other than skeeters it's cool classic trout water. If you've got time hit the pidgeon or Maple at night and skitter mice or other hair bugs in front of the log jams. You won't land many, but the strikes will fill your shorts. Gotta fly to King Salmon on Monday and am hoping the King run rivals last year. Never seen so many 40 plus fish in the Naknek as last year. But that is different fishing. Have a fun summer.

Thanks a lot. Very helpful stuff. Honestly, I don't anticipate getting out of the boats often if at all (it's a longish float so we'll need to make time), so I doubt the trespass issues will be something that we'll really come in contact with. It's great to hear from so many people on here who know the area. I was surprised to even get a couple responses, seems that area of Michigan is a more popular haunt for folks around here than I realized. I love it up there.

[MattS]

I'm heading up to the Boyne, Little Manistee, and Jordan rivers during July. Any advice for them or is it about the same everywhere?

[ozark trout fisher]

I'm heading up to the Boyne, Little Manistee, and Jordan rivers during July. Any advice for them or is it about the same everywhere?

I can pm you a bit of info on the Little Manistee if you like. I fished there last summer and really liked it. It stays really cold in the right sections so you might want to check it out. We fished it in almost 90 degree weather and near drought conditions, and it was still running cool and trout were active. Very much like a northern version of the upper Current....easily wadeable most places but also a nice float. Lots of small eager trout, a few big ones that we heard all about but weren't able to find. I'm afraid I don't know a thing about the others though.

[MattS]

Well I love the Current so I should be ok!

[Jeff Tief]

Wife, Susie and I just returned from 4 days fishing the Pere Marquette in Michigan.Stayed in Baldwin at the RedMoose lodge 5 nights and fished 5-6 hours for 4 days.Landed 19 king salmon sight fishing with small size 6-8 nymphs and egg patterns.Fouled a few as is the custom and often can't be helped but broke them off or pulled hard enough to get the fly back.Fished mainly at the Green Cottage and clay banks area and stayed in the H20 all we could to avoid any problems with any landowners.Lot of folks paraded around on the private property at will but didn't see any altercations.Caught 7 small trout 5 bows and 2 browns on the trip also.Folks at the lodge said it didn't look like a good year for #'s but a good year for size.Was Susie's first time to go and she did great.Fished a little with a guy from Indiana who often visits the OAF ;he couldn't believe the strikes she was getting on a little fly called a parasite-thanks to Ed Elersic at Larry's at BSSP for the recipe-from 1996.

[Wayne SW/MO]

She couldn't believe the strikes she was getting on a little fly called a parasite-thanks to Ed Elersic at Larry's at BSSP for the recipe-from 1996.

Ed should know. I made a trip with my old friend Ed in the 80's and it wasn't his first trip. It is a fun trip, maybe not in the caliber of the west or or the northwest, but can't be beat for distance and and pure fishing fun. My son and I both have come up with 23# in 2 trips we made.