Michingan Steelie-Pearsonal Best

After a long day of work couldn't wait for the day to end fast enough to head north west to try to figure the secrets  the Manistee has hidden away. Didn't get away as early as we like and getting to cottage very late at night it was a slow start in the morning to get to the river, but that's what nice having the boat never the pressure of rushing to find a place on the bank to fish. We launched the boat and decided to fish downstream of Tippy

 

with a little side bet on, Brian got out with a quick start and produced a small brown then lost a decent steelie or we think never did to get a glance at this bruit as it made a mad dash upstream pulling drag then came unbuttoned. A frustrating start to the day, then I stepped my game up and landed 2 nice Michigan fish.

 

 

the rest of the day was slow with the bet tied and  the sun getting low in the sky thought we head up to the dam and if not too crowded try just off the coffer. Well good call on Brian's part and wasn't more then 20 minutes later I tied into what turned out to be my personal best. The fish hit my roe bag like a locomotive and decided to make 3 leaps just to scare the pants off me. Brian quickly pulled the anchor up and as the fish screamed down the river with a one way ticket back to lake Michigan we finally caught up to it to get control of this fish,  I work it back towards the boat . With the lost of day light Brian took a stab in the dark at the fish just as it decided to take a dive below the boat . Great net job by Brian to help land a personal best. After couple quick pictures we  return her back to river to carry her genetics for future generations.

 

 

 

Well this big brute won me the daily bet.  

 

 

 

The next day I decided to swing flies with my Vision Spey rod and had one good hit but all I got was a couple head shakes,

 

 

 

 before Brian tied into to a nice brown.

 

 

 Well 3 fish later setting me way behind in day two bet and Brian catching one fish on one of my olive jig to rub salt in my wounds,

 

 

 

 

 we decided to move down river where it was hard to cast the big fly rod so I switched back to the float rod and hooked up with a couple more fish.

 

 

 

Sunday forecast of big winds we decided to pack, clean up and head home before the storms came. All in all was another great weekend on the mighty Manistee

 

Deja Vu no, No float rods, Vision Rods only

I get a call form my good friend Brad from the Soo to let me know he was coming to Goderich  late Oct and to do some fishing. With a busy work schedule I told him I was good for the 31st and to meet me at Timmy's with a large black to go. Well like old times Brad being a  punctual guy was already waiting with coffee in hand and his GT Four Vision Spey rod in the other. We've been friends and  fishing for over 25 years now and back in the day it was a float rods wow have times changed. We headed out to our old fishing holes with Spey rods cocked locked and ready to rock looking for some great lake steelies.

 

Brad positioned himself in the river where he could swing flies I went to the faster water and  positioned myself  beside a float fisherman I have gotten to know over the years and started to swing flies  but was hard to get the flies down and maintain a swing on the bottom properly. After watching a few fish being caught by my  float fishing friend  I decided to switch over to a nymphing set up with strike indicator . Good decision  five drifts later and a nice great lake steelie decided to take my presentation.

 

 

Its been a long time since Brads been back to fish the Maitland and in his own way he decided to sit back and smell the roses, something we don't do enough of.

 

 

 

But the rest was short lived and like a machine he was back casting and producing a few fish of his own.

 

 

But like all good friends the only video I got of him was loosing a fish. With friends like that may want to keep your enemies close

 

 

Vision Rod Moment from Just An Aging Steelheader on Vimeo.

All kidding aside it was a great day. Both of us caught fish and it was like old times.