| Michigan is blessed with many great rivers that | | | | indicator nymph fishing with floating line and streamer |
| steelhead call home for short time periods during their | | | | fishing. Any dry fly action is most often limited to |
| lives. Considered by many to be one of the greatest | | | | night fishing during the famous "hex hatch" of |
| fresh water sport fish, steelhead can challenge the | | | | mid-summer and the rare occurrence of a day time |
| fly fishers patience, tackle and angling skills. | | | | surface take. The technique(s) chosen are often |
| A few of the greatest rivers in Michigan for | | | | associated with the time of year and body of water, |
| steelhead include the Muskegon river, Manistee river | | | | as well as personal preference. |
| and Pere Marquette river. Each has its own distinct | | | | Spring finds Michigan steelhead amidst their annual |
| appearance, flows, terrain and more. More | | | | spawning run. At this time they can be fished during |
| importantly though, each has its place in the livelihood | | | | 3 distinctly different stages of their spawning |
| of Michigan's steelhead fishery as a significant | | | | schedule. Before their actual spawn, they're "staging" |
| percentage of these great game fish are naturally | | | | in pools and runs near spawning grounds and can be |
| reproduced. | | | | quick to snap at a passing nymph, leech, egg or |
| Steelhead come into such rivers in the fall to eat and | | | | baitfish pattern. While in the act of spawning (not the |
| in the spring to spawn. Many fall fish "holdover" in the | | | | most preferred, however if done correctly, will put |
| rivers throughout the winter and are typically the first | | | | minimal stress on the fish), males will congregate |
| to spawn in the spring. Those that either don't come | | | | around females as the lady's prepare the spawning |
| in very far or don't run at all in the fall, make their | | | | area, known as a "redd". By fishing over the working |
| way to the pier heads of lake Michigan come early | | | | females, it's possible to put a fly in the zone where |
| spring to head up their natal rivers. | | | | males are jockeying amongst themselves to |
| Prime time in the fall is shortly after the majority of | | | | determine who gets spawning rights. After they |
| the fall salmon have already spawned, which is from | | | | successfully spawn, many steelhead begin their return |
| late October through mid-late December. Spring fish | | | | trip to lake Michigan, a.k.a. "drop back" and are fished |
| arrive around early March and are available to the fly | | | | to during this time as well. |
| fisher through late May. | | | | Both drift fishing and floating line/indicator rigs can |
| A bonus to Michigan anglers specific to steelhead is | | | | and are used at all times that steelhead are in |
| that, contrary to their big game cousin the salmon, | | | | Michigan rivers. Streamer fishing can be good when |
| not all steelhead die after spawning and they provide | | | | the water temperatures are conducive to a fish |
| great "drop back fishing" while they navigate their | | | | moving on and striking a streamer pattern. To |
| way back to lake Michigan after successfully | | | | generalize, steelhead are not very receptive to |
| spawning. | | | | chasing down a streamer when the water |
| Techniques for fly fishing to steelhead include | | | | temperature drops below the 33-34 degree mark. |
| drift-fish nymphing, also known as "chuck-n-duck", | | | | |