April 2018 – In the Drift Outfitters

Everything In Its Right Place

April 29, 2018/in Blog /by jorydirkse

The water looked great, the water temps where perfect, the weather was gorgeous, traffic was light, steelhead where plentiful, and trout had the munchies. This past week the Pere Marquette’s puzzle fit together perfect and everything was in its right place. It was a wicked start for April and it finally feels, looks, and smells like it should.

The spring steelhead migration seems to have peaked this past week. My assumption is things will slow down quickly with it being this warm and this late into April…but hey one never knows for sure. There should be plenty of good opportunities for steel this week but these fish won’t linger long and next week I would assume those opportunities will return to the big lake. No those jumping steelhead are not eating flies they are just happy to go home. Steel are nipping eggs, alvin, and nymphs around the gravels and holding water. Streamers are getting the dropbacks and more aggressive males in the packs behind the ladies. This being the most exciting way to target these brutes!!!

Now for the trout program. Eggs, eggs, eggs and a little of everything is the menu. Get away from steel and a streamer, stone nymph or wiggler might work but the river is full of orange candy at moment. The Alvin are starting to ball up the bugs are starting to fly and next week other techniques should start to fall back into the fold but for now eggs, eggs, and eggs will fool most of our trout.

Go enjoy a watershed.

Pere Marquette Watershed conditions

Water level: normal

Water temp: 52

Water clarity: light stain

The Fast and Furious

April 23, 2018/in Blog /by jorydirkse

The steelhead run of 2018 is set to be a fast and furious one. Just like our spring. We seem to have skipped spring and gone directly to summer in just seven days….is that possible? A week ago we had four inches of snow and ice mixed, now it is seventy and blues skies. After last week’s snow has melted we have our water add a few sunny days to warm the water and like that the steelhead run is in full effect. The trout love it and so do the people fishing the river this week…hurry it will not last long.

I am not sure how long the steelhead run will last at this rate. They had a long wait to get in the watershed this year and are going to do thier thing and leave fast. The warm water temps will also make things a fast event forcing our steelhead quickly back to the big pond. Things should be good for the rest of the week then it may get tough. Fortunately we have Brown trout.

The salmo trutta have seemed to have had a good winter and look great this spring. The buffets around the steelhead gravel hold their main interest still. The fry and streamer bite is a definite happening once away from said gravels though. We are starting even to see a bit of bug activity with black stones flying about daily now!! Surface fishing is soon on its way!! I hope everyone gets out and enjoys the beautiful trout and rivers, that we all share, and this great state has to offer on the our opener this weekend.

Good luck to all!!

Pere Marquette Watershed

Water level: High

Water temp:50

Water clarity: nice stain

A Special Weather Warning!!

April 16, 2018/in Blog /by jorydirkse

I am not really into records unless the are vinyl, but we must be setting some sort of record with this special spring weather. It is easy to forget what country we are in at times this April. Even with the snow, ice, hail, and severe winds there have been moments of luck on our side and fish have been caught.

The spring steelhead migration should swing into full gear the remainder of April. The run is late this spring and I feel for the early crowd, I really do, with the weather it has been just brutal. The positive spin is steelheading should be great through the rest of April as well as the weather and the trout bite!!

Get to a river near you today!!

Pere Marquette icebergs

Pere Marquette Watershed

Water level: Very High

Water Temp:36

Water clarity: Heavy Stain

A Day in the Life

April 10, 2018/in Blog /by jorydirkse

We all hope the last of winter is over and officially behind us. This last weekend proved winter hasn’t given up but I get the feeling that even with a few more cold days ahead that somewhere, a large person is about to sing. Trout are about and steelhead are migrating.

Eggs, nymphs, salmon fry, and streamers seem to be all exciting the appetite of the local browns. While the visiting steel seem to be into the eggs and underwater insects of the river. Trout fishing has been decent to fantastic at times, and steelhead fishing is improving daily as the weather improves and the watershed is finally getting some water. All signs point to a great late April of fishing and catching so come up and get in on fun. I still have some great April dates available so let’s get together and enjoy the river!!

Tyler’s first hold and pose with any fish on a fly…congrats bud!!

The elusive Pere Marquette Salvelinus fontinalis…is groovy.

Pere Marquette Watershed

Water levels: low

Water temps: 38

Water clarity: clear

Out Like a Ram

April 4, 2018/in Blog /by jorydirkse

Well this is not the first nor the last time Michigan weather will fool you…i wish it was a joke but it isn’t. We can hope that this is the last of winter, fingers are crossed and hope is high. The river is still there and some will still fish.

Steelhead where starting to show up and the trout bite was heating up. This weather should put a pause on things but once the weather passes everything should pick back up. Fishing the deep water around the spawning steel is steel the main event still but a streamer can have its moment amongst all the eggs.

Brew some hot jasmine flower green tea, take a Sunday drive, and the last white winter covering. You may even get lucky and see a Bald Eagle eating a dead dear…just proves nobody should pass on a free meal.