May 2018 – In the Drift Outfitters

Water In Sky

May 29, 2018/in Blog /by jorydirkse

Thunder calls and rain falls, migrating flies equal more river guides, let’s hope the brown trout rise!! I hope all managed through the recent heat wave well and found some Michigan waters to stay cool this past holiday weekend. The blue gills are bedding, the lupine is blooming, southerners are returning to their northern lake cottages, and mayflies are gathering in the evening along the riverside thick as a heavy snow….summer is here!!

Gray Drakes are covering the river corridor with spinners leaving little time for things like fishing reports. If you have a passion for trout now is your time to get to the river or take an evening guide trip and get educated on what all the excitement is about. I will return soon with a report but for now…here is your flie of the month and a few fish pics. Sorry for the short report but the fishing is just more enjoyable!!

Bear Andrew’s Drake Spinner #10

Wrapped by: someone in China or possibly Malaysia…ask Bear.

Pere Marquette Watershed Conditions

River level: Low

River temp: 59

River Clarity: Slight Stain

Get off your phone and go fish!!!

Most Events Aren’t Planned

May 22, 2018/in Blog /by jorydirkse

Memorial Day is on it’s way and so comes the summer months of trout fishing!! With the summer comes watercraft permit season on the Pere Marquette. Just a reminder to all the personal canoes, kayaks, rafts and driftboats coming to visit our watershed. You may reserve online or walk into the local Forest Service office and purchase a watercraft permit to float the river between Memorial and Labor day weekend. Now let’s talk a little fishing.

Hendrickson’s, sulphurs, yellow sally’s and drakes all are using the river for their dance and the trout are taking notice. The bugs are still isolated to your better sections of water but within days should start to migrate through almost the entire watershed. The heat wave called for this weekend could make things very interesting…let’s just hope it doesn’t get to hot.

Pere Marquette Watershed Conditions

Water level: Normal

Water temp: 59

Water clarity: Slight Stain

Happy Holiday!!

Mothers Nature

May 15, 2018/in Blog /by jorydirkse

The steelhead are almost finished with their 2018 spring migration, the bugs are starting to pop, the fry and par are out everywhere, and summer is on the way. The past week has been beautiful and has fished fantastic!! I hope everyone got a chance to spend some quality time with moms this weekend and Happy mother’s day mom!!

You can say goodbye to our spring steelhead, there are some isolated steel gravel around still feeding trout but for the record our 2018 run is finished. You may get the opportunity at a dropback on a streamer or surprise yourself with a summer run at night but for most of us, see ya in fall Michigan steelhead .

The salmo trutta is our game from here until September!! The past week streamers have been the best morsel to get wet. The bugs are popping fast though and as the water clears fish should start to take notice. Sulphurs and drakes should show up in the next week based on temps. Streamers will hold if we continue to get enough surprise showers to keep the river stained. If not, things will start to go nocturnal…and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing lol.

Love your Mom and catch a fish!!

Pere Marquette Watershed Conditions

Water level: Normal

Water temp: 53

Water clarity: Stained

Sunshine of Your Feeling

May 6, 2018/in Blog /by jorydirkse

What a great week here on the Pere Marquette!! Beautiful weather and warm rains really put a good disposition on our trout and remaing steelhead, supplying us with a great week of angling. From our trout opener last Saturday to our PMTU Cinco Da Mayo Banquet, it was a joy to see friends and familiar faces getting in on bite and supporting the Pere Marquette Watershed.

The spring steelhead migration continues and although it won’t last for long there should still be some good targets over the next week. My choice of fishing these big bows at this point is streamers only, with the hope of a dropback or an aggressive buck trying to kill your fly. Wearing shorts and sandals fishing browns with a great chance of a steelhead smoking your fly, sure you can bottom bounce or indie fish but I will only be tossing streamers for steel at this time.

The trout are out and will play in one way or another. Eggs are still a major menu option behind the steel buffets. The fry and par patterns have ruled the boat this past week with the help of rain. Streamer fishing should hold and be decent to great over the next few weeks, weather dependent of course. Soon most of us anglers attention will be diverted and dry fly fishing should start to produce. Hendricksons are starting and sulphurs should soon follow!!