Northern Michigan Guide Service Archives - Northern Michigan | Guide Service

Pere Marquette Fishing Report

August 6, 2020/in Guide Service, Jeff Topp, River Reports /by Ed McCoy

Pere Marquette Trout Fishing

Fishing Report

Pere Marquette River Fishing Report for the first week in August is the river is in great shape for trout fishing. The dry fly game is still holding on and Foam Hopper Patterns have been pretty consistent throughout the day. The water is cool, low and clear, and the fish are hungry and sporting that cold water attitude. We had a fun couple of days plying the Pere Marquette for trout this week and the river didn’t disappoint.

Hopper Time

The Pere Marquette River is flowing pretty low and clear which suits the late summer Hopper Game perfectly! Fishing the past few days on the Pere Marquette River was very productive using various hopper variations. The low clear water this time of year offers some pretty awesome visuals as the fish rise up to the fly. At times throughout the day more movement on the fly was key and during other periods of our float the fish wanted it presented with a dead drift. We had fish eat several patterns, but the most productive flies for us were smaller Chubby Chernobyl patterns in several color schemes.

Although we did not choose to fish the Hopper dropper setup, running a small dropper under a foam Hopper this time of year can pick up a fish or two during the slower times. There were a few Light Cahill spinners and a few White Millers in the evening that had the steelhead Smolts up and feeding, but it was mostly the smaller trout taking advantage. The foam bite still had the bigger trout’s attention at dusk.

Streamer Fishing

If you are looking to capitalize on the streamer fishing right now it would be best to hit the water pretty early as the nights have been cooler and the river is currently running cold! Smaller streamers like the sparkle minnow or wet skunk would be your best bet at this point. The water is in great shape and with the nicer weather the Canoe and Kayak activity is pretty high, but just give it 10 minutes and the fish will move back into their feeding stations.

Booking Trout Trips

Drop us an email if your thinking about booking a trout fishing trip on the Pere Marquette or Upper Manistee. You can also give us a call at (231-631-5701) and we will get you on the water! Summer is slowly slipping away, but we still have a solid month left of some pretty fun angling opportuities before the colder North air begins to win the battle. The Pere Marquette is a great terrestrial stream and can provide some pretty good fishing opportunities during the mid and late summer.

Ed

Ice Dub Minnow

April 21, 2020/in fly patterns, Jon Ray, Trout Fishing, Videos /by Jon Ray

Tying Ice Dub Minnow

Our latest upload to our YouTube Channel is a super simple baitfish pattern that we call the Ice Dub Minnow. A favorite pattern to fish below Tippy Dam, but also works great below Hodenpyle Dam and in the backwaters for smallmouth bass on Tippy Pond. Of course these are only a few of our favorite spots, as it has worked really well for bluegills in the spring when they are shallow and pre-spawn.

If you honestly haven’t tried hunting big pre-spawn bluegills, and you want to test your skills this is a great activity during quarantine. No motor needed for this type of fishing. Get ready to be humbled by the big gills. Great casting practice before the big bugs start hatching on our trout rivers.

Kids Fishing

What also makes the Ice Dub Minnow so great is that you can easily teach it to kids and get them started in fly tying, but also it’s a great pattern to fish with kids, to get them a taste of fly fishing. As I mention in the video this minnow pattern really does fish well by itself, with a tiny split shot. I tend to like Sure Shot, but black bird shot will just work as well. Size No 4 or No 6, are both really small and easy to cast.

Let this fry pattern swing in the current with small twitches of the rod, and it will fish itself. Small minnows can’t swim very fast for very long, so they become easy meals for hungry trout. Fish this pattern in the shallows where small baitfish tend to hide. Good luck and Stay Safe.

Jon Ray

Mangled Fly Guide Service is growing

January 8, 2020/4 Comments/in Guide Service /by Jon Ray

Jeff Topp and Ed McCoy

First let me start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year from Mangled Fly! Secondly, I would like to take this opportunity to make an exciting new announcement. Mangled Fly would like to welcome two new members to the team! Allow me to introduce fellow guides and new team members; Capt. Ed McCoy and Capt. Jeff Topp. With the addition of Ed and Jeff, Mangled Fly will be expanding its guide services to include an expanded diversity of angling experiences, more capacity to facilitate multiple boat trips, and more importantly two additional guides with a wealth of experience and knowledge of our local waters.

These are exciting times for us with the New Year and a new outlook heading into 2020! We encourage everyone to continually check out the Mangled Fly website and especially the updated guide pages to familiarize yourselves with Ed and Jeff. We are very excited about the new additions to the team and we are looking forward to the upcoming fishing season. Follow the Mangled Fly fishing reports and our fellow team members on their social media platforms to stay up to date with all of the local fishing conditions in our area. Mangled Fly wishes everyone a Fishy 2020 and Tight Lines as we continue to pursue our passion for teaching the art of angling!

Big Announcment

November 25, 2019/2 Comments/in Jon Ray /by Jon Ray

I have some very exciting news to share with you all! After 17 plus years of guiding for Chuck and Cherie Hawkins and Hawkins Outfitters, the time has come for me to venture out on my own. Mangled Fly will now be more than just a photo and video blog; it will be home to my full time fly fishing guide services as well.

Everything on the fly fishing side of my business will stay the same. I will continue to guide primarily on the Manistee River and have secured Federal and State access to all launches as well as using my Coast Guard license when needed. My SmithFly Raft, Huron Drift boat, and ‘Tiny Dancer’ Jet Sled will float the big water you all know and love as well as some of the smaller and less well known streams that Northern Michigan has to offer.

Over the next few weeks Mangled Fly will be getting a major facelift with a fresh logo and updated design and you are the first to get a peek at the new look. I will be updating the Mangled Fly website as well as all social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube (all searchable under ‘Mangled Fly’). I have loads of content in the works for these platforms including fresh imagery, fly tying tutorials, up to date river reports and seasonal fishing tips.

I could not be living this dream without the continued and loyal support of all of you. I am forever grateful for the hours spent in the boat together rowing, casting, storytelling, catching (and losing) fish, capturing great moments on film and video and enjoying the beauty that I am lucky to call ‘my office.’ I am so looking forward to this next leg of my journey and am happy to have you all along for this ride.

My new email is jray@mangledfly.com. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding this transition.

Tight lines,

JR

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