Upper Manistee Winter Gator!

 
 
2017 is off to a great start here at The Northern Angler!  We have fly tying classes going, the weather has been mild, so steelhead and trout fishing has been good thus far and we have many great events planned for the coming year.  

Our first series for "Flies at the Franklin" was a success and we look forward to this coming Monday when  Russ Maddin will be headlining the tying series.  Make sure you join us for this fun and FREE event!  Bring your tying stuff, or if you'd rather just watch and enjoy a bite to eat and a drink feel free to do that as well.  This tying series is fun and relaxed!  Check it out this coming Monday night starting at 6:30.  Russ is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the streamer game.  Tying will start around 6:45.

Mark your calendars for 2017 The Fly Fishing Film Tour.  Friday March 3, 2017 at The City Opera House in downtown Traverse City.  Tickets are available at The Opera House Box Office and are $17 in advance.  Doors open at 6:00pm for social hour and the film will start at 7:00.  We will have lots of great door prizes! The  F3T for this year looks amazing and the sound and screen at The Opera House will really enhance the show.  Don't miss it!
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The Northern Angler Presents
"Flies at The Franklin"
 
 Looking for a reason to get out of the house this winter? Here is a sure fire way to beat the winter blues.  We are hosting Specialty Fly Tying Clinics on select Monday Evenings!  Join us at  The Franklin, located on the corner of Cass and Front Street in Downtown Traverse City on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 for Fly Tying Clinics, Beer, Cocktails and Fun.  Bring your vise and tie along, or just come to hang out and watch the tying instruction and enjoy some food and beverages.  Seriously, get out of the house and learn some great new patterns from some very talented fly tiers! FREE admission! Please call the shop to RSVP for these events.
   
February 6, 2017

Learn from the legend, Russ Maddin.  Our local talent and one of the most innovative fly tiers in the country will be teaching some awesome streamer tying techniques.  Learn from the master!
 
February 20, 2017
 
Ed McCoy, local guide and fly tyer will be teaching us the finer points of tying his extended body dry fly patterns for the Iso hatch and other mayfly hatches.  Ed has a fisheries degree from Michigan State and is one of the most down to earth, knowledgeable and interesting fly tyers that I have ever met.  His "fish eye" viewpoint is amazing.  This is sure to be a great class.
 
March 6, 2017
 
Interested in Pike Fishing and would like to learn some effective patterns for seducing these toothy critters?  Join us Monday March 6 with Tommy Greene.  Taking pike flies to the extreme.  Tommy is a local angler and tier that is seriously into tying massive flies that you can still cast with an 8wt. rod.
 
March 20, 2017
 
Alex Lafkas will round out our Monday night series with his proven dry fly patterns for fooling those phD trout on the Manistee and AuSable.  Always lively and super fun to hang out with, Alex will be spinning up a few of his favorite bugs.



2017 Winter Conditions and Upcoming Spring Fishing

Winter has been pretty mild as far as fishable weather, giving us some great opportunities at Winter Steelhead and resident trout.  Float fishing has been the name of the game as fish are holding in deep slow seams and tight to the wood, needing slow vertical presentations for success.  River temps in the lower Manistee  have been pretty stable as of late hovering around 35, and flows have been up and down, but are settling out around 2000 cfs.  If you are looking to get out and stretch that trout line, keep an eye on the weather and fish the high temps of the day for a few hours if it's above 30.  This time of year is pretty slow, but there are always a few opportunities at fish looking for something to chow so they can survive the dead of Winter.  Streamers fished slow in blacks and olives have been producing as well as stonefly and other assorted nymphs under the indicator.

Soon enough Old Man Winter will loosen his grip as Spring approaches and the Steelhead will make their annual migration into our local rivers to scratch the stone and pass on their genetics for the next generation.  Before you know it will be time to start thinking about booking your Spring Steelhead dates.  Spring Steelhead fishing usually begins around the last week in March and runs through April depending on our Spring temps.  Trout streamer fishing coincides with the runoff and gets going before the Spring thaw and continues as water levels subside given we have the temps to boot.  Trout are starving after a long Winter and some of the biggest and baddest fish of the year give us a shot or two throwing meaty streamers, so start to think about getting some Spring dates in the books as it will be here before you know it!  -Capt. Chewy
 

March 3, 2017 City Opera House
 

Tickets Available at The City Opera House box office $17 in advance.  Doors at 6pm for social hour and film starts at 7pm  Cash Bar and Door Prizes
Great Lakes Steelhead-Spey Gear
Here is an article that guide Capt. Evan Visuri worked up for Sage. It is a helpful article for those wishing to enter the world of two-handed casting. The shop carries a wide variety of Spey and Switch rod gear from Redington, Sage and Echo.
This setup is the perfect fit for swinging flies on some of the Great Lakes bigger river systems. The majority of the Spey fishing that I do is from a boat. I needed a set up that was able to cast heavy tips and medium to large steelhead flies. All of this had to be done with a shorter rod, as full spey rods (13' plus) can be cumbersome to fish out of a boat, especially when two clients are fishing simultaneously.
Target Species - Manistee River Steelhead
Rod: 8120-4 X Spey
The X is truly remarkable, the fast action of this rod accompanied with the overall weight and ease of use has allowed my clients to fish longer and more productively which ultimately means more fish to hand. The length coming in at 12' is an ideal fit for two handed casting from a boat, this feels to me like a perfect hybrid between a switch and a full spey. The X is a true workhorse allowing me to tie on the heaviest tips and flies while running intermediate lines, but at the same time is not too much rod to run a floating line and slow sinking tip. I have yet to find a situation where this rod has not performed flawlessly.
Reel: EVOKE 9/10
The EVOKE is a great tool for swinging flies, as I can run a very light drag and allow the fish to grab and turn with the fly before setting the hook, and when the fight begins still have complete control with fingertip or palm pressure on the spool. Not to mention the EVOKE is bombproof.
Line: RIO SKAGIT IFLIGHT 600gr, RIO GRIPSHOOTER 44#
Paired with Rio iMOW TIPS or just a 12' sections of INTOUCH LEVEL T, you can turn over just about anything. The iMOW allows for a perfect swing in any type of water, this head will also cut deeper than a floating head, allowing me to get the fly down fast and stay down at the steelhead's level.
This is my perfect set up and what I have chosen to fish on my home waters for Lake Michigan Steelhead.
- Captain Evan Visuri, Sage Elite Team Member
As always, thank you for supporting The Northern Angler Fly Shop and taking time to read our newsletter.  We have some great events planned in the coming months, so stay tuned.

Sincerely, 

Brian Pitser and Staff
The Northern Angler Fly Shop and Outfitters

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