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Welcome to RiverQuest Charters/Muskegon River Lodge
Greetings!
With school starting, soccer and cub football going full bore, and the NFL gearing up, it's clear: a new season is upon us. So, too, at the the Muskgon River Lodge and RiverQuest Charters. Gone are the tubers and swimmers, soon replaced by color-touring kayakers and fishermen scouting gin-clear waters for cruising chinook salmon driven by a natal urge to perpetuate their kind. It's fall--a special time at a special place--the Muskegon River.
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Muskegon River Lodge Photo by Scott Kacos
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The
first hints of fall can be seen on some of the red maple trees as they first to
show their splendor.
It has
been a wonderful summer for enjoying area waters for refreshing swim; Lake
Michigan even held in the mid-70's for most of the summer.
Fall
guests can anticipate any number of refreshing opportunities, too--brisk morning
air as fly fishermen ease onto the fog-shrouded river to chance their hands at
an out-sized chinook salmon, or maybe the bold flavor of a steaming cup of
coffee while relaxing on the deck of the lodge as you watch the season's first falling
leaves flutter to the ground. Cool nights and daytime temps in the 60's;
September is truly one of the most pleasant months to be out-of-doors in
Michigan.
Don't miss your chance to join us at the Muskegon River Lodge this September, for information please give us a call or email.
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RiverQuest Charters 
The big
boys of fall are beginning their fall migrations to upstream shallows where
they will spawn and start the cycle of life all over again. If you have never witnessed the spectacle of
chinook salmon ascending our rivers to replenish their kind, you owe it to
yourself to see it first-hand and up close. Females staking our their selected spots and males competing to win their
favors--it's the story of life right there before your eyes!
This fall offers the possibility of your landing some of the largest
chinook salmon we have seen in years. Magnum-sized alewives have fattened the
four year fish to a size that could touch the 30 lb mark.They and their
brothers and sisters in the teens and twenties will surely test you and your
favorite big-game fly rod!
No matter the technique, RiverQuest Charters captains have the gear to make your trip made to
order. From Spey to sink-tip, floating
line and indicator to C & D; we make it happen. Still need a fall date?
Give us a call @ 616.293.0501 or drop us an email.
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New From Rio 
The
peak of swing season is right around the corner, and just in time, Rio has
released a new series of tips aimed at simplifying the creation of the
"perfect tip" for the Skagit Spey caster. Not only are these tips
perfect for covering nearly all water types, they are constructed with welded
loops for easy stream-side connections.
Please
visit one of our local affiliates to purchase or to learn more about this
unique product.
Great Lakes Fly Fishing Company, Rockford, MI
Bob Lineseman's Au Sable Angler, Mio MI
Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters, Chicago, IL
Fly Masters, Indianapolis, IN
Mad River Outfitters, Columbus, OH
Reel Fly Rod.com, Dayton, OH
The MOW tip concept is simple; keep the tip length the same,
regardless of how long the sinking section is. The majority of MOW tips
are 10 ft long and feature a combination of floating and sinking line
that gives anglers the greatest depth control. The six tips are as
follows: 1. 10 ft floating tip 2. 7.5 ft of floating line seamlessly integrated into 2.5 ft of sinking tip 3. 5 ft of floating line seamlessly integrated into 5 ft of sinking tip 4. 2.5 ft of floating line seamlessly integrated into 7.5 ft of sinking tip 5. 10 ft level sinking tip. 6. 12.5 ft level sinking tip Each tip features RIO's new skinny welded loop in both ends for the easiest and fastest rigging. The
Heavy MOW tips utilize T-14 in all sinking sections. The Medium MOW
tips utilize T-11 and the Light MOW tips utilize T-8 for all sinking
sections. As a guideline, Heavy MOW Tips are best on Skagit line of 575
grains and heavier, with the Medium MOW Tips most suitable for Skagit
lines between 475 and 575 grains and the Light MOW Tips being most ideal
on Skagit lines lighter than 475 grains. Though this is a guideline,
fly size is actually most important and big flies will cast easiest on
the Heavy Tips, while light flies will respond best on the Light MOW
Tips. Skagit MOW tips are perfect for fishing through a pool at a
variety of depths. An angler can literally "mow" through the pool -
starting off shallow when necessary, and then changing the tip to fish a
little deeper, changing again to get deeper still and again until all
depths have been thoroughly covered.
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Need Speaker or Presentation 
As some of you who follow us on Facebook have
read, Captain Steve Kuieck of RiverQuest Charters and the Muskegon River Lodge is now offering
presentations promoting Michigan fly fishing opportunities.The talks, complete with a Power Point slide
show, feature times and places to fly fish, techniques, entomology, and
insights about fly fishing Michigan.For
information on booking Captain Steve for a presentation, please call
616.293.0501 or simply email. |
August 2011 
Captain Steve Kuieck will host RiverQuest
Charters' first annual fly fishing trip to Alaska,
August 12-19, 2011. Fishing the Kanektok
River with options to the exclusive Arolik River,
guests are sure to be excited with the sights, sounds, and most
important, fish
hooked on this trip.The time slot is prime for peak migrations of silver
salmon and heavy rainbow trout. If you haven't experienced the thrills
of an Alaskan fly
fishing adventure, give this opportunity some considered thought. Our destination travel partner is Deneki
Outdoors. Deneki Outdoors offers four lodges sited in some of the best fly
fishing locations in the world. Alaska West, on the Kanektok River, Alaska; BC West, on the Dean River, British Columbia; Andros South, Andros Island, Bahamas; and Chile West, Chile. The 2011 RiverQuest-hosted Alaskan fly fishing
trip has five remaining spots of ten available. For more information regarding
this trip or future trips with RiverQuest guides, please call 616.293.0501
or email.
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Become a "Fan" on Facebook.
 Most of you have heard about
Facebook by now.Some of you undoubtedly
have your own Facebook page. RiverQuest Charters
and Muskegon River Lodge both
appreciate the fun and benefit of offering "Fan" pages to our
clients. The fan pages offer discussion, forums, photo albums, and, of
course, a place for you to share that experience or fish tale with
fellow fans. To join one or both of our fan pages, please click on the
above links and give it a thumbs up! If you are not a Facebook
subscriber, you will be prompted to open an account to join the fun.
These accounts are free! |
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Author
Michael McIntosh
December
7, 1945 - August 14, 2010
Last
time, I wrote of Harry Middleton, an angling author whose life and writing ended
too soon. Because of his untimely death, his newest collection of works in the
book In That Sweet Country was published. I was happy; readers now
had a new-found opportunity to read Middleton and his works.
This month, though, finds me saddened by the death of another
American sporting author, Michael McIntosh. Michael McIntosh died on
August 14 of this year at the age of 64. Michael was a Shakespearean
Scholar and English professor by training, but in practice. was the finest
American wingshooting writer for the past 25 years. His books include Best Guns, The A.H
Fox Book, Shotguns
and Shooting, More Shotguns and Shooting, and Shotguns and Shooting Three,
Traveler's Tales and Wild Things . He wrote columns for Sporting Classics,
Shooting Sportsman, Wildlife Art, The Double Gun Journal and other sporting
publications.
While focusing most of his writing on doublegun's and
wingshooting, Michael was a fly fisherman as well. His title Traveler's Taleshas stories of fishing for Char in Alaska to Peacock Bass in the Amazon. His
book Wild Things is a collection of essays from Wildlife Art magazine that
focused on the natural history of a variety of species of wildlife. In my view, it is
his finest work. Michael's writing style was formal, yet comfortable. No matter
the subject from fine guns to driven birds or a chickadee, his writing will
stand the test of time.
Michael enjoyed a strong drink, pipe
smoke, dogs, and strong flying birds. He liked a bawdy joke, good food, and cold
beer. I know because I have shared all of these with him a time or two. We
cast rods together and shot driven birds, side-by- side. One week, we bounced
around the Hungarian countryside not only shooting but enjoying goulash,
European architecture, and the Budapest Opera House. He taught me about
Shakespeare and made me a better shot. I helped him with his casting and, I hope. helped him catch a fish or two.
Michael lived his life to the
fullest. He enjoyed not only the thrill of the chase, but the romance that
surrounds the field sports. By this I mean the countryside, sunsets, frosty
mornings, clear nights, friends, and local food and drink. This fall, whether you
are on the Muskegon or walking behind gundogs, allow the
romance of hunting and fishing to filter into your life as Michael did. Times
in the field are more than fish landed or birds shot. Capture the mornings in
your mind. Store the colored hardwoods in your soul. Along the way, pick up a
copy of one of Michael's books, pour yourself a drink, and share some time
with Michael. I enjoyed my time with him; I'm confident you will, too..
Glen Blackwood To purchase Michael McIntosh's works or other fine sporting literature, call Glen at his store at 616.866.6060 or drop him an email.
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