Benthic Buzz by Jay Allen

October this year looks as though it might be an interesting one. Water levels that are as low as many anglers can remember coupled with an extra dry fall so far may make fishing a bit different. Different but not necessarily bad. While most lament the slowness of the salmon ascension, there are other movements and techniques to pursue. Trout fishing as of late has been good and this month should prove to get only better until schools of salmon enter the river and throw things off for a while. One of the techniques that is well worth exploring this October is that of micro-nymphing.

Look up the topic of micro-nymphing on the net, and you'll be bombarded with all kinds of flies to use, techniques, and opinions. For me micro-nymphing (fishing nymphs implied) can be simplified down to fishing small flies with light line rods in situations that require little to no weight. This can be done with or without an indicator as conditions permit. When I think of good micro-nymphing conditions/water, I think of shallow gentle riffles, flat water, and pocket-water situations-the kinds of water that allow trout to feed on a bounty of benthic invertebrates providing maximum food for minimum effort. Conditions much like what we see on the MO right now.

COMMON MYTH: light line rods (ll rods) can only catch pickle-sized trout in small bushy streams that none of us care to fish. In reality, fly-casting and fishing physics dictate that the line size and length of a fly-rod determine the flies that are to be fished, NOT the size of fish or stream to be fished on. Long (8'-11') ll rods are prefect tools for presenting small late-season flies to trout feeding in situations where spooking is a real threat. Another distinct advantage to fishing them is that trout can be played with light (6x-8x) tippet with a greater chance of landing them. This is possible because the flex patterns of ll rods are much more forgiving because they are designed to cast lighter grain lines.  Of course, one case against ll rods I hear is that it takes too long to bring in large trout on them. My response is that if you are fishing 6x on a 2 wt. or a 10 wt. the breaking strength is still the same. I've never broken a ll rod on a trout before my 6x broke. If a fish is played too long on a ll rod, it is the operator's problem, not the rod. Flex that rod into the last atom of nickle in the butt cap of your rod if you have to.

Part two of micro-nymphing is presentation of small nymphs on ll rods. This month look for bwo's, cream midges, scuds, and black flies(larval imitations) to be present and best choices for micro-nymphing. The basic setup for micro-nymphing with an indicator is to use a small indicator (tutorial and videos) that is light and has little wind resistance, a micro shot, and a small nymph pattern(size #18-#32). Micro shot(size #8-#12) is typically placed about 8 inches from the fly and indicator depth slightly deeper than the depth you are fishing (not 1.5x the depth as with most nymphing). There are many nuances to this type of fishing, but two that are very important are the concept of nymph orientation and the drop cast technique. Nymph orientation is paying close attention to where the fly is in relation to the indicator. It is imperative that the presentation cast places the fly in the same current speed as the indicator and is directly underneath or slightly upstream of it. This is typically done upsteam and across and allows for a quick sink rate on the fly and a better presentation. It also sets the drift up for the quickest strike detection which translates into more positively hooked fish. The drop cast is a check cast that goes along with nymph orientation and introduces slack into the presentation cast.

The Drop cast

Try micro-nymphing this fal,l and you might be surprised at the results you get. With the lower water, focus on spots you know food is being concentrated and don't be afraid to fish very shallow water. In fact, make sure you fish any pocket in the weed beds that has a slight depression. Many of the nicer fish have and will come from those areas. In one of the most beautiful times of the year, it is the best time to tie into a nice hold-over brown or rainbow and soak it all in.

-Jay Allen, RiverQuest Charters guide 

Book Review by Glen Blackwood

One of the common links between sportsman and guides are that we all are story tellers at heart. The tale can be triumphant, embarrassing, even devastating but still tell the tale.  The best tales are the ones that are heart felt, shared experiences with friends, no matter the outcome.  Verbal tales are one thing; we all can spin our tongues to tell the story with reasonable results. Writing a tale is another.  It is a skill, and hard work.  Typing phrases that paint pictures in the reader's eye is not easy.  Many try not all succeed.   Captain Tony Petrella does just that as the notable succees of his new release

GHOST! Field Journal of a Bird Dog attests. 

The author has been in the fly fishing industry for the last twenty plus years.  He has been a sales rep for the likes of Sage, Umpqua, Tibor and most recently, Temple Forks Outfitters.  He has been a guide in both Northern Michigan, on the Upper Manistee, and AuSable Rivers as well has chased tarpon in the salt of Florida.  As a guide, Tony can tell a tale, a good one, but his professional life prior to his fly fishing career bolstered his wordsmithing skills. Tony was a sports reporter who covered the Miami Dolphins for the Palm Beach Post during the Jim Kick and Larry Czonka years.  He also covered sports for the Atlanta Constitution before making Michigan his home.  I state this because not only can Tony find you a trout and or tarpon, he can create memorable pictures with his word choice. 

Ghost is a paperback book published by Arbutus Press, based in Traverse City, Michigan.  This 232 page book has 26 chapters of stories and one chapter of wild game recipes.  The chapter alone is worth the $18.95 price.  Trust me when I say the Grouse in Wild Blackberry Sauce is worth the time picking berries and the Apple-Cranberry Shortcake is not only a perfect desert but is wonderful for breakfast.  Enough about food.

By looking at the title, one would think this is just another dog story, a dog story about a bird dog.  Many books have the same theme.  To be sure, the author will tell you that his hero, GHOST, was the best English Setter in Northern Michigan, and his Ghost dog is a character in each chapter.  That said, this book is more than a hunting dog story; it is a book with the theme of friendships and time spent outdoors.  He enjoyable describes both, focusing on the good and the bad days.  Indeed, the author shows how important that relationships are when spending time outdoors. We all have good days astream and bad days afield.  What keeps us going to the river is not landing the big one, and the poor days don't cause us to quit.  We go to enjoy the day with friends, no matter the outcome.   The author deftly describes his days; in some chapters, you will read of success and others of frustration.  The author's honesty is powerful.

The book begins as Ghost is a puppy, continuing chapter by chapter to her coming to age.  I will state, she came to age.  I personally watched her run the grouse woods of Kalkaska County and feel fortunate to have killed a bird she pointed-a bird that held tight while she stood rigid. The chapters tell not only of the dog and birds, but of the area that the author calls home.  The chapter on the lost lumber town of Deward, Michigan is strong.  Other chapters tell of covers on the South Branch and birds near Conner's Flats, but mostly of strong friendships and the emotions they instill.  These emotions are what make this a book to read.

October is here and quickly will be gone.  Apples are crisp as are the mornings.  The leaves are turning gold and red and so are the Muskegon's brown trout.  Woodcock are migrating south while salmon course upstream. Darkness creeps a few minutes earlier each day, and the evening chill is perfect for a fire.

What better time than to spend a day outdoors, then find your chair, and read a book.  The book I suggest is GHOST!  

To purchase this book or other fine pieces of sporting literature, contact Glen at 616.866.6060 or simply send him an email.