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Welcome to RiverQuest Charters/Muskegon River Lodge
Greetings!
As I type the introduction to this month's newsletter, I'm smiling because I'm fresh off two days of fly fishing the Muskegon: yesterday with RiverQuest guide and best bud, Don Graham, for steelhead and today for trout with RiverQuest guide, Jay Allen, our resident entomologist and winter trout guru. Winter is no time to hibernate; the fish are there-ready, willing, and able. Whether you swing a Spey rod for steelhead or toss #16 and #18 scuds on a four weight, it's all more than good. The river banks are white; the flow gin clear; and nary a fisherman or canoeist is in sight. With temps in the high thirties to low forties and the sun warming it all, these days are moments to remember, whether client or guide.
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Muskegon River Lodge  Winter is upon us, though the snow has yet to really lock us into the world of white. While we wait for the arrival of heavy snows, tiny icicles about the property remind us of the season. Our wishes for snow are certainly not that of the birds and animals that frequent our yard--they seem not to mind the respite at all! When we're not laying out line for steelhead and trout, we focus on those inside amenities--trying new recipes for the table; exploring local breweries for their recommendations; and chatting with our cigar vendor about the latest and greatest in hand-rolled perfection. Truly, we're all about trying make your stay at the Lodge the best it can be! Want to escape for a couple of days? No problem; we'd love to have you! Let us know by email, or by calling 616.293.0501. Don't forget to check out our website and visit the Emergent Epicurean. |
RiverQuest Charters
Despite our lack of snow and classic Michigan winter weather, the river temperatures of the Muskegon River reflect the season at hand. Cold is the name of the game, and its effects on our steelhead and trout are apparent. In just the few past weeks, the river's residents--both migratory and home bodies-have slipped into couch water, pacing their moves per the dictates of lower body metabolisms.
Well placed drifts, both Spey and nymph, close to the bottom are what it takes for success this time of year. The fish are feeding, just less aggressively so than in months past. But feed they do. Find their preferred lies, choose the right fly, make the presentation, and smile when you hook up. It's uniquely satisfying when you do. Then, too, you'll own the the river for the most part by yourself, save for a possible sighting of a mink working the shoreline, an eagle or osprey soaring above, or deer warming in sun-bathed woodlands.
Of course, all is not sweetness and light; winter weather conditions change rapidly. Some days, we run for cover., and so should you. Be flexible and accept the fact that the weather will be your "Go," "No Go" signal for fishing. Set your date with us, but be prepared to with some fall back dates. Then, too, we'll gladly get you out on the water even on a one day notice. We're not busy this time of year so we have lots of flexibility to take you fly fishing without a long range date having been set. It's your call, totally.
To join us for some cold-water therapy, simply call 616.293.0501 or email. If you simply can't make it to the river, you can always live life on the river through our blog or Facebook page.
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Benthic Buzz by Jay Allen
January
Turning over rocks...it's what we do as fly fishermen. Whether your rock is fishing that seam you've looked at but haven't fished yet, or simply picking up a rock from the stream bed to investigate, it's larval mosaic; you are turning over rocks. Rocks reveal clues and draw us deeper into the sport we love. As winter starts to take shape this month, the river will become a very different place.
 | | Recently seined black fly larva. |
Months filled with diverse eruptions of life we call hatches, are all but gone. Fish that could be picky in the abundance of food choices in spring, summer, and fall now find themselves waiting in line for daily rations and limited food options. It is this reduction in the benthic menu that causes the winter angler to ponder the "deepest question of life:" What could the trout be eating today? In asking this question with kick seine and observation earlier this week, an unlikely suspect revealed itself. In fact, many are present in the river - blackfly larvae.
Blackfly larvae can conjure up horrific nightmare-like memories for anglers who have fished in the northern parts of Michigan, but Blackflies are not all bad. They are in the same order as midges and have many similarities. They are distinct from midges in appearance because they have a noticeably bulbous posteriors. They vary in colors ranging from golden yellow to dark olive green with many shades in between. Most of the patterns I fish in Michigan tend to be sizes #18-#22 and are in the
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medium to dark olive color. Another difference they have is their normal means and location for feeding. Blackflies are primarily filter feeders (only some midges are) and do most of their feeding in swift current since food (phytoplankton) is readily available there. They feed this way by laying down a silken patch on rock (or other substrate) and then use hooks located in their posteriors to attach themselves to the patch. After doing this they set up shop and filter feed using fans located near their mouths to periodically remove food caught in the fans. Hence, they are available to trout in the winter. I've been fishing blackfly patterns with more regularity of late and find them effective. On my last personal trip to the Pere Marquette, the trout preferred them to all patterns fished that day. Give them a try this winter and turn over another rock.
Jay Allen, RiverQuest guide
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Win a GoPro Hero 3 Black 
Perhaps, you have seen some of the really cool fly fishing videos and outdoor videos through social media outlets across the internet. Any number of these are undoubtedly filmed with GoPro brand cameras. GoPro cameras are a mainstay for today's filmmakers. We too, have been bitten by the video bug and exclusively use these little cameras to film our short videos.
We currently are in the midst of a social media campaign to grow our Facebook pages. To do so, we have implemented a sweepstakes to enhance our growth. Help us reach our goal by liking our pages. Simply log on using the link below. Once our goal has been reached, randomly chosen winners will be drawn for each of the three prizes.
Grand Prize: GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition Camera
2nd Prize: 16x30 Professional grade Canvas Gallery Wrap (using a photo of your choice)
3rd Prize: RiverQuest Charters Simms Trucker Hat
To enter the sweepstakes please click here.
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Classic Michigan Flies
Fly fishing is a two-sided coin. On one side we relish the good ole days- the days when we had the stream to ourselves and when the runs and hatches were huge, not to mention the trout we landed. The flip side is the side of modern technology. Rods of graphite, not wood; reels that have the braking systems of race cars; and fly tying materials that, flash, glitter, and are UV enhanced to make angling easy or so the advertisements say. This may surprise some of you, but if I were to call heads or tails on this coin flip, I pick the past as heads and hope to win the toss. I like old rods, reels, creels, and fly patterns. Modern flies catch fish but so do the old ones. Old patterns may not be as flashy as the patterns of the past, but they have stood the test of time and that is why they are still around.
Michigan has a storied history in our sport. The first Brown Trout stocked in the United States were liberated in the cool flows of the Pere Marquette.
Trout Unlimited was founded on the banks of the AuSable River, near Grayling. The first floating fly line was invented here as well. Along with those historical events, we also have a strong history in fly pattern design.
It is this history that has led to the new title Classic MIichigan Flies: 16 Legendary Patterns, written by Jon Osborn and artfully illustrated by Joe Van Faasen. The book, published by Stackpole books of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, features 16 classic patterns that originated in Michigan. An assemblage of dries, nymphs, and streamers, this book is a wade down the memory lane of Michigan flies and tiers. Although these flies are old, they come alive on the pages in four color illustrations. The author has written an historical essay for each fly that details the fly's original tyer, size, materials, and time-frame of creation. The author's research is strong, and the history lesson enjoyable. Focusing mainly on trout flies, patterns named CABIN COACHMAN ,HOUGHTON LAKE SPECIAL, BEAMANS GHOST, bring to mind large flies for our state's large trout. The index also includes the world famous Adams and Griffith's Gnat, not to mention others that have landed fish and fisherman for years. Along with the fly research, the author researched the tiers themselves. Some names may be familiar like Griffith, Galloup and Maddin. That said, the true treasure in this title is in the names that are not top-o- the-mind fly fishing names. The names like Madsen (Madsen's Skunk), Roberts (Roberts Yellow Drake), and Winnie (Joe's Hopper) are brought back to life in the 73 pages of this book: 73 strong pages of history, art, and fishing.
I enjoy old things, I also enjoy new things as well. This is a new book full of old flies, right up my stream. I am sure it will be up your stream as well.
~Glen
To purchase this book, please email Glen or call 616.866.6060
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Junk Yard Dog
Here is the new addition to the Anglers Choice streamer lineup, the JYD...Junk Yard Dog. It is just shy of six inches of meaty streamer goodness. Despite the size, the fly is nearly weightless, thanks to the mono dumbbell eyes from Clear Cure Eyes. The tail consists of marabou, polar chenille, and fox tail, while the front hook is just marabou, fox tail, and Clear Cure Eyes. The hooks are, of course, Gamakatsu since they are the stickiest hooks out there. This is a streamer designed to be fished on full sinking line to get it to depth. Once at depth, the bulk of the head allows you to vary the retrieve, anywhere from fast jerk strip all the way down to a gentle, dead drift twitch, while still maintaining profile. This thing casts like a whisper and hooks like a jackhammer.
The fly will be offered in the six color combinations shown here. Front to back they are as follows: Tan, Cotton Candy, Yellow, Black, Burnt Orange and Olive.
~Micheal Schmidt
Anglers Choice Flies
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