Fly Tech: Articulated Bunny Leech

This pattern I normally tie in black, but I felt the orange would stand out better in pictures. It turned out quite nicely. My luckiest color for steelhead has always been orange, whether it's and egg pattern, or terminal tackle.

The materials you will need include: zonker strips (rabbit fur), lead eyes, primary hooks, trailer hooks, braided line, lead wire, beads, thread, and krystal flash. All seen below.

The short list of tools you will need are: bobbin, vise, scissors, whip finisher (optional), and some sort of wire snips

The first step is to put the primary hook in the vise. I  used a #4 black Mustad fly hook. Anything with good strength and a long shank will work. wrap your thread from the back to the front and then to the back again to give a good base.

Then you want to take your braided line and cut around 8 inches off of it. Fold it in half and run both ends through the trailer hook and pull then almost all of the way through. Flip the loop through the hook so it secures the trailer in place then run a 6mm bead to the hook.

Hold the trailer hook (#4 octopus hook) so that it trails 1 1/2 - 2 inches from the back of the primary hook then wrap your thread up to the front of the hook holding the braided line in place.

Attach the lead eyes to the top of the hook then wrap the braided line around the eyes. Cover the braid with the thread and run the rest along the back of the hook covering any remaining braid left over. This should secure the braid in place so the trailer hook doesn't slip at all.

Take a zonker strip and separate the fur so you have a tail length of your desired preference. you may have to moisten the fur with saliva to keep it from falling back in place. I like to keep my tail almost to the end of the trailer hook partially concealing it.

Flip the zonker fur back then attach the lead wire and wrap it all of the way to the lead eyes. The lead eyes along with the lead wire will give the fly plenty of weight to sink even in a good current. Wrap your thread over the lead wire to the lead eyes and back holding it in place.

Wrap the thread back again to the lead eyes then wrap the zonker strip with the fur facing up all the way to the same spot as your thread. Wrap the thread over the zonker strip then cut off the excess.

Take 3-6 strand of Krystal flash or Flashabou of your desired color and attach it to both sides of the fly from the eyes to the tail.

Wrap your thread between the eyes and behind it well to hold everything in place securely. Use a whip finisher or a half hitch whichever you prefer. Since this is a large fly with a lot of material I double knot it.

 Lastly apply a health dose of head cement on in between the eyes and and behind it. This will keep your fly in decent shape after a steelhead tries to demolish it.

Try making the fly in different color patterns. This one is chartruese with a green bead and chartreuse krystal flash. The lead eyes are nickle plated instead of painted. You may also use chenille or dubbing the make a bigger head around the lead eyes.

When you remove the fly from the vise take a wire snipper and cut off the the hook just where it starts to bend on the primary hook. The way the trailer hook is set up, you are able to replace the hook if the original gets bent up.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a professional tyer. I tie flies out of necessity to keep the cost of my fishing down. If you know of a better way please use it. I hope this was in some way helpful.

Tight Lines and Happy Fishing :)

Silver Bullets!!!

Got Chrome?

 With the warming of lake Michigan waters in early June, the Skamania cruise along the piers gorging on Alewives. The steelhead are often in the top 6 feet of water and are active feeders. Sometimes unsuspecting perch fisherman tangle with these silver beasts to be left with an empty spool and a feeling of just being on the receiving end of a hefty butt whoopin.

My son Jared fighting his first ever steelhead. Skamania Mania is setting into his brain!

These chrome beauties are the result of the Indiana stocking program that was escalated in the mid 80's. Michigan City harbor was where these torpedo shaped steelhead first started to cause anglers to give chase. In the early days many fish were taken on a bobber with a crawler or and orange KO painted orange on the front and back pulled in with a VERY fast retrieve.

Later on Michigan joined Indiana in stocking the St. Joesph River in a joint effort with Indiana and started planting the Big Manistee as well. Like all fish in the Great lakes that end up traveling upstream, some will stray. The Kalamazoo River gets large numbers of summer steelhead despite not getting any fish planted. Wisconsin has also been very active on the west side of the lake and it is rumored that many fish caught along the Michigan shoreline are of the Wisconsin plantings.

Before entering the rivers the fish congregate for a few short weeks and cause the piers all along west Michigan to get more fishing pressure than the Salmon in the fall. It will be a long while before these fish spawn and have hearty appetites. The fishing can get cramped and with winds often over 10 mph and waves coming in off the lake a traditional bobber, or slip bobber set up is not a good choice.

The set-up

The rig is a little different than most people are used to when using a slip bobber. On the main line slide a barrel swivel followed by a bead, the slip bobber and another bead. Then you tie a snap swivel on the bottom then attach a 1 oz. pyramid sinker. The snap swivel is used so when walking with the rods on you way to and from the pier you don't have the lead bobbing all around causing twisted lines. On the top swivel you tie 3-4 ft of 8-10 lb line to your hook. I use a size 4 treble hook. I find if you have two barbs in the shrimp and one exposed, you really don't need to set the hook, the fish does it for you. The bait is simple cooked cocktail shrimp! I use bait frozen, it thaws within a few short minutes. I use the scent when the shrimp has thawed if the bite is slow.

Netting these fierce fighters can be a challenge in the rocks and sometimes waves.

The way it works is the pyramid sinker anchors in the sand and stays stationary will the bobber drifts up your line until it gets to the surface pushing the hook with the shrimp before it. You will have a well anchored suspended bait at whatever depth you set your leader to. The fish bites and the bobber goes down just like normal.

Frozen cocktail shrimp with some scent if it's been in the water too long.

Make sure you have your rods secured, when these fish hits it may be a gentle tug and the bobbers slowly goes under, but most times it is a freight train at full speed. Your rod will double over and make sure the drag is set on the light side because your drag will scream. People do loose rods if they don't pay attention.

An easy home made rod holder, Just wedge it between the rocks and your ready to go.

I like this spot because of the pre-cut notches where my rods fit perfectly!

A nice steelhead about ready for the net, nice shot of the bobber set-up above the water.

Make no mistake about it, summer run steelhead are crazy in the extreme. The take off on blistering run, are almost guaranteed to make several acrobatic leaps and jumps and can tangle other lines in mere seconds. if someone yells fish on, be prepared to reel your poles in to avoid a nasty tangle. It seems that the fish have an uncanny talent for finding the lines of other fisherman and people swear they do it on purpose. Netting can be a huge challenge when the seemingly spent fish is slowly swimming near the submerged rocks and WHAM, they flip a switch and it's GAME ON! If your lucky they will jump, many fish are lost to the rocks in that last ditch effort.

Jared with his first steelhead.

Skamania are a pretty fish! Their back is usually an olive color to a blueish green with the typical spots that adorn rainbow trout along their back. They have less spotting than the normal steelhead and some can seem to have almost none at all. The sides are the color of polished nickle while lacking the pinkish to lateral lines of the other steelhead. Their chrome sides blend into the white of purest snow on their bellies. These amazing fish must have liquid metal for blood because the chrome coloring can trickle down their tails, or is it that they swim so fast the color bleeds?
 

They have small teeth like many small needles for holding bait fish in their jaws.

A nice steelhead in the 90 deg heat on Holland Pier.

Orange K.O. Wobbler

If watching a bobber gets boring, casting hardware can be effective. Orange is the key color!

Most of the fish seem to be in the 8-12 lb range. Some are a little smaller, but there are some that can push the 20 lb mark. The big ones can be troublesome to land because they add a little more strength to these agile warriors. So tie your knots well, check your line for frays or nicks from the rocks because they will make for a short battle. 

Jared with another nice steelie caught while it was still dark.

 The best fishing occurs in the early morning twilight, just as the sun is coming up right before it pops over the horizon. The bite can stop and start with a moments notice. Just this last Friday I was standing on the pier with my polarized on watching the water when I saw a small school of steelhead chasing a school of alewives, they were darting into the bait fish and heading right for my sons bobber, they whizzed by us on the pier and I shouted a school was coming down the pier then my sons second rod and our closest neighbor's started bouncing and the fish were jumping. Sometimes bait fish will jump out of the water or you can spot a steelie porpoise.

Me with a typical Skamania, they are all beautiful and completely nuts!

I wish you the best of luck if you cross lines with the most psycho fish in all of the Great Lakes

Fly Tech: Nuke Egg (Modified)

The Nuke Egg is hands down my favorite fly. First and foremost I catch tons of Salmon and Steelhead on it! This fly is VERY fast and easy to tie. It is also and is inexpensive.

The version I will show you is my secret tech I use. I am sure I am not the first one who has thought of this, but I haven't seen anybody else use it. I will be tying a red/pink Nuke which is also my HOT color both spring and fall.



This is a list of items you will need:

Size 6 Tiemco Fly Tying Hooks TMC 105

Glo Bug Yarn (Salmon Egg)

Micro Chenille (Red)

Pink 3/0 thread

Vice, bobbin, scissors, and whip finisher (optional)


Step 1: Secure the hook into the vice. I prefer these Tiemco hooks because they are 2x . They are stronger and thicker and I haven't had them straighten on me like I have with other hooks. Salmon and Steelhead can really test your gear and your hooks or leader are always the first thing to give.

Step 2: Wind you thread from the eye of the hook about half way to the bend.

Step 3: Wind the thread over the Chenille and then work the thread back towards the eye of the hook.

Step 4: Wrap the Chenille around the hook 4-5 times forming a round ball. Secure the front of the Egg then trim excess Chenille off.

Step 4: Take a piece of pink Glo Bug Yarn and cut about an inch and a half off. The pink is now called Salmon or Salmon Egg.

Step 5: Take about a third of the yarn you cut off and put it on the hook just in front of the egg. Then fold the front haf around to the back of the hook and wind thread to secure.

Step 6: Trim the yarn to the back of the egg or a little longer and fluff!

Step 7: Finish off the Nuke Egg with a whip finisher or half hitch whichever you prefer. I do this twice then do not use head cement.

That's it! I typically use the red/pink or orange/light orange color combos. I'm sure other combos work and sometimes I experiment, but this is a good 75% of my fly box and I try to carry 25+ of each color.

The Great Salmon Hunter

One of the best fishing buddies I ever had was one I didn't expect. He was very young when I took him out on the river. The first time was almost the last because at a young ago he was a wild beast and often did what he wanted or tried to....

Sitting in the back of the truck.

I didn't want to leave him alone and desperately wanted to get some Salmon fishing in. Although I was just starting to train him, I figured he was still small and manageable...

Oh he sure looked cute....

Let me introduce you to Samson. Don't let his cuteness fool you! He is a Yellow Lab, which are. notorious for being hyper crazy demonoid puppies until they are 2-3 years old regardless of the best training.

So I took this sweet, cute, adorable thing up north with me. I went to Ivan's in Baldwin and picked out a campground site. Yeah I was really brave and figured I would stay in a two man ultralight tent. He didn't know what we were doing, but he was VERY excited to be away from the house. It was the first week of  September and I hadn't been up to the river yet. Depending on the weather the fishing could be spotty or full on early on this river. We were headed to the Pere Marquette.

I wanted to scout the river a bit to see where I would be fishing the next morning.I brought a 12 foot cable that I could tie him off to a tree near me if I found some fish and he couldn't behave. I immediately found some early fish and they were already starting to make redds. I saw a couple of females in the shallow gravel with some males fighting each other already. the hole below the beds was LOADED with fish. There were a good 30-40 plus fish. The hole wasn't really that big, but it was deep. It was perfect for some early kings especially since the water was gin clear.

This was Samson's first fishing experience and he  could see the large Kings swimming around. He was beside himself with excitement. I managed to tie him off to a tree very close to me. He had access to the waters edge and was pushing the cable to its limit to be close to me and the fish. He begged me to let him free so he could swim and chase the spawning fish. He was whining and looking at me with that cute little puppy dog face. you know, the kind that melts your heart and makes you want to give in to them. Are you crazy! This is time to catch some early fish and that's exactly what I intended to do.

I put on an egg sucking leech and let it drift from behind the beds into the dark hole. Many of the fish were splashing the top of the water and jumping all around which only mad Samson get more and more excited. He was running back and forth in a semi circle, back and forth again and again. I stopped fishing to go by him to calm him down which made him just jump on me. I had the distinct smell of wet dog on me know as I had slobber all over my vest and hands.

Unsuccessful in my attempt to console him. I went back into the water with the intent on at least getting a couple hook ups before it started getting dark. I made a few casts then felt a very light thump on my rod. I pulled back hard as the hook sank into the the jaw of a particularly large and feisty King Salmon. The silver locomotive with scales responded by rocketing skyward in a series of  leaps and jumps. This fresh male spawner took off upstream as my drag started to scream in protest. My heart pounded as the this monster headed for a log jam upstream still jumping.

Samson was behind me and I could see out of the corner of my eye he was in a frenzy as he watched the Salmon jumping and heading upstream. He was mimicking the fish by jumping high into the air while chained to the tree. I was trying to concentrate on my runaway fish when I saw Samson bolt past me and run along the bank until he was near the fish. He was just barely 6 months old, but jumped like a seasoned pro at one of those water dog contests. He landed upstream of the fish a good 10 feet into the river. My mind was still trying to register this craziness when my line went slack as the fish responded to the large mass landing in the water in front of it by immediately heading downstream. I cranked down on the fish just as it was swimming by me. I got a good look at the fish as it swam by. It was a very large male and fresh as they come. I pointed my rod downstream so the fish wouldn't snap the line. When my line started to peel off the reel again. I saw my goofy dog leisurely swimming around the pool that held the fish in it.

Labs are bred for the water and can swim almost effortlessly. Their webbed feet make for great flippers as they can swim faster than one can imagine. Samson had almost forgotten the fish on my line as he was letting the current push him downstream. that was until he saw the fish on the beds. To say he went crazy would be a great understatement. He went absolutely bonkers. He was chasing everything he saw and was even putting his head underwater trying to get the fish. The Salmon responded in the only way they knew how when it seems a predator large enough to chomp into one is near. They swam for their lives in all directions.

I was still fighting my fish that had gone down to another hole just downstream before I was able to turn it from its run. For a brief moment I thought I had an edge. The fish was definitely hooked in the mouth as I could tell by it's aggressive head shakes. I was able to hold the fish from going farther downstream for a few short seconds when I felt a bump on my leg. I looked down to see Samson looking at me with his tongue hanging out and I could swear he was smiling. It was as if he wanted me to acknowledge that he did something I wanted by chasing all of the fish away. Well I still had the one on and we could come back tomorrow. It might take a whole night for the fish to settle down after the ruckus.

Some moments in life happen so quickly, but everything can seem to move in slow motion. I heard the fish jump downstream as well as felt the surging fly rod in my right hand as I was still looking at my waterlogged fish hunter. I could see his eyes light up as he saw the fish again and then he was gone. He was running full speed in the shallow water along the bank and jumped into the hole my fish was still jumping in. Once Samson landed the Salmon headed straight for Lake Michigan. It was all over but the crying. I could feel my line running across a log or large rock as Samson took chase before my rod went limp in my hand. I knew I had lost the fish and was worried that I might also loose my dog. I could hear barking around the bend and hoped he didn't ruin another fisherman's day by spooking everything around.

I set my rod on the bank and crossed the river trying to head him off. I was calling to him as loud as I could when I saw him running towards me, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth and black muck all over him. I was just wondering where he had found all the mud when he reached the shore and jumped on me in his excitement. Besides the slobber now I had some fetid swamp muck all over. I was angry for a few seconds until I could see how utterly happy he was. He was running and splashing all around me, with more excitement than a kid on Christmas Eve. I could feel my anger drain out of me as I said "what in the world is wrong with you!" He tilted his head in that curious way he always did. He must have slipped his collar somewhere so I turned towards the other bank and said " Come on goof ball!"

On the way back to the campground. The car smelled of wet dog and swamp muck. Although it is not a good smell, it brings back memories.

Samson turned into a great partner for fishing. He eventually calmed down and loved to go to the river with me every chance I got. He also loved to swim in the pool. If I was in it he had to be too. I was worried that he would get in it somehow when I was at work and taught him how to climb out on the ladder. It took one try and almost every hot day he would swim all day and watch the yard from the deck of the pool as the sun and chlorine turned his coat almost white. When he really needed to burn off some energy I would take him to the pond down the street. I would hit a tennis ball and he would swim to the middle and get it. He was almost tireless and I would have to make him take breaks so he wouldn't over do it. One would think the winter months would be a time of reprieve. But,as much as he loved the water he loved the snow just as much.

Samson always entered and left the pool in the same spot.

He sure loved to swim, and chase Salmon!

Posing with the bat and tennis ball after a long session of swimming.

Not only was Samson a great fishing companion, he was a great protector for my kids when I wasn't around. When my daughter was born, he would not leave her side. He slept in her room on the floor and was constantly near her. Not once did he even show his teeth when she would pull his ears and hair and even poked him in the eye.

He sure loved his kids!

He has been gone for a couple years now, but I still miss him dearly. A friend of mine lent me the book Marley and Me which I couldn't read very far. Marley reminded me too much of my loyal pal. Watching the movie with my kids just about killed me, there wasn't a dry eye between us.

Farewell my friend, you will always be missed and never forgotten. I hope you get to chase big Salmon wherever you are....

Pure Mania

Disclaimer: If you have a weak heart, are feeble, afraid of the freezing cold or being soaking wet, read no further. Adrenaline, trail mix, jerky and some beverage can sustain you for days when upon this quest.

Steelheaders have the reputation as being a little off. I seem to fit this mold in my daily life so it is only natural that I am in the Steelhead Maniac category.

Most steelheaders battle weather and water conditions that would cause most people to seek the comfort of a nice warm couch with a blankie, or snuggie, and a remote control. Steelheading in Michigan can encompass any of the four seasons. Fighting the weather, the waters, and many times the crowds in a combat fishing environment can scare away almost any sane or wary angler.

The people that fish for steelhead are not the only nut jobs out there. The fish themselves are warped and twisted. They can strike with a violent savageness unknown in most other freshwater species. I have been lucky enough to have not lost a rod, but I have come VERY close on more than one occasion. The fish fight with reckless abandon when hooked and the anglers needs to be prepared. Frayed line or knotted leaders will result in ultimate failure as a trophy rockets away leaving your mouth hanging open in awe at the opportunity you just missed. Steelhead are powerful swimmers and can put any reel to the test. I prefer my drag to be set light to avoid break offs on the initial run. The problem with that is timber and anything else considered cover. I have seen bright chrome bullets shoot through log jams and run non stop downstream. At these times you know you have already lost, but some of my greatest battles have been chasing the impossible fish. I do not hesitate to dunk rod and reel under water and feed it through a log jam to keep up with the speeding freight train on the end of my line. If you do not like to get cold or get wet, please stay home. This fishing is not for you.

One you hook steel your life will change, your thoughts and dreams will float back to days on the river, the battles lost and won and the opportunities to fight chrome torpedoes again and again and again...

Here is a little video (metalhead) that will give you some insight as to what is it I speak of, but nothing compares to that tug on the line as the fish rockets skyward leaping, cart wheeling and somersaulting through the air multiple times. When the jumping stops you may think it's OK to breathe, but one again the fish goes skyward.

The King and the old man.

Since I started out talking about the river. I will write about several of the rivers I have fished in Michigan. I will start where it all started for me, The Rogue River.
The Rogue empties into the Grand River near the corner of Northland Drive and West River Drive. The river is slightly colored and with some rain it can get a tea like coloring to it. Since a kid I have spent many days fishing on this river from suckers, Smallies, Steelies and Salmon.
When I first was introduced to this river it was during a Salmon run in the fall of 1982. Some local kids a few years older than me where catching Salmon and when I asked what the were catching them on. They snickered and said "spoons...right in the side."
I was a little confused until I watched for a while longer and they cast to where the Salmon where spawning and let the spoon settle on the gravel near a fish and when it swam by they jerked, sometimes hooking the fish. I befriended one of the kids who lived across the street from my Grandparents who had just moved there.
After having several discussion with this kid, I was under the impression that Salmon do not feed and the only way to catch them was to snag them. I was young and naive at the time so I went along, but something inside of me told me it wasn't right.
So I went on a few excursions with them and played the game, catching some fish as well. Something happened on one of these trips that changes the way I would fish forever. On a cast in front of a bed loaded with kids my 2/3 oz little cleo spoon fluttered near the bed and a large male bolted towards the lure and struck it with such savageness that it it shocked me. the fish was hooked by it's own strike and in the MOUTH! The other kids whooped and hollered as I fought this magnificent fish. It ran a good 100 yards downstream and I gave chase. I didn't even own waders and the cold river chilled me to the bone as I was soaked from my waist down to my feet. My rod felt electric as I could feel it's massive head shaking as it sought to free itself of my lure. After about a 10 minute battle an older fellow fishing downstream netted the fish for me.
The fish was gasping for oxygen as I was gasping for air. The adrenaline was flowing through me and I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. I felt incredible!!!
The old man said something to me that was lost in the roaring sound of the river and my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. I asked him to repeat it and he said " now that is the way it's done boy, looks to be close to 20 lbs!" and he walked up to me and shook my hand. He then said "you should set him free." At first I was a little stunned, but I sat looking at this incredible fish that showed me a joy in my life I would never forget and figured it was only right.
So I said "OK!" and the old man smiled. I pulled the hook out of the Kings mouth with my needle nose pliers and untangled him from the net. The old man showed me how to resuscitate the exhausted fish and the feeling of setting him free was almost as great as catching him.
The old man patted me on the shoulder as we both watched the mighty fish swim into the dark depths on a deep run and out of our vision. He told me "they do bite ya know" I was a believer!
I talked to the old man and he told me a great many things about Kings, their life cycle, ways to catch them, how you can tail one. We must have talked about a good half hour because my friends came looking for me. They saw I had no fish and consoled me that I lost it. When I told them they I let it go they told me I was stupid idiot, that was a good smoker fish!
Needless to say I didn't fish with them much anymore and went on my own, trying to do it the right way. Although I never saw the old man again I will always remember that day and the talk we had. I never even got his name or properly thanked him. I will always try to honor best I can......

or watch on YouTube