Gaines'BowBum
07-26-06, 08:54 PM
Just got back from a family reunion in Coldwater, MI. Told the family the only way I will go, is if I can get a day to do some trout fishing. They agreed and sunday I rented a car (25 bucks) and headed to the village of Baldwin (about 200 miles from Coldwater). But it was worth it. Apparently Michigan had a abnormally warm spring, which has turned the water temps really high in most places. The Pere Marquette was about 64 degrees, compared to everywhere else at 74 degrees. It was a sunny afternoon, and I got on the river at about 3:00. Out of my first five casts, with a hopper/dropper, three were hit as soon as it landed. But I wasnt quite as ready and missed all three. I started thinking this was going to be an easy day, boy was I wrong. Talked to several other flyfishermen who said the boat traffic in the afternoon keeps a lot of the fish hunkered down pretty hard. Those browns up there wise up pretty quickly. I did not have another bite, until 5:30(which happens to be the time no more canoes are supposed to launch). I was tossing a different combination hopper/dropper and hooked up with a pretty bow, first fish of the day (Thank Goodness it was'nt the last) I snapped a couple of good pics of the stream and two not so good ones of the fish, I will try and post. After the 'bow, I realized there is still hope. With refreshed self esteem, I continued tossing my hopper/dropper against a log pile. And WHAM, the hopper disappeared. I thought I was hung, but next thing I know I've got a good size brown doing the tail dance. After some aerial acrobatics, the brown ran downstream and there was a pause in the pulling... I strained to see if he was still on there, he was, but also a small rainbow had either gotten foul hooked or took the hopper as it was going by and they were pulling in opposite directions! I thought for sure the brown was going to pop the size 18 yellow soft hackle right out of his mouth, but to my suprise and relief it was the bow that popped off.. :D 5 minutes later, I netted (thanks to the kids in the canoe that gave me the landing net they found) a good 14" Pere Marquette Brown. Which turned out to the nicest and last fish of the day, made the 200 mile drive worth. Although the picture I took is crappy at best, you can still see most of that pretty brown. I want to thank S. Trutta for the last minute advice, and Jackster for advice about a month ago. I appreciate guys and would probably not have found Baldwin if it wasnt for the fly shop in Rockford you hooked me up with.
--Alex
--Alex