My first steelhead...Muskegon

Earlier this month I fished with the guys from Feenstra Outdoors up near Newaygo, MI. My first guided fishing trip and I couldn't have been happier. While I'm not normally a guided trip kind of guy, I wanted to learn about steelhead and how to catch them on the fly. To say I learned a lot on the two day trip would be a great understatement. My guide was Matt Z. and he was excellent. On day one myself and the other client caught numerous nice walleye on the fly and in the early afternoon I landed my first ever steelhead. WOW what a fish those steelhead are! On day two, the DNR was shocking the river for walleye so that they could collect their eggs, so needless to say the fishing wasn't too good that morning. After lunch it picked back up and I landed my second steelhead of the trip. I can't say enough good things about the guides and fishing. Think it's the only time I've ever fished in a cold rain and truly enjoyed it. Lol!


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Beautiful Fish. What fly were you using?

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Originally Posted by Rever

Beautiful Fish. What fly were you using?

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Thank you. Guide had us using egg patterns, sculpin patterns and wooly buggers. This one hit on a black wooly bugger with some copper in its tail.

Great looking Steelhead. I often mention to those in the northwest that if they really want good steelhead fishing they should go to the Great Lakes and fish those rivers. Over here it is difficult for most to get two steelies in two days, come to think of it, maybe in a whole season, but I know I had fun up in the Thunder Bay area of Ontario a number of years ago. Caught many steelies each day.

Larry ---sagefisher---

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Originally Posted by sagefisher

Great looking Steelhead. I often mention to those in the northwest that if they really want good steelhead fishing they should go to the Great Lakes and fish those rivers. Over here it is difficult for most to get two steelies in two days, come to think of it, maybe in a whole season, but I know I had fun up in the Thunder Bay area of Ontario a number of years ago. Caught many steelies each day.

Larry ---sagefisher---

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Thanks Larry. Yep, Michigan has a great steelhead fishery and I am beating myself up for not giving it a try years ago. My wife and I own a small piece of land in the upper peninsula of Michigan and I have seen steelhead stacked up in small rivers up there, just never when I have a rod with me. Gotta change that this year.

This thread brings a conclusion that has taken to many years to reach: a guide can be of great assistance [and I frequently thought I could free lance . . . .] Just sayin'

sm