Absolutely gorgeous fall day on the Manistee with brother-in-law Jack and his grandson, Keenan! Excellent water flow with salmon on or near gravel in very large numbers. Jack and Keenan are new to fly fishing, but both caught on quickly to the cast and line management. Keenan loves to fish and showed his fish-fighting prowess on King after King. Were it not for some of our beloved bank fishermen, who had difficulty deferring gratification by holding their casts while Keenan and Jack fought fish, our landing percentage would have been higher. Then, too, the guide muffed a couple of net jobs. Toss in some fish that tore into deadheads and snags, and you get the picture: lots of fish hooked but a bunch net shy. Heartening, though, was the number of salmon lip-hooked: chartreuse caddis and chartreuse and steelhead orange nuke eggs found the mouths of the majority of fish hooked. Hence, some Kings made it into the boat, much to the delight of all aboard.
Keenan, I hope your love for fishing continues and grows. Your fascination with things wild is evident and a joy to witness. And, Jack, for a golf pro, you did pretty darn well. Hope your sore arms and shoulder don’t mess up that golden golf swing.
Thanks, guys for a great day!
Captain Tom Kuieck
