Captain Don and I had the special pleasure of hosting RiverQuest Charters’ newest addition to our professional fly fishing guide group, Jay Allen. Jay comes to us with extensive fly fishing and fly fishing guiding experience throughout the United States. He and his family have returned to western Michigan to make their home after most recently having lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming where Jay managed the fishing program at a guest ranch for six years. Although Jay is well known in fly fishing circles as a particularly knowledgeable nymph fisherman for trout, Jay displayed his steelheading prowess today. So, too, Captain Don. All of us at RiveQuest are thrilled that Jay is now a RiverQuest guide, and today was a most memorable “Welcome aboard.”
The spring steelhead run, of course, is well underway. Fishing is very good to excellent with egg patterns and stone flies the preferred patterns. Stone fly nymphs are actively swimming to emergence locations; they are easily visible as they swim vigorously even in the surface film. The steelhead are taking note so be sure to give the stone patterns a shot.
Pictured are Captain Don, Jay, and yours truly with steelhead taken today.
Captain Tom Kuieck
