When I first spoke to Dr. Milan he mentioned he had finally purchased a proper two-handed rod to swing for steelhead on the Muskegon River. ...
I’ve been reluctant to start using the word “winter” in my posts mostly cause I really haven’t been ready, but I think it’s time. ...
Nebraskan Byron told me at the outset of his two days of fly fishing with me that although he had fly fished for steelhead on most of the st...
With the bilge pumps whirring again and again throughout the day, avid steelheader and Nebraskan, Byron, pressed on with nary a whimper as w...
Long-time guest and friend Bill Sidor and his college buddy Dave Hartley joined me for their annual fall steelhead trip today on the Muskego...
I can’t exactly explain the fishing over the last three days. It’s been a tough swing, plain and simple. The fish have been willing, but...
Flat-out gorgeous, but 17 degrees chilly, the Muskegon River valley, draped in new fallen snow, today shared its steelhead bounty with long ...
Crazy fall, warm and wet, now winter? Looks like Ol’ man winter is going to stick around for a while too. Don and his wife Wendy are here ...
Not many words necessary to sum up Logan’s satisfaction. Congratulations! The weather looks to dry out by mid-week, hopefully we can shed ...
It looks like the weather will trend towards drier conditions as the week progresses. This should allow us to get back to a more normal patt...
Mother Nature continues to let the faucet run. Rain and snow continue to be the daily theme on the weather front. The Muskegon was falling n...
Swing flies for steelhead hasn’t been easy the last day or two as the Muskegon River rose again from the recent rains. Thankfully the rive...
TGIF isn’t something that you typically hear from a fishing guide anywhere, everyday is a Friday for us wink wink. However, TGIF was the c...
Last day with the McKay group today and were already looking forward to 2020! It’s been a great few days with the crew–many nice steelhe...
Temps finally dipped low enough for a good frost and the morning fog was thick as it lifted off the relatively warm river water. Bruce (part...
Fall fly fishing on the Muskegon River marks the annual return of many of our longest returning clients. Many have shared this time of year ...
High skies and dropping water made for some tough fly fishing on the Muskegon River for steelhead today. Perseverance and determination ar...
After trying to prompt fall steelhead to play all morning long to no avail, Dr. Greg, Nate, and I relaxed over a shore lunch, after which we...
Heart break this morning as our first fall steelhead of the season for my boat fell short of the net. It was really a comedy of errors as bo...
Fall fly fishing on the Muskegon River is well underway. The river has fallen nicely and things are getting back to normal. Salmon are well ...
Last weeks warm weather has slowed our turn toward fall. The overall mood of the trout, smallmouth, and salmon has been off all week. Thankf...
Fall is Here! Even though the current weather is more like summer, the cool weather from earlier this month has brought fall to the rivers. ...
Orvis released its new line of two-handed rods last month and I’ve been chopping at the bit to get one on the water. I had the pleasure of...
Dad Jeff and 11 year old son, Tyler, cast fly rods for smallmouth bass for their first time today with me on the Muskegon River. Although th...
RiverQuest Captain Don Graham and I hit the Muskegon River today to chase smallmouth bass. Gorgeous weather; no boats; three retired couples...
Fly fishing for summer smallmouth continues to be very good on the Muskegon River. Whether you’re a fan of top-water action or twitching s...
Great day fly fishing the Muskegon River today with two of my dearest colleagues and friends from my teacher/administrator days with the Jen...
Matthew and his daughter Sofia joined me for the day to try their hand at some top-water smallmouth bass fishing. Having spent most of their...
Dad Talal and son Kadin had long wanted to learn how to fly fish, so into my boat and onto the Muskegon River they went today. Since neither...
Smallmouth bass fishing on the Muskegon today didn’t disappoint father Dick and son Doug or their guide, yours truly. With flows at ...
Summer smallmouth fly fishing is heating up. While the warm weather has us leaving our resident trout alone, smallmouth bass love the hot we...
Sorry for the delay in reports. Between the weather, kid travel sports, and my real estate business the last week and a half has been crazy....
The Muskegon River is a diverse fishery, some days you just don’t know what you’re in for. As the river slowly warms up streamer fishing...
Two dads, two sons, and two days on Michigan’s Muskegon River from parts near and far—that’s what Gil and Tom and their sons N...
Here is our May newsletter! Good things on the horizon–drop-back steelhead, trout Spey, streamers, dries, and nymphing. Thanks for readi...
Man, do I love it when I have the privilege of guiding a family group assembled from near and far by a grandfather whose love for his grands...
Gotta love it, forecast was breezy today…..20-25mph gusting to 40, just breezy…..not a single meteorologist could possibly be a ...
Just a great time with Dad Gil and son Marshall on the Muskegon River chasing spring steelhead. Marshall had fished steelhead with RiverQues...
Another postcard perfect day on the Muskegon River. Eric and Dave joined me today after several weather related postponements earlier this s...
Picture perfect weather made for a very nice day on the Muskegon River today. Despite the abundant sunshine steelhead fishing was pretty sol...
Just about the most perfect day on the Muskegon River one could possibly ask for: sunshine that had us shucking layers all day; river flow t...
Nice to have had a few days off for the holiday. Rest always does the mind & body good. The Muskegon River is falling nicely after sever...
Plenty of steelhead action early morning and later in the afternoon today with longtime friends and customers Bob and Ron. The fish were esp...
Soggy days and steelhead go hand-in-hand. The first half of today was certainly that. Sunday nights snow is quickly melting. Combine this wi...
Shocker, the weather folks got it wrong….. Rain changing to snow with the possibility of and inch or so on the grassy surfaces was the...
High winds and weather seem too be the theme the last few days. As I write this post heavy snow is falling and I’m hopeful for some of tha...
The Heneveld Group joined Ryan and I today for their annual spring steelhead trip. It’s hard to believe we’re starting our 24th year of ...
It was a beautiful spring day here in Michigan. Definately too nice for the likes of our steelhead. Thankfully the broad size of Muskegon Ri...
When Jack contacted me last fall to purchase a gift certificate for his son Kirk’s Christmas present, given the fact that Kirk had exp...
The second and final day of the hosted Orvis event featured a much more manageable amount of angler pressure despite the wonderful weather. ...
What a delight it was to host Brian, who was part of the Orvis group, for two days. New to fly fishing for steelhead, Brian was into a numbe...
”Come fish with us” Orvis hosted trip got underway today with temperatures in the 60’s and a very busy river. I honestly can’t blame...
RiverQuest guide Captain Don Graham put his guys on steelhead throughout the day today with multiple hookups and fish brought to net with fl...
For years, Devin Boetsma, owner of Schut’s Body Shop in Hudsonville, Michigan has repaired, renewed, and—in the case of the 1972 Cor...
It’s been several years since Jim relocated to south Florida from the Detroit, Michigan. Sure, “fun in the sun” is the name of the gam...
Longtime fly fisherman, Chuck, and his son, Matt, who is new to working the long rod, prevailed over a heavy river flow (5,100 cfs) and frig...
Our annual spring steelhead trip with Mad River Outfitters concludes tomorrow. New friends were made and we look forward to seeing this fant...
Spectacularly gorgeous day on the Muskegon River chasing steelhead with Captain Don Graham today! 5,100 cfs of flow isn’t exactly idea...
Low skies and rain/drizzle provided the perfect backdrop for a successful early spring steelhead outing for Bryant, Mark, and Greg. After ye...
Man, it felt great to get back on the Muskegon River today! Some of the toughest conditions one could imagine to prompt the steelhead to coo...
March Whether it looks like spring where you live or Michigan winter-like, spring is inching closer everyday. We no longer go to work and re...
Intersted in earning a free fly fishing trip in 2019 with RiverQuest Charters? It’s pretty simple, click on the link to learn more! <Fr...
It’s certainly been quite a week here in Michigan. Six straight snow days closing all of the area schools and many area businesses! I gues...
Where’s winter? That’s the question many of us here in western Michigan are asking. As of this writing on January 7, we have no snow—z...
I spent a good part of my birthday with my favorite two-handed rod looking for a nice winter steelhead on the swing. I honestly wasn’t goi...
Ol’man winter was knocking pretty hard on the river today. No, it’s not the first snowy cold day, but with an afternoon high of 28 degre...
Great group of guys joining us for a few days from our friends at MRO. Conditions on the Muskegon are ideal for fall steelhead. 2270 fcs and...
It’s been a very tough swing this week on the Muskegon River. Thankfully Mother Nature gifted us some decent rain last night and new chrom...
The last couple days have been a tough swing on the Muskegon River. Thankfully it looks pretty likely we’ll get some needed rain tonight t...
Fall Steelhead season has arrived, and we couldn’t possibly be happier! As we thought could be the case, our fall steelhead are averagin...
If Jeff and Dan weren’t our very first customers, they were definitely the second! Today marked the 23rd year of fall steelhead fishing to...
Good finish to a great week of swinging flies for fall steelhead on the Muskegon River. Greg and his son Jordan joined me today and while th...
Bright sunny skies and ultra clear water make for a pretty day on the river, but tough swinging for fall steelhead. Every fish that have gra...
Bright skies and clear water make for challenging conditions for steelhead fishing. As was the case today, opportunities were tough to come ...
Fall steelhead fly fishing continues to impress with some tremendous successes and some memorable losses. As the salmon eggs begin to wane l...
Great group from Sun Med today. A few familiar faces and a couple new. Introducing new people to the world of fly fishing is a great privile...
Such a terrific time with former educational colleague Bob and his dear friend and bamboo rod maker Ron, both of whom have fished with me fo...
Wind and fly fishing are never things that typically go well together. The past two days have been exceptionally windy and it sounds like we...
Sure, the weather started off pretty rough, but the dropping water had the steelhead in full-send mode today. I honestly can’t think of a ...
Great time with the Poggi group today on the Muskegon River as Captain Don Graham and I had the pleasure of guiding Brad, Taggart, Ben, and ...
Spectacular day on the Muskegon River today with son Ryan and his two buddies, Ken and Brandon! With a glorious sunrise to greet us, the guy...
Opportunities the last two days have been numerous, but landing early fall steelhead lately has been tough. This time of year, they simply a...
Early fall steelhead opportunities continue to be available. Patience and “right-place and right-time” remains key. Pictured is Dave wit...
Since he had never fly fished, today was a whole new deal for Joe on the Muskegon River. In short order, though, he got his cast and drift...
No matter the date, putting your client on the first fall steelhead of the year is always satisfying. Now we just need to keep the chrome co...
Gorgeous day on the Muskegon River yesterday, though the 80 degree temp at day’s end was a bit much! Jennifer, Paul’s daughter, ...
Dark and dreary today on the river—definitely feeling like fall. Wayne and his son Jeff joined me today for an intro to salmon. Thankfully...
My salmon fly rods are 10 foot, 10 weight saltwater sticks, but they are barely enough rods for the size of some of the Chinook salmon in th...
The salmon continue to run very large this year. Landing a manageable sized fish is proving to be a task. Pictured is Mark with a salmon tha...
October is here! Its been a long wait, but finally, that most anticipated season for fly fishing the Muskegon River has arrived! As p...
Fall salmon fishing is slowly progressing on the Muskegon River. New salmon can be found scattered throughout the system all the way to Big ...
Today’s bass bugging on the Muskegon stands as a reminder that just because the calendar tells us it’s September, it’s not...
The return of warmer weather has slowed the progression of fall on the Muskegon River. Pretty typical for this time of year really. Water te...
The kids are back in school: moms are smiling; and unofficially, the youngsters hitting the books marks the beginning of our favorite season...
Uh, not so much! Double hookups on smallies TWICE? Yup! So it was for self-proclaimed “novice” fly fishermen, Chicagoans Jared a...
Introducing new fisherman to the craft of fly fishing is always rewarding. Today was Eric’s first time fly fishing and if there’s any su...
RiverQuest guide and best fishing bud, Captain Don Graham, and I love all the various forms of fly fishing RiverQuest offers, whether it be ...
Zach and his dad Tim picked up right where they left off yesterday…the action on top was pretty steady all-day long. Pictured is Zach...
Tim and his Son Zach spent the past weekend at the Orvis Fly Fishing School at the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor, MI learning how to cast a...
RiverQuest Captain Don Graham and his buddy Gary pre-fished the Muskegon River today in anticipation of Don’s guiding our Muskegon Riv...
Husband and wife Jim and Mary are long time friends and customers, and every time we get together, whether on the river or not, we have a te...
Today, RiverQuest guide, Captain Don Graham, hosted Phillip and his grandfather Dan for some top water, smallmouth bass fly rodding action. ...
It had been way too long since RiverQuest guide Don Graham and I had fly fished together, so today amid misty, overcast skies most of the da...
Rain is desperately needed in our Muskegon River basin. Historic low-flows are the topic everywhere. Thankfully our smallmouth don’t seem ...
While the drakes & trout weren’t cooperative this morning, our pitbulls of the river were all business. Summer smallmouth bass kept us...
Last nights strong storms made for some terrific morning dry fly fishing today on the Muskegon. While we had some shots at some really “go...
Lots of effort went into Mike’s photo opt (pictured above) today. We set up on this brown trout three separate times and just when I was p...
Great group of new friends from Stryker joined Don and myself today. It finally felt like summer trout fishing with highs in the upper 70’...
Good times and Trout Spey go hand-in-hand if you’re a two-handed addict like myself. The Muskegon River is falling nicely and soon will be...
Sunny skies and afternoon temperature around 70 degrees provided a perfect backdrop for the Joyners last day on the Muskegon River. Cooperat...
First-time guests—the Joyners joined me today to fly fish for hen steelhead. While this was the first time I’ve had the pleasure hostin...
It’s been a decade or so since Kevin was in my boat, but today, there he was ready to fly fish! He and I go back some 38 years to when...
Wowzas it was windy today! I don’t know exactly how windy it was, but I was certainly glad to have something to hold onto during a few mem...
Great group of folks today for us RiverQuest Charters guides… Dave, Don, and myself. All first timers, all successful on their first...
Current Jenison Public Schools Superintendent, Tom TenBrink, and former JPS Superintendent, Dr. Dave Dresslar, are two of my dearest friends...
Todd and Mike managed to dodge some Spring thunderstorms this morning out on the Muskegon River while out Steelhead fishing with their River...
Sunshine, high 70’s temps, two dear friends, and willing and eager steelhead combined for a terrific day of Steelhead fly fishing toda...
Happy Trout Opener! No suprise, trout fishing remains a ways off on the Muskegon River. River water temps remain in the mid 40’s—spring ...
