10/30/08

Now here’s a couple of docs who get it: both take a day off, book a night at a sweet bed and breakfast, and hop into Captain Tommie’s jet boat for a day of fall fly fishing on the Muskegon! Check out the photos: do these guys looked happy or what? Annika and Phil were second-time fly fishers, having first fly fished on the Manistee River with me last fall. Today, of course, the salmon were few and far between in the Muskegon, but we found some surprisingly fresh fish, resulting in some sore arms and lots of smiles. After boating some kings with “C&D,” it was time to move to the next level with some 11′ switch rod and indicator instruction. Annika quickly got into it, and after landing one fish, fought another right to the boat—lip hooked and all—where she had trouble lifting the male high enough in the water column for me to net it. No matter—premature release! Great job, Annika! Phil had his chances with the switch rod, but smart guy that he is, he decided he to let Annika take the spotlight. Hence, she landed her first king on a fly rod via “C&D,” as well as pricked some lips with the switch rod. Clown eggs, steelhead orange nuke eggs, and the Antron Hex were the best flies for us today. Thanks much, Annika and Phil! I truly enjoyed spending the day with you on the river. Hope we can connect for that 2009 Spring steelhead fishing trip about which we talked.

Tom Kuieck