4-13-09

Tomas and Brett joined me for what proved to be chilly, but productive day. The wind blew hard and cold from the East, but the fish cooperated, whether in dark water or over gravel. The river continues to drop slowly with the water becoming clearer by the day. Best flies were Oregon Cheese/Cherise nuke eggs, stone flies, and an olive/pink mini-egg sucking leech that I’ve had in my fly box for a couple of years without using it. Tomas, Brett, and I missed fishing with Mike, who booked the float, but who was unable to get out the office due to one of those, “Oops, I need to be there” kinds of days. Tomas and Brett are outdoors buddies so they handled the chill well (better than their guide, I think). Last fish of the day was quite an experience: to date, the largest steelhead my clients have put in the boat is 13 lbs. Tomas’ hen, which he fought for a good ten minutes or so, though, topped that one. We didn’t get her in the boat, but she was quite a sight to behold. Thanks, Tomas and Brett, for a great day. Thanks, Mike, for making it all possible and for all you do for Riverquest. Pictured are some of the steelhead from today.

Oh, and lest I not mention our fishing hopes for the future: the DNR pumped 28,000 steelhead smolts, measuring 6-8″ into the Muskegon at Pine Street this afternoon. Another 28,000 are slated to be planted yet this week at another landing on the Muskegon, according to the DNR staffer manning the stocking truck. Last week, he said, the DNR planted 5.800 brown trout and 5,800 rainbow trout at Croton and Henning Park landings. (He may have said even more were stocked:  I was so geeked by the thousands of steelhead that I didn’t listen too well.)  Here’s hoping that our finned futures can avoid the herons, gulls, mink, eagles, big browns, and whatever else that would like to make them a meal as they make their way to Lake Michigan in mid-May.

Captain Tom Kuieck