Indigo Guides Steve Martinez and Kevin Morlock will be attending the FlyMasters of Indianapolis open house Saturday, October 24th, 2009.  We are looking forward to answering questions, tying flies and eating that great lunch.  FlyMasters is a great shop that is just stuffed with everything fly fishing and they also have a very experienced and knowledgeable staff.  If you have the time stop in and please say hello. Visit the FlyMasters site for more detail and directions.

Saturday October 24th is the BIG DAY

Beginning our 20th year in the Fly Fishing business. It is going to be a great year, come and have some fun with us in the coming year.

>>>New York Strips for the first 200 people, prime rib will be served as back up.

>>>New Rods and other fun equipment for 2010 from our various reps.

>>>We will have guides from Alaska, Great Lakes, and the Caribbean to discuss fishing opportunities near and far!

>>>Wine Tasting from 1-3 p.m. Taste some white and red wines and get ready for the holiday season.

>>>John Shaner, from Hardy, will be here on our 20th year kickoff party October 24th and will service any Hardy reels you have. John can tell you everything about your reel. It is just like the antique road show for fly fishing reels!

More details to come before October 24th. Reserve the day for yourself and have a great lunch on us!

You can see an indexed list of other articles on the Indigo Guide Service, Articles & Videos Page.

Midwest Sporting Journal

Michigan Salmon Fishing Article

This article appeared in the Midwest Sporting Journal on October 20th, 2009 by Brandon Butler from Driftwood Outdoors.  You can find a link to photographer Bill Konway’s site here.

Pluck your favorite fishing pole from its resting place, tie on a lure, and head out to your driveway. Convince someone to get behind the wheel of your automobile and back it into the street. Go around to the back bumper, and hook your lure to the vehicle. Have the driver slam the gas, while you try to fight the car like a fish. Trying to land your automobile is what it’s like to fight a “king” in a river.

Chinook Salmon, referred to as king salmon because of their size, are the largest species of Pacific salmon. They were introduced to the Great Lakes in 1967 by the  Michigan Department of Natural Resources to help control the exploding population of alewifes-an invasive herring species found throughout the Great Lakes.

Salmon are anadromous fish by nature, meaning they are a migrating fish. Born in rivers or streams, king salmon migrate to the ocean, or in this case the Great Lakes, where they remain until reaching maturity, which is usually three to four years old. Salmon then generally return to the stream of their birth to spawn. They normally ascend rivers from the end of August through October. After spawning, having completed their lifecycle, salmon expire.

I recently returned from a trip for king salmon on one of West Michigan’s famed rivers. I fished with expert guide Capt. Kevin Morlock of Indigo Guide Service for three days, and am now a salmon fanatic. It’s hard for me to accept the fact that I have wasted a couple decades of my fishing life without having chased these brutes before.

Fly fishing is my forte, but this outing called for traditional bait casting equipment. The salmon were holding deep in the darkest pools of the river awaiting a surge of rushing water from a rainfall to trigger their forward migration. Salmon are not fans of bright sunny days, especially when the water is real clear. Don’t cancel a river salmon trip on account of bad weather.

Kevin and spent our days fishing from his boat, but the river was lined with fishermen finding success from the shore. While we were casting lures, fishing spawn sacks seemed to be the most popular method. As far tactics are concerned, your best bet is to find a hole a continue to work it while fish migrate through. With patience, and a little luck, you’ll strike a fish and experience a fight like nothing you’ve felt in the Midwest before.

There are some serious ethical issues surrounding salmon fishing in Great Lakes tributaries. Poachers are way too common. Salmon have qualities that cause some anglers to stray to the dark-side. Salmon are large and easy to spot, especially when congregating in large numbers. During their migration, they can be tight lipped. Watching these big fish swim by, blatantly ignoring your offering, can be too much for some to handle. Out of frustration, some decide to resort to snagging. Your goal should be to catch fish, not to poach fish. Snagging, which is illegal, eliminates the sporting aspect of salmon fishing.

If you do happen to experience the good fortune of catching a salmon or two or twenty, you don’t have to keep them all. Keep one or two for the dinner table if you like, but remember these fish have yet to complete their spawning cycle. There are state hatcheries planting fish, but natural regeneration is a beautiful thing. Let a few go, knowing you’ve done your part to ensure the future of salmon fishing.

If you love to fish, and you’ve spent your life living with a few hundred miles of the these Great Lakes salmon without ever experiencing the thrill of hooking into one of these monsters, you owe it to yourself to get up north. Your best bet for success is going to be hiring a guide on your first trip, but if you have the time and patience you can do it on your own. If you do decide to go the guide route, the team at Indigo Guide Service (www.indigoguideservice.com) will treat you right.Mi

West Michigan Fishing Report for October 10th, 2009

Click here for a great looking single page pdf version of this West Michigan Rivers fishing report… perfect for a counter top or bulletin board.

Pere Marquette River

Visit the Pere Marquette River Fishing Report site for more detailed report.  Updated October 9th, 2009

Temps – 50’s  Water Conditions – a little stained and high

>>>Still plenty of salmon throughout the graveled sections of the PM River.  The fall colors are absolutely perfect, with good salmon numbers and enough steelhead to make things inter- esting.  Kevin Morlock

Big Manistee River

Temps – mid 50’s  Water Conditions – high

>>>The salmon are thinning and getting old but steelhead fishing remains good with eggs be- ing a top fly choice.

Muskegon River

Temps – 58 degrees  Water Conditions – slightly stained

>>>Salmon are in the river!  Spawning is taking place with some fish congregating in the holes getting ready to find their way to gravel.  Try eggs and caddis larva making sure to cover the dark water behind Salmon beds searching for a nice trout or Steelhead! Phil Cusey

This West Michigan salmon nailed a big purple streamer first thing in the morning

Nick with a nice egg eating PM River brown trout

Barothy Lodge in Walhalla, Michigan is the perfect place for your next Pere Marquette River vacation.

For more information on what to do and see in West Michigan visit the Ludington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (Ludington CVB) web site.