# Flyfishing for early river Kings!



## Guest (Jul 20, 2001)

Anyone going to battle against some early kings in the rivers??? I might next week, on the PM, depending if there are a few more in the river. I called pmlodge and Andy told me there are a few in the river, but by next week, if all goes good there will be more. I am looking foward to cast to these strong, chrome fish!!! I plan to use hardware and cast rapala's, thundersticks, and other minnow baits, but I was sure to switch to single saltwater hooks to prevent the "brutes" from throwing the treble hooks!!! The reason I really want to go is to get some fly casting in!!! I am thinking of enticing them with big ugly leeches and krystal eggs, but I will have my caddis, stones, speys, and attractors as well. A big chrome chin won't be able to resist a big flashy fly in front of it's face, but the important thing is to lay it in front of their face and hold on!!! All I know is I better be prepared!! Does anyone else plan on going early?? If so, what river do you plan to be on!!!

Oh yeah, I am hoping to hook into a skamania if I go!!! Man, would that be an expirence!!!!


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## Erik (Jan 17, 2000)

That's one thing I like about you Dan, you have no shortage of enthusiasm. You will need it, trust me. Early kings can be frustrating.
As for registering a vote all I can say is "early salmon water is sacred". I wouldn't think of discussing it on the internet. Sounds like you have a good idea where to start looking anyways. 
Good fishing!


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2001)

I am 0-11 total so far this year (kings) on two different rivers up here and all I through is flies! forget the hardware it is much more fun using a fly rod! good luck finding the hole and once you do hold on! 
I am with Erik on the voting thing. It was a nice try though.


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2001)

Those kings are tough! They can be brutal, and leave you with bruises the next day. See, the thing is steelies have the smarts, and will try to break you off by running into timber, under your boat(happend to me), into deep pools, or above log jams but with salmon it is a whole differnet story!! Salmon rely on relentless power and on their strength to break you off!!!! This is what I find to be fun! Using light tippet, fly tackle, and #14 caddis larve, you better have some advil!!! Hang on, and be ready to go to war!!!!


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2001)

How many of you indicator nymph??? I have been doing it for steelies for a long time, but those salmon will be hard to take! What methods do you prefer! I am defintly commiting the sin of drift fishing, but this technique truly made the Great Lakes salmon/steelie fishery! ALMOST everyone uses this technique!! I am thinking of swinging speys deep, but don't know how many hook ups I'll get!?!? Well, your input would like to be heard!!!

Oh yeah, with the rains coming in we should have some more chins coming in and the skam's are there, but they would be blast to hook into!! I still want to make some casts to some trout!!!


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## WEEZER (Feb 1, 2000)

Swinging flies with Sinking line= many butt hooked Kings. It is stupid.
As for indi fishing, yeah I do it and it is the ultimate in river fun for Lake runners. You already know why indi fishing isn't more productive for salmon but you haven't been able to admit it to yourself! Admitting is half the battle!


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2001)

Don't say snagging, b/c only once have I snagged a salmon with drift fishing methods! You won't believe this, but it is true. Indi fishing is alot harder, it puts a challenge into the sport....I find that fun, and swinging speys maybe it doesn't work for you!?! When a big, flashy, ALASKABOU comes in front of a salmon, they will hit it 99.9% of the time. I don't know what the luck is, but that fly has to be in the perfect spot to catch you that fish. I will continue to advance in traditional flyfishing methods, but no doubt....drift fishing is the best choice, not b/c you catch more fish snagging(I do it right) but b/c the fly is drifted in front of their face!!!


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2001)

I just got done reading a book called...."Salmon and Steelhead fishing on the Great Lakes" I really enjoyed it and it taught me alot about about the Great Lakes steelhead/salmon fishery! It covered alot, but again it brought up drift fishing on every page. Also, I never heard of this...using a black colored worm weight in front of a rabbit strip on a hook and fishing leeches deep! It also talked of fishing lead eye streamers with a 3wt. line and letting the weight of the fly cast it! I wonder if these techniques are effective for early salmon???


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2001)

Where about did you see the salmon SFK?? Probably in the lower stretch right??? Anyways, just wondering b/c I don't know where I plan to fish next week!! WE NEED RAIN....to bring the fish in!  Anyways, SFK, were you catching more bows or brownies??? I am thinking of fishing for a little trout up there too!  I will chase those Skam's for sure, but it may be hit or miss! I figured you could relay some info to me since you just got back!!!??


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2001)

Have you been there latley??? I think this is a hoax?? Well, I don't know whether to believe you or not?!


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2001)

I just tied some spey flies with a flytying club I attend and I have some great patterns if any of you fish them??? They aren't complicated, but simple and will entice those kings! Anyone interested in a discussion on this??? Just to let you know, I may be helping teach a flytying class this fall/winter for steelhead at Gander Mountain, and if anyone is interested let me know so I can tell my freind!! Well, keep tying!


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2001)

Do you fish the _________ river for kings??? I was just wondering b/c I was thinking of going there in a few weeks, sice I am about a half and hour away??? Anyways, how crowded is it??? Oh yeah, you hook any big ones?? 

See ya!

By the way, are they any steelies in late fall that you have hooked into??


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Dan, Killer's only yanking your chain. The fish can't get up that high. I thought you'd knew that. The dam at Belleville stops the migration.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2001)

Where is wixom anyway, I hear of alot of trout out of there, but never salmon...but in the lower stretches there is salmon!!! Well, how many dams are there on the river???


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2001)

Geez, from Wixon down to Lake Erie, there has to be at least 6 dams. Belleville, then a couple around Ypsilanti, couple around 
Ann Arbor, Kensington. I'm sure I missed some.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2001)

I never knew that...guess SFK was wrong!! Well, a little humor to spice up the site!


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2001)

Just wondering!?! I plan on going next week, but we need RAIN! I wa going to go this week, but we had no rain, and it is too hot!!! I have the DISEAESE, I can't take it anymore, I need to hit some salmon bad!


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2001)

I want to hook into some early kings as you already know, so do many of you. Now, rain is the factor that will influence a big run, or early run. I feel the run will be early this year, so I plan to wait a little. I am not sure when I plan to go, or when I am leaving, but I have the DISEASE, I can't wait too much longer. i have been tying flies like crazy, from speys, to streamers, to eggs, etc. Anyways, I saw that post about how someone on this site hooked into kings and never managed to land them, see how strong they can be. I know I will have to be prepared , or I will end up with broken rods, bashed up reels, and no hope in landing a salmon!!!

 Well, anyone do any king fishing yet?


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2001)

Dan all of those fish were hooked in a three day period in 4 different holes. those fish have moved on and are hiding in the wood. I have only saw 6 fish in the past week and they were very very spooky. I did see one salmon yesterday that was black with lots of fungus on it already. he looked like he has been in there for 2 months already.


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2001)

There aren't too many kings there yet. You had some success though! Were you specifically targeting the fish, or what?? Well, I bet you had fun!


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2001)

yes I was specifically targeting kings. by this time last year we had already landed ten or fifteen fish. the run is behind we need a heavier flow out of these rivers before much is going to happen. oh well I guess until then it is dead smelt of of the piers for me!


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2001)

We need that rain! I want to chase them too ASAP, but I am awaiting a rain that might bring in some more fish! Well, I bet those fish were hard to land. How about the Skamania, were they fun??? By the way, what river were you on? The Manistee??


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## Erik (Jan 17, 2000)

Too many specific questions Dan. People don't like to talk about such specific things on the world wide web. At least not in July when the few salmon that are in the river are very hard to find. It wont be much longer but it's going to take more then rain to bring em in early. We need a genuine canadian cold front to come in and settle here for about a week straight. Get the river temps down in the low sixties and that should get em in the mood!


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2001)

Yeah I guess you are right, even I have not been stating all I have encountered, or when to fish! Anyways, it may be early to some, but I'll leave it at that!  

PS: Later in the year is better......

Oh yeah, I guess I really do have the GReat Lks. salmon fishing DISEASE, b/c last night I had a dream that I went to the pmlodge to get some gear and the Battenkill LA reels were only $15, and I bought 4 of them, and ripped up salmon on them! I wish I had never woke up!

A little sad isn't it?


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

Hey chef where have you been lately, you never write never call :lol: Give me a shout sometime, I could use some advice on the fly fishing thing. As you know I just started to use a fly rod so I am not too advanced on this method, let me know when you can get out, and show me the ropes. BTW, I have learned one thing, a 7wt ain't enough rod, especially found that out when I heard that dreaded "SNAP"


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## stelmon (Sep 21, 2000)

Hey Toto,
Look at the date!:lol:


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