# Clinton Yates



## 252Life (Sep 17, 2004)

I love paddeling that stretch but it is not for the beginner, especially if the water is up. It is *very* technical. Im sure there are some portages this time of year. Lots of beavers. Jerry, Dale and the good folks from the CRWC keep the river pretty open. They are continuously clearing passage.

I did Paddelpalooza last year on a cold, rainy day in June. It went from Squirrel/Auburn to Avon/Livernois. There were a LOT of first time paddelers. The water was up and fast. I don't know whose idea it was to start it there but BAD IDEA. Local Kayak rental agencies refused to get involved because of the technicality of the river in that stretch and the number of beginners participating. They ended up hiring a livary from Milford who sent a bunch of useless teenagers. There were a lot of cold and wet people in the river. Several cases of hypothermia. I personally assisted the R.H.F.D. in the rescue of an older gentleman who was being washed downstream, boat submerged way up stream and he wasn't coming out on his own. All of the local muni's had their paramedics and FD's working hard that day. I hope they make some changes this year!


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## Logan the Destructor (Nov 20, 2009)

252Life said:


> I love paddeling that stretch but it is not for the beginner, especially if the water is up. It is *very* technical. Im sure there are some portages this time of year. Lots of beavers. Jerry, Dale and the good folks from the CRWC keep the river pretty open. They are continuously clearing passage.
> 
> I did Paddelpalooza last year on a cold, rainy day in June. It went from Squirrel/Auburn to Avon/Livernois. There were a LOT of first time paddelers. The water was up and fast. I don't know whose idea it was to start it there but BAD IDEA. Local Kayak rental agencies refused to get involved because of the technicality of the river in that stretch and the number of beginners participating. They ended up hiring a livary from Milford who sent a bunch of useless teenagers. There were a lot of cold and wet people in the river. Several cases of hypothermia. I personally assisted the R.H.F.D. in the rescue of an older gentleman who was being washed downstream, boat submerged way up stream and he wasn't coming out on his own. All of the local muni's had their paramedics and FD's working hard that day. I hope they make some changes this year!


This "Paddelpalooza" you speak of, can you tell me how to find info on it. I do a wee bit of kayaking and would love to get on the Clinton, my issue has been car spotting. Thanks


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## woods&water (Mar 8, 2010)

Yah i'm out there just about every week end, and those ****ing yah whos messing it up for every one else. What ever happened to first come first serve. You can be fishing in a spot for a hour or so and some jack off comes up and cast right over you into your spot. Talk about pissing some one off. And the medded up part about it is when you comfront them they speak no english. What the hell. I wonder if half of them guys even have fishing liscence. I have a pretty good year so far, i have caught 10 so far. And lost about 6 more, due to guys not reeling there lines in when there is a fish on. But what really can you do with out going to jail. Good luck this year guys.


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## woods&water (Mar 8, 2010)

Yah i'm out there just about every week end, and those ****ing yah whos messing it up for every one else. What ever happened to first come first serve. You can be fishing in a spot for a hour or so and some jack off comes up and cast right over you into your spot. Talk about pissing some one off. And the messed up part about it is when you comfront them they speak no english. What the hell. I wonder if half of them guys even have fishing liscence. I have a pretty good year so far, i have caught 10 so far. And lost about 6 more, due to guys not reeling there lines in when there is a fish on. But what really can you do with out going to jail. Good luck this year guys.


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

The hardest part of fishing the Clinton is the lack of respect other anglers give people that are already in the stream. Hopefully through some subtle suggestions we can prevent some of this. It will never completely go away though, which is unfortunate.


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## Maverick1 (Jan 28, 2009)

Had a guy last night walk right through a Redd I was drifting through. I told him what he was about to do, tried to wave him off and he walked right through anyway... and I quote "the whole river looks like that" Then I pretty sure he called me a D*ck under his breath as he passed me because I said "thanks man" in a pretty sarcastic voice. Talk about wanting to beat someone.... I just picked up and went downstream. Now I'm not there everyday, but I am there every opportunity I get which is alot. I know the river, alot of the regulars and the rules of the road. Be respectful to your fellow angler and if you don't know what your doing just ask. Most of us are willing to help you out if you don't act like an ass clown.


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## SHOOTN4FUN (Sep 1, 2006)

Sorry for this stupid question but what is a Redd?


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## Canuck4steel (Mar 29, 2010)

there's no need for that. 
There's lots of water to fish - i people like that!!!! 

I will be down at the river tomorrow, most likely down from yates ( away from the crowds ) 

Good luck to everyone on the river tomorrow 
( hope the a**holes of the river get skunked )

Cheers Boys!!


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## Maverick1 (Jan 28, 2009)

A redd is the spawning section of gravel cleared bythe hens (female steelhead) to lay their eggs. It can be identified by polished looking sections of rocks typicially in a oval or circle surrounded by darker gravel. When you hear of fish "fanning" the gravel, they are creating these spawning areas. 

It should be noted that hens are very suseptable to lining when they are on the redds and fishing them should be avoided to preserve the fishery. There are however usually males (bucks) behind the hens waiting to fertilize the eggs. Typically if you fish a redd and remove the hen, the bucks will leave. So it is best practice to try a not remove the spawning hen. 

Hope that helps...


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## John Q. Public (Jul 18, 2009)

Maverick1 said:


> It should be noted that hens are very suseptable to lining when they are on the redds and fishing them should be avoided to preserve the fishery.


Normally true, probably matters little on the Clinton below Yates though, as summertime temps are too high to support juvenile steelhead, per the 2006 DNR Clinton River Assessment.

http://www.michiganlakes.msue.msu.edu/Portals/0/docs/Francis and Haas 2006.pdf


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

SHOOTN4FUN said:


> Sorry for this stupid question but what is a Redd?


A depression in the gravel made by trout and salmon where they deposit eggs.


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## bobcolenso (Sep 11, 2003)

Is there any other way to target steelhead there if you don't have salmon/steelhead eggs?


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## SHOOTN4FUN (Sep 1, 2006)

Thanks for the clarification on redds. Now by lining do you mean accidently hooking the hen somewhere other then the mouth? Sorry just trying to educate myself. I can offer up advice on deer hunting but when it comes to fishing not so much. Thanks again Paul.


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

Yes, lining is accidentally foul hooking a fish. It is important to note that Maverick is not talking about snagging. When a hen "fans" a redd it is very easy for her to bump into a drifting fly. 
According to local DNR officials some of the steelhead smolt in the Clinton are holding long enough to move down river and mature. As with any fishery the mortality rate of these fish is pretty low and the summer temps of the Clinton directly affect this. We do have some successful natural reproduction in the stream though. This reproduction usually is more productive in some of the deeper colder runs. 
The problem with this is that during the summer months the Clinton holds a moderate population of pike that feed on these smolt.


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## Toga (Nov 11, 2009)

bobcolenso said:


> Is there any other way to target steelhead there if you don't have salmon/steelhead eggs?


There are lots of things you can use other than spawn. You have to remember steelhead are rainbow trout. Flies work well, spoons, minnows, wax worms, crawlers, wigglers, crank baits, and spinners all work well. I have even caught them on tube jigs on days that nothing else seemed to produce.


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

As I read the assesment that John Q linked I do not see anything that proves steelhead smolt will not hold below Yates. In fact I read that over the last several decades there has not been sufficient data collected to determine the productivity of this stream section.

Does anyone else see something I missed here?


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## John Q. Public (Jul 18, 2009)

What I was referring to was on page 72 of the doc (page 91 in Adobe). Definitely doesn't prove that it doesn't happen, just says it's unlikely.

Comment: Are we getting adult steelhead coming back to the Clinton River and successfully spawning and reproducing?

Response: We have documented successful steelhead reproduction in Paint Creek, but it is unclear how many of these fish contribute to the fishery. Steelhead spawn in the Clinton River mainstem as well. Redds can be observed in gravel areas downstream of Yates Dam. *However, summer water temperatures get too warm to support steelhead.* Conversely, steelhead that get over Yates Dam have access to water in the upper half of the Middle Segment that can support juvenile steelhead during summer at least some of the time. During hot summers, it is unlikely that steelhead are produced on the Clinton River mainstem.


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

Thanks for the clarification John Q. I guess I didn't read far enough into the assessment.
I will agree that steelhead smolt thrive in Paint Creek. This is very apparent during the summer when you can catch a million of them in the creek.
There has to be good habitat in the Auburn Hills section of the Clinton Main to support these fish considering last fall did a massive stocking of rainbow trout smolt.
Below Yates the river habitat has greatly improved in the past couple of years. The Adopt-A-Stream data I have indicates an increase in aquatic invertebrate populations and some of these invertebrates are Taxa 1 which are pollution sensitive insects. It overall health of the stream is pretty good and will eventually support steelhead smolt for about 2 miles below Yates.


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## Pyranha (Apr 6, 2010)

LumberJ said:


> Auburn? Do you put in at that park off Squirrel? I've been thinking of trying that float this year. As I recall from a few years back there were a couple portages along the way. Is that still the case?


I heard there's currently one river wide log jam between Squirrel/Auburn and Livernois/Avon, but it's supposedly only a 2 second portage. As of last weekend, all the log jams had navigable passages between Livernois/Avon and Yates.

Of course, it may very well have changed with the rains from the past few days.


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## 252Life (Sep 17, 2004)

Pyranha said:


> I heard there's currently one river wide log jam between Squirrel/Auburn and Livernois/Avon, but it's supposedly only a 2 second portage. As of last weekend, all the log jams had navigable passages between Livernois/Avon and Yates.
> 
> Of course, it may very well have changed with the rains from the past few days.


Thats what I love about that river. It is constantly changing.


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