# Paint Creek Report



## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

I finally got out trout fishing for the first time this morning before work. Parked at Silverbell Rd and walked down the trail for about 10 minutes before I started fishing. Fished for about an hour and caught and landed a 10" Brown on a green bead-head caddis. Water was a bit off-color but not too high from the rain yesterday. Did not see anything hatching but it was early (6:30 am) and a bit cold. I hope to get out this afternoon again.

John


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Thanks for the report. This is definitely a better time to go than during the opening weekend anyway. Glad to hear the fish are still in there. I definitely need to get back up there this year.


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## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

Went back to Paint Creek this evening and fished from about 6:30 til 9:15 pm. I fished upstream from Tienken Road using a green bead head caddis and missed two hits. I tried a black caddis dry fly (with green egg sack)on one fish I saw sporadically feeding with no takes. Later I changed to a brown bead head caddis and landed a nice 9" rainbow and shortly after a 10-1/2" brown. I also got another smaller (8") brown while making my way back down the creek in the dark. The rainbow was very brightly colored and had a very bright stripe. I have caught several small rainbows (which I believe were steelhead smolts) but this one appeared to be a resident trout. It was a nice variety as mostly I have caught browns here before.I have had good success with bead head caddis nymphs (or larva) on Paint Creek and agree with Steve about having confidence in certain flies. At least for Paint Creek, if I don't see any fish rising or any insects hatching I will start with a bead head caddis and that has been able to catch me at least a couple trout each outing. (All returned to the creek. I don't mind keeping fish but I don't get up north too much and mostly fish Paint Creek and with it being such a small stream I don't want to deplete it too much of the fish).

John


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## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

Fished the creek for a while tonight with a friend from work who is trying to learn how to fly fish. I mostly watched and pointed out a few spots that have been productive for me. Needless to say he caught more trees than fish but it was nice to get out. He only could stay for an hour so after he left I drove upstream and fished a different section of the creek (near Dutton Road). Fished a brown bead head caddis and caught a few small browns. I came upon two active feeders and switched to a size 18 tan elk hair caddis and managed to get the first brown on the first cast (about 9") and missed two strikes from the second fish (seemed to be a bit larger). A few insects were hatching but not really sure what they were. The elk hair caddis seemed to do the trick though. Besides the fish I also pulled a couple of beer cans out of the bottom of the creek just downstream of Dutton Road. Glad to help keep the stream clean but wish some people would think about what they are doing before they dump trash in the stream (or any where else besides the trash can).


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## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

Fished Paint Creek from about 9am to 2 pm today and caught a few small browns on a size 18 elk hair caddis. While making my way upstream I saw the biggest trout I have ever seen in Paint Creek heading downstream. It appeared to be 20+ inches. That sure got my adrenaline going. I have seen Steves picture in the log section so I know there are some big ones in there but it was sure nice to see for myself. Hopefully the next one I see will be attached to the end of my line.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

JNP they are definitely out there. I came *this* close to going out there this evening but it was just too hot for me and I am feeling a bit under the weather. All I have is neoprenes and you just bake in them in this kind of heat. Were you above Teiken road again?


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## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

Steve,

No I tried a different section this time. I parked at Dutton Road walked down the trail and started fishing at the first railroad bridge and back upstream to Dutton Road. A lot of log jams and some deeper holes in this section than where I am used to fishing. Had to exit the creek several places to go around the jams. You might like to try out a pair of breathables. I bought some a few years ago and just love them. It wasn't too bad out with them at all. The price has actually gone down on the ones I bought (Orvis Clearwater).


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## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

Fished Paint Creek tonight at the tail end of the rain storm (6:30pm) til about 9pm. I started at Silverbell Rd and hiked down the trail until the first railroad bridge. I began going upstream but it was too difficult to wade against the current since the river was up a bit due to the recent rain. I fished downstream from the bridge until the creek comes back to the trail. The water was up several inches and off color. I could still see the bottom occasionally but most of the time I just waded carefully feeling my way along. Thought I would try a different strategy this time since no risers and high water. Fished an olive wooly bugger and got 2 nice browns 12-14" each near a logjam. Several bugs were hatching after the rainstorm. I still need to work on my entomology a bit but one I collected was a brown mayfly about size 12-14 with two tails, clear wings with black bars, perhaps a hendrickson? Also hatching were what appeared to be some large caddis although I didn't get close enough to collect any. And some small (16-18) yellowish flies perhaps sulphurs or light cahills? Any ideas? Any one find any web sites that have photos of the various flies encountered on a trout stream so I can work on my identification? I guess as long as the fish coopereate I don't worry too much but would like to learn to identify the insects for my own benefit


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## Guest (May 19, 2000)

I was just an the Ausable yesterday and we saw a lot of sulphers (your small, yellowish flies?) and some mahagony's (your dark brown flies?). It's kinda late for hendrickson's, but another fisherman and I agreed we thought we saw a few.
A good book on bugs is written by Dick Pobst, owner of Thornapple Orvis in west Michigan. I think it's called Trout Stream Insects. He has another with too much information on caddis flies called The Caddisfly Handbook. This one gets way deep into caddis flies.
I hope this help,
Jack C.


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## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

Took my brother-in-law over to the creek this afternoon. I would consider the water too high to wade. I thought the water level would have dropped more since the rains a few days ago but I would wait a few more days before trying again. The water is still over the banks right now. Too bad since that was the first time I took my brother-in-law fishing in a while.

John


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Jnp you are our official Paint Creek reporter. Keep up the good work.


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## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

Just checked out the stream flow data from the logs section of this forum for the first time. Never used it before but looks like it would be a good tool to determine if it is worth going fishing on a particular stream or not. In case anyone is interested, for Paint Creek, from my experience this last week When the discharge was 85 Cubic feet per second and the stage was 2.28 ft the creek was still wadeable but it was probably at the highest water level and flow that I would feel comfortable wading (wednesday May 17). The next time I went (May 21) the discharge was 163 cubic feet per second and the stage was 2.71 feet. I considered this to be unwadeable and not worth the trip over to the creek (at least for the fishing). From the current data it looks like the water level hasn't fallen yet to a safe wading level. (145 cf/s and 2.62 ft) Hope this helps.


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## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

Fished the creek this afternoon. Started downstream of Silverbell but the river was still a bit high. I decided to go way upstream (near Clarkston Rd) since I thought the water would be shallower. Turned out to be right and I caught several small browns and one 9" brown which I kept. Saw several yellow flies laying eggs in the evening which I believe were sulphurs.

After looking in my trout stream insects book last night I saw Light Cahill Duns and Spinners instead of Sulphurs.


[This message has been edited by jnpcook (edited 05-27-2000).]


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

I never had too much luck that high up in the creek before but that was before they put the bottom draw in Lake Orion. Congrats and thanks for the report.


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## jnpcook (Jan 19, 2000)

First time back to the creek in a while. Took my friend from work and we fished downstream from the first railroad bridge souteast of Silverbell Rd. Water was very low and clear. Did not see any risers but saw a few Light Cahills coming off the water. My friend had to leave after an hour so I walked him back to the trail and headed upstream back towards Silverbell Rd in the area where all the stream improvements have been done. Caught a few large chubs and had one trout on that jumped a couple feet out of the water and got off the hook. Still a nice evening. A lot of wildflowers are in bloom along the creekside making for pleasant scenery. Also spooked a couple of deer from the side of the creek.


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## SiouxerBrewer (Aug 4, 2007)

Hello, I am relatively new to this area and I have been reading a little bit about Paint Creek. Looking at the DNR website (Trout Guide) it looks like Paint Creek is in the southeastern part of Washtenaw county. From reading this post it appears that Paint Creek is near Auburn Hills. Are there two Paint Creeks? Does anyone know where I can find information about gaining access to the one in Washtenaw county? Thank you in advance.


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## knockoff64 (Oct 14, 2001)

SiouxerBrewer said:


> Hello, I am relatively new to this area and I have been reading a little bit about Paint Creek. Looking at the DNR website (Trout Guide) it looks like Paint Creek is in the southeastern part of Washtenaw county. From reading this post it appears that Paint Creek is near Auburn Hills. Are there two Paint Creeks? Does anyone know where I can find information about gaining access to the one in Washtenaw county? Thank you in advance.


Yes, there are 2 Paint Creeks.

The one in Washtenaw Co. used to get plants of Browns every year, it was discontinued several years ago. It is a trib. of Stoney Creek (check the stocking records). It runs through mostly private property, so access is limited. If I was looking for a place to explore, I'd look upstream, towards I-94.


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## SiouxerBrewer (Aug 4, 2007)

That's good to know that there are two paint creeks and I'm not going nuts. I actually drove along the whole creek yesterday from Oakville all the way to 23 and it didn't appear to have any public access. I'm looking to go trout fishing this season and I have very little experience with stream/river fishing. From what I have read about I think the Huron river would be the closest place that actually has public access.


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## michigan head hunter (Aug 26, 2006)

paint creek in willis michigan theres alot of place you can fish have fished it for years as a kid and still do. anbodie want know about fishing their email me .


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## SiouxerBrewer (Aug 4, 2007)

michigan head hunter said:


> paint creek in willis michigan theres alot of place you can fish have fished it for years as a kid and still do. anbodie want know about fishing their email me .


Message sent. Thank you.


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