The pre-spawn remains strong. We have fully transitioned from steelhead to smallmouth bass and we are seeing some on the best action of the year so far.
Continue readingPre-Spawn Remains Strong
Pre-Spawn Remains Strong
The pre-spawn remains strong. We have fully transitioned from steelhead to smallmouth bass and we are seeing some on the best action of the year so far.
Continue readingThe Pre-Spawn Is Here
The smallmouth pre-spawn is here and will only get better in the coming weeks as the temperatures continue to improve.
Continue readingSpring Run Update
With rain and warmer temps in sight, the spring run will start to pick up on the Grand River and other area rivers. Here’s the latest from the frontlines.
Continue readingWindows
We have now reached the middle of winter and the rivers are cold. Every now and then Mother Nature opens windows where we can fish.
Continue readingFly Fishing The Grand River
When fly fishing the Grand River it’s important to know that it’s classified as a big river system. It’s Michigan’s largest river and it’s the second largest drainage system, next to the Saginaw Valley. In this system when it rains, even a little, it pours. The conditions on the Grand can go from being gin clear to chocolate milk. It can provide the angler with a mix of emotions. From challenge and frustration to elation and reward, with the opportunity for a fish of a lifetime.
This blog will be about fly fishing for smallmouth bass and the gear we use, at Werkman Outfitters, on the Grand. This is our program and works for us on this system.
Fly Rod
Depending on where you’re fly fishing on the Grand, you’ll want a rod that can cover the changing water environments, such as slack water, riffles or the faster current.
For us, we like to use the 9 ft, 8 wt. Recon by Orvis. It’s made in the United States, it’s incredibly light, with fast action and launches line well when you need a little extra distance. It gives you the backbone necessary to fight a larger smallmouth as it digs in the faster current or pulling that smallmouth out of log-jams. It also allows you to sling larger bugs.
Fly Line
For us, fly line is broken down into both floating and sink tip. We like the Scientific Anglers Bass Bug and the Sonar Titan I 2/3 for fly fishing.
What we like about the Bass Bug line is it’s coated to withstand the hot summer river temperatures. It loads quickly, which means less casting and more fishing. Not only does it load quickly but it lets you build distance quickly. It almost feels like you’re casting 2 line sizes higher.
For the I 2/3 we like that it loads quickly and has excellent casting ability for that little extra punch when you need it. In addition, the triple density has a more true straight-line to fly connection. In our opinion, this allows you a more “true” pause or “hang-time” in-between strips sets. A lot of times, bass like that “natural” baitfish pause before they take the fly.
Leader & Tippet
For leader we start at 20 lbs using Scientific Anglers Absolute Leader. From there, we build down to 0x and further down to 1x. Depending on water conditions and clarity, we add down to 2x and further down to 3x.
The Grand River is a fantastic smallmouth fishery. They are healthy with mutiple class years. There is has a ton of biomass, multi-year classes of baitfish and plenty of habitat for these gamefish to thrive in an urban and sub-urban environment.
If you have any questions about fly fishing the Grand River, please leave your questions in the comment section of this blog post and we’ll get back to you.
Capt. Tom Werkman
Optimal Conditions
The last few weeks we have had pretty optimal fishing conditions. Good amounts of fresh chrome steelhead are in the system from rain we had a few weeks prior. Here’s the latest from the frontlines.
Continue readingSteelhead Fishing Is Improving!
Fishing has slowly been improving since the beginning of November. Rain has worked its way up and down West Michigan and this is what is bringing fresh groups of steelhead into our river systems.
Continue readingTough Conditions Right Now
Right now, on the rivers we fish, they are either too high and dirty or too low and clear. All of this makes steelhead fishing challenging. With that said, here’s the latest from the frontlines.
Continue readingFall Is Here
Fall is here, the smallmouth and pike bite continues to be good and the salmon have arrived. Here’s the latest from the frontlines on the Grand River and it’s tributaries.
Continue reading