Written by Nick
3:00 am Thursday morning sure came fast. I met Dave, Nick, and Terry at the Kern residence and after a quick BS session we hit the road. The drive was great. Dave and I were able to catch up and solve most of the world’s problems.
We reached the Betsie around 6:00 am and within 15 minutes we were in the river. I found a nice gravel bed and waited for the sun to come up. As soon as I could make out some fish I started working the bed. I began casting a Mickey Finn and had decent success. After 20 minutes I caught (foul hooked) my first salmon. Now, I’ve fished for salmon in the past, but not like this. The difference between a heavy duty trolling rod and an 8 wt. fly rod is huge…I loved it! I stuck with the Mickey Finn and hook several more. Meanwhile up river, Nick was making some headway. He was using Billy’s Krystal Eggs, Orange Yarn Eggs, and PM Specials, and caught several fish. Dave and Terry also found a few, which Dave caught with Terry manning the net. Terry didn’t have much luck with a rod but earned a 2 year exemption from the club award due to an amazing mid-air full flip salmon catch.
We pulled out of the river around 9:30 am and headed for some breakfast. After some delicious food from Rosie’s we checked into the Mountain Valley Motel and caught some rest. A few hours later we head back to the river for some afternoon fishing. The salmon seemed to be quite line shy (as they were most of the trip), but Nick, Dave, and I hooked/caught several more. We ended the first day around 6 or 7 pm and retreated to the local bar for some burgers, beer, and the ball game.
Day 2 was much like the first. We reached the river early and found our spots. Nick once again got into the fish and caught a nice 20+ pounder. I struggled but managed to hook a few. We fished until 9 or 10 am and headed back to Rosie’s for another great breakfast. In the evening the manager of the Mountain Valley Motel took us to his buddy’s private land were we had a good stretch of the river all to ourselves. With some great coaching from Nick, I fair hooked and landed a nice male (see photo above). After a few hours of fishing we headed to the Copemish Lounge for some “all you can eat” fish and a few beers. Later that evening Steve met us at the motel and was eager for the next morning of fishing.
Saturday we woke up around 4:30 am to ensure a decent spot on the river. I didn’t land any salmon but caught a nice rainbow that was feeding on some eggs. We fished for several hours then packed up, grabbed a quick bite, said our goodbyes, and headed for home.
I want to thank Dave for inviting me, Terry for a wonderful nickname, and Nick for an awesome learning experience. I had a great time and more importantly enjoyed the company.
Final Tally:
Nick Cassidy: 12 salmon
Dave Kern: 4 salmon
Nick Pennington: 3 salmon, 1 Rainbow
Notes:
Weather: Cool in the mornings with mid to high 60′s during the day.
River: Cold with low water levels.
Hot Flies: Mickey Finn, Billy’s Krystal Eggs, Orange Yarn Eggs, PM Specials, Misc Eggs(pink, orange, peach), and Dave’s Mystery Red Streamer.
Nice report Nick. I really enjoyed the trip, and the weather was outstanding too!