MI Love

Hit the cottage again this weekend looking for some MI Love.  We worked hard for them Friday and managed to sniff out three fish.  Two came to hand one of which was another Personal Best.  This time it was Red's turn at a MI giant.  Late in the day we ran the Hyde up tight to the coffer.  Within a few drifts Red set up and the chase was on.  It wasn't without effort but we pulled it off around the corner from the boat launch.  It was another giant buck pushing well into the teens.  Certainly a great way to end a tough day of fishing.  We broke the rods down, packed up the gear and went to start the motor.  On the first pull the cord broke and recoiled into the housing leaving the black rubber pull handle in my hand along with a look of concern on my brow.  Luckily we were close enough to the launch so I just rowed us to shore and we walked the boat back up .  Friday evening was spent driving to Cadillac for a metric socket set followed by a 2 hour repair session in the garage that included a much needed outboard oil change. 
Saturday  was a totally different day.  The morning brought overcast skies with rain in the forecast.  There was a damp cool breeze in the air and we launched the Hyde with intentions of revisiting the coffer run.  As our luck would have it the run was occupied when we launched so we set up around the corner in hopes of waiting out the occupying party.  With lady luck on our side they pulled anchor within minutes and drifted past us headed down river.  We didn't waste any time and motored up tight to the coffer and set the anchor.  It took a little while to dial it in but once the olive marabou jigs were offered things got interesting.  The first fish to strike was a brute and made short order of my jig straightening it out moments after being hooked.  Yet another bitter lesson on the necessity of running double strong jig hooks when chasing these fish.  It really stung but I shook it off with hopes of redemption in the next few drifts.  Sure enough the float dropped a few drifts later and a decent Lake Run Brown came to hand followed shortly after by another Steelie.  The morning was certainly looking promising but with lots of water to cover we pulled anchor and made our way around the corner and down the straightaway towards Suicide.  It wasn't until we hit the midway point that the action took another turn for the better with 4 fish in 20 mins.  This time beads and Roe bags were the ticket.  It was a nice to trick a few today and feel the rods load up.  It was even more satisfying to put a few in the boat for the photo op.  Deer opener was Friday and the river should start to see a drastic reduction in traffic as the temps continue to travel into the negatives.  We are entering the best time of the year for those afflicted with the chrome addiction.  Good days lie ahead...

Lose yourself...

"I go fishing not to find myself but to lose myself "

 Joseph Monniger

Humility

I just returned home from three days fishing on the West Side.  I hit the Big Manistee hard out of the Hyde down low on Friday, up top on Saturday and waded around Tippy on Sunday.  The tally was bleak.  0 for 2 Friday, 0 for 2 Saturday with a chunky brown and only another resident brown this morning for my efforts.  That river can be a miserable bitch and just when you think you have her dialed in she redefines the game.  She can be extremely giving one week and excessively stingy the next.  Covering water seems to be the only consistent recipe for success and I'm limited with the Hyde.  Make no mistake...I had my chances this weekend but lady luck was on my adversaries side.  She is a river you don't want to miss any opportunities on and holds her cards tight more than not.  I have been fishing her for some time and I just can't seem to dial in any form of consistency.  When she does reveal her gifts they are outstanding and when those rare moments of monumental success arise the memories are never forgotten.  I have had some pretty crazy days on this river but they are always brought into check by the lessons in humility she quite often serves.  I have seen peers turned away more than not by her bitter acceptance of anyone that has not paid their dues and I have seen her torment them as well with small glimpses of greatness.  It should never really be easy I guess but I have revelled in her glory and accepted her gifts. Once bitten...

Paying it forward

"I believe everything in life happens for a reason.  I learned early on never to force things.  If it was meant to be it will happen.  Life has a funny way of working things out..."

I heard a while back that one of the kids my daughters went to grade school with was an aspiring fisherman.   His mother had told me once that he was obsessed with it.  I remember telling Norland about this kid and how we should take him under our wing and show him the magical waters of the Huron Flows and ruin him forever LOL!.  Well that never happened and time went on.  The kids are all in high school now and a lot of water has passed under the bridge since those days.  Three weeks ago  I get a phone call out of the blue one evening asking about some gear I had listed for sale on the internet.  It turned out to be Cole's  mother...the crazy fishing kid.  She called on a hunch that it was me selling the gear and wanted to surprise her son Cole for his up coming birthday.  It had turned out that the gear I was selling was exactly what Cole was searching for right down to the very line on the reel.  We talked in length about Coles continued passion for fishing and how he had stuck with it all this time.  She went on to tell me he was a gear hound with eleven or so rods and spent all his spare time fishing, watching fishing videos, and tying flies.  It wasn't until she told me his secondary educational choice of Aquaculture at Sir Sandford Fleming College that I realized this kid was indeed a mini me. It turns out Cole and myself have driven the same roads in our lives only paralleled by decades. 

Fishing has always been my passion and I had initially chose the same career path as young Cole back in the day while attending SSFC.  It then became true and apparent that I had to share the wonders of the backwaters of a cherished Huron Gem with this young man...paying it forward if you will.  I dropped the idea in Cole's mothers hands along with a link to the blog and left it at her discretion.  Then came the meeting.  Cole and his father came over to look at the gear they were interested in purchasing a few days later.  While they were here we discussed the blog, photography, writing,  and the opportunity to fish together on the home waters.  I could see it in his eyes and his mannerisms...there was a fire...he wanted to go and go so bad.  It was exciting to watch his reaction as I answered the questions he threw at me and explained what to expect from such an outing.  I remember those early days  and the desire to get to these fish.  We parted ways and I told him I'd be in touch.  Well as we all know the Rains have put a damper on the Huron options for the past month with the exception of a few short windows.  As luck would have it things were shaping up nicely for an escape today so I reached out and extended the offer.  It didn't take any time for Cole to accept.  The 5 am departure time didn't even phase him in the least.  Soon the outing was a reality and we were making our way North. 
As expected the traffic on the river today was excessive.  Nothing of epic proportion but way outside the norm.  Cole and myself made the best of it.  We exercised courtesy and stretched our legs in search of isolation and fish.  Although it was tough sledding out there we managed to find both.  We worked for the fish as well as the isolation with 4 river crossings under fairly hardy flows.  I think young Cole may have underestimated the physical demands of Steelheading in the back country as well as the power of an angry flow.  Nonetheless he worked hard and kept up with the pace.  Crossing a river is a skill learned with patience and practice.  He got better at each crossing as the day played out.  He learned how to read some water and managed to hook into 5 fish.  He also learned that early November Steelhead can be quite a handful after getting tuned by 4 out of the 5.  Rome wasn't built in a day and paying ones dues are part of the game.  It was nice to see and at times I thought to myself this young man may very well be taking me fishing some day.  It was a nice thought...

Narrow Windows

The Rains...my word...the opportunities have been few and far between on the Huron flows this year.  This season is reminiscent to 2006 when big water was plentiful.  The only difference has been the absence of 2-3 days of fishable conditions prior to the next precip event. There was a narrow window of opportunity last week and we rolled the dice and slipped in for a few. We weren't certain what to expect and it almost didn't happen but I'm sure glad we made the drive.

"The fish are big this year..."

The fall Salmon Season of 2013 has run it's course on the Westside of Michigan.  The run was significant and one underlying theme early on in the run was that the fish were big this year.  Reports of giant kings pushing upwards of 35 lbs were reported.  Our brief shot at the almighty king proved no different with a share of hefty brutes to the bank.  The notable increase in size only spoke of prime and ideal conditions encountered in the big water.  This left us all wondering... How did the Steelhead  fare?

The Ontario home waters have been inundated with large amounts of precipitation over the past month.  As a result they have been unfishable more than not this season.  This weekend proved no different.  With back to back downpours the rivers once again spiked to unmanagable conditions just in time for the weekend.  With this in mind we hit the border in pursuit of some lower river Steelheading on the Big Manistee.  Early credible reports spoke to larger than normal Steelhead all along the Westside of the State. 

We set out from the cabin Friday morning with the Hyde in tow and headed towards the lower river.  Its was a classic fall outing and we couldn't have asked for better conditions.  The skies were ominous with a constant threat of rain.  The winds were cool and a cold front was on the fringe of pushing in.  The river was up and rising from the early morning rain event but the colour held true and near perfect.  We set the Hyde adrift and rowed towards our first destination...The Pumpkin Run. 

We didn't hit a tonne of fish but the few that graced us with their presence were outstanding specimens.  Although both fish I touched were awesome in their own regard one clearly stood out.  My new personal best Great Lakes Steelhead.  I am not good with weights but if I had to be a guessing man I'd commit to the better side of fifteen.  Truly a fish that will never be forgotten and a story to be retold and relived over the coming years.  Are the fish bigger this year?  I'll give that a Hell-ya!

Gratuitous Slideshow

Misty Morning

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of arriving to a river in hiding.  As the fog lifted and slowly released it's grasp the treasures of a Michigan Fall revealed themselves.  Sometimes its just the journey but man what a journey it can be. 

Redington Sonic Pro Waders Review

If you were to ask a Die Hard Steelheader what is the most important equipment in their arsenal waders wouldn't be far from the front of the list. Aside from ones Rods and Reels there is nothing more near and dear to a die hard steelheader than his/her waders. Just think about it. As tried and true all season steelheaders we rely on today's modern fabrics to provide a barrier between us and the elements while maintaining a comfortable dexterity that affords us the ability to hike miles of river basin in pursuit of our quarry. We rely on our waders to keep us dry, warm, and injury free from sudden puncture, abrasion, or the like. In the most extreme conditions that couple millimeters of fabric means the difference between keeping warm and dry or getting wet and hypothermic. On the other end of the spectrum we rely on the same fabrics to provide a breathable barrier that mitigates internal condensation to keep our layering system dry and functioning. Most of us take our waders for granted. We overlook just how far today's modern fabrics and waders have evolved.

I can remember borrowing my father’s rubber hip boots back in the early 80's and wading the rapids of the Little Ausable in Inverhuron Provincial Park. They were heavy, cumbersome and often developed cracks that almost always leaked.  Back then rubber was the best and only game in town. Wow have we come a long way. Although neoprene still holds a market for the hard core Waterfowler it has almost entirely disappeared from the steelheading scene aside from the fitted boots that compliment a set of Breathables. This is namely in part to advanced layering techniques and thermal fabrics that complement the breathable wader system. Today’s breathable waders allow for comfort and dexterity second to none and do so in the most extreme cold weather scenarios as long as proper layering techniques are employed. There is no longer a need to wrestle into the heavy and constricting 5 mm neo's and waddle ones way down the snowy trail for a winter steelheading adventure. I hung the neoprene waders up about 10 years ago and have yet to look back. I can honestly say I have put the entire system through the paces and tested the extremes. One time we even had to de-thaw at a nearby Coin-op Car Wash in order to melt the ice off of our frozen waders and wading boots. I can truly say with conviction that the breathable wader system is the way to go hands down.

Three years ago I was looking to replace a two year old set of Cabela's breathable waders that were starting to develop a leak. Typically I would get two hard seasons out of a set of waders and then need to replace them. I started to weigh my options and discovered a new offering from Redington that afforded a stitchless seam technology that they referred to as the "Sonic Weld System". The Redington advertisment stated that their Sonic-Pro waders seams were welded with sound, not sewn with needles, thus eliminating thousands of stitch holes found in traditional waders. This intrigued me and led me to reach out to them via an email. After an in-depth introduction and multiple back and forth emails they graciously offered me an opportunity to put their product to the test at prostaff pricing for the blog. To be fair to the process I have put any formal written review on the shelf until a time I felt I could offer up an honest and sincere review of these waders. This meant time on the water. Well...three years have passed and I am still running the initial pair of waders hard without any compromise to the watertight sonic welded seam system. I now own three pairs of Sonic's…Two Sonic-pro stocking foot chest waders and recently one pair of Sonic-pro zipper waders. I keep one pair at home in Ontario for the Huron Flows and two pairs at the cabin for the Michigan river adventures.

The Sonic Pro wader line offers an aesthetically pleasing product in a two tone color arrangement with a multitude of sizing options to meet the masses. I run XL's and find there is ample room in the leg and torso sections to allow for proper thermal layering. The ergonomically shaped neoprene boots are adequately sized with foot comfort in mind. This is important to me as I do a great deal of deep winter fishing and adequate room for blood circulation in the feet after heavy socks are worn is essential. The suspender system employs a quality, easy to use, buckling arrangement that readily adjusts to meet a fair range of end user height scenarios. There is ample storage located in the front compartment that is accessed via a water tight Ykk zipper system. There is also another internal storage pouch that incorporates a forceps dock and Hypalon retractor. I find it best for storage of more delicate items like a cell phone, car keys, and identification. It flips out from the inside of the waders at chest level for easy access.

Behind the front storage compartment is a built in hand warmer lined with brushed microfleece. It is also zippered with waterproof Ykk zippers and can double as yet another storage compartment. I can't say enough about having quality waders with a decent hand warmer system built in. Redington has a great system with ample room for both hands when a quick reprieve from the cold is in order. The Sonics’ 4 layered breathable wader construction has proven to be durable and wear resistant and has proudly stood up to my abuses. The incorporated gravel guards are snug and tight and stay securely fastened and in place thanks to a cleverly designed lace hook that claims to have been designed with a “line snag” free approach. They certainly do a stand up job of protecting the neo booties and stones in your wading boots are a thing of the past. The included wading belt is robust and sized adequately to provide a secure fit around ones waste. It employs a heavy duty buckle that fits ones hand perfectly and allows for quick and easy one handed operation.

The Sonic Pro Zipper waders employ all of the above features with the added bonus of a front waterproof zipper for unparalleled access to ones under layers. One cannot say enough about this feature when nature calls…especially in the dead of winter when all of the outer layers do not need to be shed in order to address the call of the wild. It is equally as nice to have easy access to ones under layers and pockets for additional secured storage or under layer adjustment. Along with the incorporation of the front waterproof Ri-Ri zipper system some minor changes in the storage compartments had to be addressed. Redington did a great job. There are now two ergonomically designed laser cut hand warmer pockets each incorporating brushed micro fleece for comfort and warmth. Again, each have a water proof Ykk zipper so they can double as secured storage as well. The large front storage compartment of the standard chest wader model has been broken down into two individual vertically zippered storage pockets on each side of the main zipper.

Along with these storage options is an additional large internal micro mesh storage pocket on the inside for one’s delicate items. Eg keys, cell phones, ID etc… These waders are top of the line and no compromises were made in the design.
The Sonic Pro Waders have served me well over the past 3 seasons. They fit me well, keep me dry, and have stood up to the abuses I have bestowed upon them.  These Breatheables have climbed, hiked, slid, stumbled, fell,  bushwacked, ice broke, froze, thawed, flew to Alaska, boat fished, and have seen countless river miles in pursuit of my quarry. They continued to perform in the most extreme conditions that could possibly be thrown at them. Along the way the fabric integrity has withstood thick brush, stabbing branches, thorn bushes, sharp river rock, jagged ice, gravel beaches, and abrasive sand shores. They have yet to leak, puncture or succumb to any of my abuses and keep on performing. They have proven to be comfortable to fish in and allow a dexterity that only assists with the rigors of hiking back to the river and along its overgrown banks.

I have always taken a common sense approach when spending my hard earned money on waders. My philosophy has always been on the practical side. Breathables waders range from $160 to $800 a pair. There are certainly bells and whistles than come with the more money spent but once a certain plateau is reached in fabric and seam integrity I have always employed a personal strategy. My thinking has always been if you can replace a set of waders 2-3 times versus the price of a single pair one would be better off running new gear more frequently. The Sonic Pro’s have challenged this thought process. First off I would be hard pressed to sway from this line of waders having now run them for the past 3 years. The looks, comfort, functionality, and performance fully exceed any of the lower priced wader lines I have utilized in the past. Secondly the price point for this level of performance gear is considerably lower than their direct competition.

A set of Sonic Pro chest waders has a MSRP of $299.95. An Internet savvy shopper can find them on the web for as low as $225. An incredible bargain for the level of performance one gets. Zippered waders are a top shelf, high end option and the Sonic Pro Zipper model is extremely value priced when compared to its competition. The Sonic Pro Zip’s retail for $399.95 and can be found on the web for as low as $299.95 A comparable set of Simm’s G4Zs waders retail for upwards of $799.95 and Patagonia Rio’s for $699. This certainly warrants some much deserved attention.

Redington's Sonic Pro Wader line-up provides top shelf form and function while remaining to meet my personal philosophy in relation to price point versus replacement frequency. I can still get two sets of Sonic Pro’s for the price of a single pair of their competitions. This keeps the cost and risk of ownership extremely low. I do not hesitate to recommend this brand and line of Breathables to anyone. I love my Redington waders and can stand behind this product without issue. They have yet to let me down and have exceeded any previous wader performance that I have owned. I am looking forward to running them hard in the coming months as the Great Lakes Steelheading Season ramps up as well as packing them along in the Spring for another Alaskan adventure.