Salmon fly fishing photos from Michigan's Betsie River near Traverse City - August and September 2005.
August 14th - Salmon fishing has started on the
Betsie River. We landed a few really nice
fresh Chinook Salmon today. Look for
good numbers of new fish with each rain. Right
now best numbers are in the very lower river.
Aug. 16th - Here is Jeff and Rob Georgic with a
couple of big Kings from the Betsie River. We
landed four today and lost a bunch of other
salmon. This time of year its best to
cover lots of water. Many holes and runs are
empty but a few are full of fresh King Salmon.
The river is in need of some good rain - hopefully
later this week.
Aug. 22nd and 23rd - Chris Poulos Mike Sargent with a fresh run Chinook
Salmon from the Betsie River. This is a
excellent time to fly fish for river salmon here in
Northern Michigan. Right now there are no
crowds and the salmon are in great shape.
Today about 15 fish were hooked and 3 were
landed. The water is very low and clear right
now. Best flies and have been on the small
side - green caddis, nuke eggs, and small marabou
spey patterns.
Aug. 26th - A beautiful fresh run Betsie River
salmon caught by Rick Palazzini. Fish took a
small olive wooly bugger. Right now fish are
in the deepest water you can find.
Aug. 21st - John Kalathas with big Betsie River
King Salmon. One of best fighting salmon of
the year - the six foot high jump was very cool!
Aug. 28th - Here is Ryan with the first salmon he
ever hooked. Small flies did the best today -
nuke eggs, green caddis, and small buggers.
Water levels were very low on the Betsie River
today. Fish have been a bit spooky and are in
the deeper holes. Today there were a few new
fish moving upstream and this should just keep
increasing everyday.
Sept. 23rd - Excellent day of salmon fishing on
the Betsie River. Here is Bruce Hambell with a
big fresh Chinook Salmon.
Sept. 19th and 20th - Andy and Tom Montpas caught
a number of very nice Chinook Salmon on the Betsie
River. Water levels are very low and a good
rain is really needed. Still good numbers of
pre spawning salmon are in the deeper holes.
Cool weather and rain is forecasted
for later this week. This should get big
numbers of fresh salmon moving into the Betsie and
Platte River. Still lots of salmon to come
from Lake Michigan.
Sept. 16th and 17th - Carl Smoot and John Venter
landed a bunch of nice fresh King Salmon on the
Betsie River. Small nuke eggs, Hex nymphs, and
egg sucking leeches were the best patterns.
Sept. 15th - Mike Sargent and Dave Petts had big
numbers of salmon in the river today. With the
recent rains good numbers of salmon were on the move
all day.
Sept 12th - Ben Pinti with a big Chinook
Salmon. Extreme heat today on the river - felt
like mid summer not early fall. Still some
good fishing even with the hot bright day.
Sept. 10th - Jeff Georgic with a huge Betsie
River King Salmon. After salmon was released
he went and sat under our lunch table.
Sept. 3rd - Gary Cowan with his first Betsie
River King Salmon. There are some very nice
fresh chinook salmon in the Betsie right - just not
the big numbers yet. Water levels are very low
and rain is needed. Best action of late
has been fishing small nymphs and egg
patterns. We have seen a couple of steelhead
caught the last week. Its still a little early
for them but at least there are a few around.
Sept. 1st - Mike landed two real nice Betsie
River Chinook salmon today. Small nuke eggs
were the best pattern today.