Caddis Shack - Fly Fishing Shop

Noah's Arc, Late Winter, The Flood of 1960 could all be used to describe what has been going on for the past month. Now, I am not a true Yooper but I can sya that in 41 years of life, I have never seen this water high nor have I ever seen it snowing in May!! With that being said, the fishing is still producing fish and anglers I see doing well are the guys chuck and ducking or using spinning gear, in other words quick and tight to the bottom. Egg flies, sucker spawn and large nymphs seem to be the ticket now.

Now as many of you know, I am a huge fan of the two handers(spey and switch). As a matter of fact, I have not even owned a single handed rod for around 8 years now(steelhead rod). I have always been and will be a huge Sage fan, but I had the opportunity to talk with the boys at Mystic Fly Rods, a Michigan based company. After some chat time they had there 11 3 8 weight switch rod in the mail for me to try out and I must say I was impressed! I was going to do a comparison of the Mystic and a Sage One but they are two different rods so I am going to do them seperate.

I will first provide you with the factory verbage along with some facts about there rod and my personal assesment!

True versatility has finally been achieved! The M-Series Switch rod is the most utilitarian rod on the market today, exhibiting equal effectiveness being fished in a two-handed or single-handed style. Due large in part to our proprietary taper and utilization of the same proprietary carbon fiber used in our flagship M-Series blanks, M-Series Switch rods are extremely adept at executing both styles of casting with ease. Handsomely outfitted with a premium cork handle, up-locking reel seat constructed of aircraft-grade aluminum, and two Titan quad leg stripping guides with diamond polished porcelain rings, this rod is outfitted to offer superior performance in a myriad of conditions including salt water.

In the spirit of achieving true versatility that Switch rods are intended for the M-Series Switch is offered in line weights from 3 all the way to 8. Each of these rods will give the angler an endless amount of potential to target their intended species in a multitude of tactics, whether swinging for Pacific Coast and Great Lakes steelhead, stripping streamers for offshore species, indicator nymphing for trout on a Western river, and delicately presenting a tiny dry fly at great distances is your desire, the M-Series Switch Rod has you covered.

· We have over 200 fly shops that we sell to around the world, including countries like Australia, New Zeeland, Spain, Brazil and many of the European Countries

· We have several people competing with Mystic Rods across the world, including the Men’s USA Team, Youth Boys USA Team and Women Teva Mountain Games.

Also, it is important to not that this rod achieved the Editor's Award in the 2012 Fly Fish America Gear Guide.

I have spent several days casting this rod and I must say that this rod is an exceptional rod for the price. Over several days I have cast this rod in many different circumstances from raging water with heavy heads (12ft, T 14) down to close quarters floating tip with weighted flies to nymphing both with indicator and bottom bouncing. I would say this rod has a bit more of a traditional feel compared to others so it took me a few casts to get my timing right. Once I got my timing right and dialed in the rod was like it was ready to reach out and touch somebody. The rod has plenty of reserve power and enough power to launch the big stuff(big flies and sink tips). In my opinion another good test for a switch rod is how well the rod will turn over a big indicator rig with tandem nymphs and a bunch of shot. Again the rod proves it self willing and able between 20-30 feet of line,indicator,shot and flies , this rod snatches it up and back for another drift it goes. Now for the final test is always how it handles the fish? Is there power to turn and does the reserve power run deep? Well at this moment those questions will have to go unanswered as I have yet to hook the big one! I will be out on Tuesday and maybe that will change, I will keep you posted!

Yes we for sure GOT WATER! You wont here this come out my mouth often but at teh moment just a bit to much. Most of the river systems that I fish on the lake Michigan side of the U.P. are at or above there banks at the present moment. As you can see in the pictures below the water level is approx. 3-4 feet beyond its origional flow and this is making fly fishing tough at best.If you are going to venture out(fish are available as I spotted 2 this day) pack plenty of shot to hold the bottom as currents are swift & if swinging is on your venue 10-14 ft of T 14 will be the ticket.

A word of caution with the water moving quite fast and water temps. in the mid to upper 30s. Be very careful as 1 slip can turn into a wet,wild & dangerous situation.Use your polarized glasses to know your underwater surroundings and if you dont already have a staff pick one up they are a huge help under these conditions!

As in my last report I was mocking the fact that according to the calendar it was spring and there was still a boat load of snow(we did nedd it) and bitter cold temperature trying to hold on.(it is the U.P. eh!)

Well good news has started arriving. We have had many warmer days(well above freezing) and alot of rain which translates into good water flows cloudy or stained water and slighty warmer water temperature. These things coming together most of us know, triggers the march of the steelhead!!

The higher water flow also makes it nice for those of us who enjoy the art of the two handers and swinging of the flies. I will get more into that in a bit.

The hot ticket now for bottom bouncing or indicator fishing with egg patterns with colors of cheese,orange,pink and chartreuse. My favorite would be cheese with either an orange or chartreuse center.

Now don't forget about caddis,stones and hex nymphs behind the beds as the males and females are kicking up a ton of sand and gravel which dislodges a multitude of aquatic bug life.

I would like to talk briefly about the Sage one switch rod. I just broke out my 8116 one by Sage and for those not familiar with this it is 11 1/2 ft 8wt switch rod. I started using two handers ten plus years ago when the norm was 14 to 15 foot rods. Wow has the industry has changed with better technology I am seeing more and more 11 -13 1/2 footers. Using my 8116 I was able with minimal effort to put casts out 70-90 feet. This rod is extremely light as with the trout rods the recovery rate is lightning fast. In other words, almost no tip making this rod an absolute dream to cast. Let's talk about power. I lined the rod with a 550 Grain Rio skagit and floating lone to start and plenty of power. I started playing with tips of varying length and weight and the outcome was equaly impressive! For sure a thumbs up on this rod!!

Now if you are looking to get involved with two handers and this rod is a bit out of the current budget, I will go to the other end and tell you about the Redington prospector series. This series replaced the CPX series of which I own several as well. These are top notch and owned by the same company Farbanks, which is an outstanding company with great customer service.

Until next time tight lines,safe wading and may God bless you as he has blessed me.

Also this steelhead season watch your feet and try to stay off the beds and fish behind them. This helps to protect them for future.

The man holding the fish is Adam. He started fly fishing several years ago and has become a talented steelheader! If you see him on the river say hello, he is always willing to give pointers and a helpful hint.

I must admit that if you had traveled with me over the past week you would for sure be laughing at that title! The fact that it is spring according to the calander does not mean anything when you live in the U.P.. Mother nature for the past few weeks has given us single digit windchills, 30 plus mph winds and a fair amount of snow. This being said the fishing has been anything but easy as a matter-of-fact down right tough. A few fish have been produced by center pin and spinning gear under floats with wax worms or the like but for those of us that use strictly flies not much and I personally have struck out on my last 3 outings. I have said it befor and I will stick by the fact that I love winter fishing and it can be tough but I do it because I love it. With that all being said the weather nazi is calling for some warmer temps in the very near future and if it comes true this will be what we need to get things fired up!

Well here we are with the spring horizon on its way! With spring comes what I personally consider one of the most exciting game fish there is "the march of the steelhead". As spring approaches so do warmer temperatures and with warmer temperatures the snow pack will start to melt bringing up the water levels and creating stain in the water. Pictured below are a group of flies that were designed to be fished in high off colored water. When fishing these types of water conditions flies tied with materials such as rabbit, marabou, schlappen and lots of flash will get the attention of these fish! These materials provide alot of eye catching POP for these fish. For those who love nymph fishing remember that xtra large nymphs with a lot of body language are also a must.(sparrows,spey bug, large stones and size 4 hexes just to name a few).

On another note remember that these fish are here to create the next generation sooooo stear clear of there beds fish behind the bedded fish and not on top of them and take note to where you are walking and try to tred light as this will be the fish of the future.

Lastly it must be a sign that the economy is rebounding to a small degree as I have already been booking trips well in to June. Below I have listed the few dates that I have left for March and April with May and June dates coming shortly.(in the next week or so)

The title says it all. My last report being RX for a winter day was the last time I was out so with out a doubt I need a dose of my own medicine! Due to inclimate weather(it is winter though) and a very busy work schedule, I have been unable to fish myself. Not to worry though pictured below is Adam P. I've known Adam for several years now and have been fortunate enough to be able to give him a hand and watch him grow in the fine art of steelhead fly fishing. The student will become the teacher! The other day he said "this past year I spent more time in waders than in my boat"! I just smiled knowing this is a true addiction! Adam reported the fishing right now is consistent with 2-4 hook ups per day. Both fresh run and some aged fish being caught and an occasional brown still in the loop. There are three flies that have been constants this winter the spey bug, hex and clown eggs and you can view all on the fly of the week on my site. With water temps still in the low 30's remember a good presentation,tight to the bottom, work the structure and patience will bring the reward!

The temperatures for the past week or so have been less than desireable for those of us up here in the Upper Peninsula. The last two days however gave a short window of opportunityas the cold and snow are back. So if you have stocked and restocked your fly boxes, read steelhead dreams 20 times over, I hope that you had the chance to enjoy the last couple of days.

Even though we had a substantial warm up, due to all of the ice in the water the water temperatures still remain near freezing. With that being said bottom bouncing as we say was the ticket! All the fish came on clown eggs and hexes.

With cold weather and I say this often, you need to cover all the water. Fish every piece of structure, every depression, absolutely ALL of it. With that being said also remember when indicator fishing(bobber) the importance of both speed and depth and proper presentation is a must.

One note of safety when the temperatures rise, remember the ice melts. The reason I bring this up is I had two different near misses with two large ice flows. So as we near spring just keep your eyes open!

With the way the weather has been going these past few weeks that is exactly what it feels like a roller coaster. One day it is 40 dgrs and the next day its 20 dgrs. With anchor ice shelf ice and all other kinds of ice one day and a sunburn the next. With these types of weather changes including barometric pressure which I am a firm beliver in it has made the fishing a bit spotty. Water temeratures are hovering right around freezing or slightly above. The BIG bug bite is still the ticket with a few egg patterns producing on occasion. Also keep in mind the swung flie not dredging the bottom with it but keeping it in the bottom third of the water column. Steelhead rarely drag there stomachs on the ground but in this cold they do lay low and in and around structure and as you can see in the bottom 2 pictures by (Adam P) for the patient angler who pays his dues and thouroughly fishes his water there is and are fish present!

Since it is the 1st of a New Year I saw it fitting to give it a happy New Year title even though ice ice baby or Brrrrrrrrrr is a more fitting title. The last week more so has seen some very cold temperatures with single digits in the nightime and low to mid twenties during the day also bringing water temps to freezing or real close. With these drops in temps we have seen a great deal of anchor ice on the river systems, this also slows the fish down considerably or just pushes them right out. I will say that inspite of the weather we have still been averaging 4/5 hook ups a day and with this weather I'll take it. The swung flie is non-existant as there is ice flow now and the egg bite is minimal. Big insects HEXES (bears hex pictured on flie of week) the no-name (fly of week several weeks ago) have been doing the majority of the work. Pick the deep water in any given run and fish it accurately and thoroughly. If all else fails put your son or daughter on the ice and let them cathch walleye. In the picture below is my middle son Lucas with his and my first walleye through the ice as it was a joint effort or more like a goat rodeo. On a higher note the young man with steelhead in hand and rod in mouth is Brandon. Brandon has been putting in the time and it has now been rewarded. This is his first steelhead ever and it was done with a flyrod. His comment was I am really hooked!! The last photo that I thought was a cool pic is Billy The MAD STEELHEADER on the ice wall just to show how cold its gotten how fast!

People say that a winter steel header has perhaps a screw loose, is nuts and that no fish is worth it. Well for those of us that do this(winter fishing for steelhead) that is far from the truth! The weather is here and it is fantastic! Lots of snow and a little windy with the water being 35 degrees all these things come together to make a winter trip. The fishing has been hit and miss over the last week. We have seen double digit days then a few days later 1 or maybe 2 hook-ups. On the days that were not as productive, I went out of the norm and started targeting the less appealing and guess what? Every now and then BANG a fish to be had! Bottom line look hard and understand and know how to read the water and look for structure or small cut in the bank. Be patient, stealthy and fish throughly and the reward is there! A few eggs are working but hexes,stones,a few caddis,the No Name and the GLP have all been doing the most work. Check out my fly of the week to see the No Name and the GLP.

I of course always like to see more fish like the ones pictured below but I am referring to our current and coming weather. The snow is once again on its way along with air temperatures in the low 20s at night to the low to mid 30s during the day which is for sure more like it for this time of the year! As the water temps cool off the fish that are ever present will start to slow as well. So fish the seams and around and behind any structure you can find as these fish are looking for a way to spend the least amount of energy as possible. Egg flies are working a bit but the bug bite has been the HOT ticket as of late. By bugs I mean stones, large caddis, hexes and antron bugs. This leads to the flie of the week. The young man in the picture is Adam and has taken to fly fishing over the past few years. He took one of my spey flies, the spey bugger and he asked me to change a few things. Well at first I did not want to cahnge the fly but Adam wanted to use this fly with dead drift as a super lrg nymph and belive me I belive he struck gold as this fly which has no name as of now has been doing some serious damage.(in a good way)

If you will go to the fly of the week page you will see this contraption and a recipie to tie it.

Things have started to heat up here in the U.P. After what was for me a tremendous lull in the fishing action things have started to turn around. With the Caddis Shack located in the south central Upper peninsula we tend to fish the Lake Michigan tribs more than the Lake Superior waters a little more but with the fishing being a bit tough over the last few weeks we started to venture up to the Superior water and with good sucess. After somr time well spent we put some more time back in a little closer to home and again game on. Over the past 3 or 4 days the bite has been solid with the top producing flies being Hex in sizes 6/8 and my version of Ray Schmidts STS bugger in sizes 6-10. I will be putting up my version of the STS bugger under the fly of the week but you can go to schmidtoutfitters.com and see the origional version for yourself. There has been alot of time put in as of late and the two previous flies have done ALL the work. We will be having a bit of a cold snap coming up but I suppose that we have just been fortunate as it is late November and it is the Upper Peninsula.

With November almost over and December upon I have just a few remaining dates left before our NEW year starts.

Its the old saying we have all heard it before. You should have been here yesterday or You should have been here last week. I dont say it often but it has been a tough past week or so. Fishing has been a bit tough with very few fish brought to the net. I will say this though they are there not in huge numbers such as last year but they are there. You need to put in your time and dont fish the water fast or be off in a hurry to your (great spot). Fish all the water with great care be sure to have a good drift when swinging flies be sure to cover all the depths dont assume anything the fish are there you need to put in your time. I had the oppurtunity to take both of my sons out in the last couple of days and I could see the growing frustation in there faces at the end of the day and I reminded them that its called fishing not catching. Telling them that you have to put in your time and reminding them that I do this because I love it and so appreciate what GOD has given me.

The patterns that have provided a few fish are smaller black stones sizes 10/12 and of course egg patterns. Remember though to use egg patterns that have a washed out look as the salmon run has been all but over for a little while now so the eggs have started to pale or wash out.

This fall salmon,steelhead and lake run brown season started off a bit slower than last season as we were fighting some serious low water levels here in the U.P. We have now had some much needed rain over the past two weeks and things are starting to wind up! As a matter of fact it could be a replay of last season which was a banner year. I will say that the browns are also showing up in some serious force with fish in the high teens and a few in the 20s, some of the largest Ive seen. The hot tickets have been clown eggs in various colors but the eggs tied with a large amount of chartreuce and orange have been the hottest! Other patterns that have brought fish to the net are black stones, hexes and of course caddis. (rock worm)( sizes 6,8 and 10)

As many of us are what I shall call seasoned fisherman wether it be with a fly rod or spinning rod, artificial or live bait I will still say we have or are becoming seasoned fisherman. I had the oppurtunity to fish with a young man(ripe old age of 10) and to watch this child tie into what many of us may consider a crusty ole salmon I must say that I had forgotten how much joy that these old fish can still bring to someone. Nick was so excited to land this tired old giant and I must say extremely happy and a great feeling of accomplishment. I guess what I am trying to say is it took a child to help remind me that it is not just about the largest steelhead or the freshest fish it is about happiness and thanking GOD for all that he has given us even if is just an old SALMON!

Christopher here. I just wanted to put up guided flyfishing availability through December as October filled up sooner than I anticipated and November is already 40% full so here we go!

If you are looking for a date that is not posted always check first befor deciding against a trip as this time of year I have a great amount of flexability in my schedule. Many people over look December but between November and December with good weather these can be some of the most productive times on the water.

I hope the fall migration is treating you all fairly. I have had several oppurtunities to get out over the past week and all I can say is wow is it dry. As I am a guy who loves to swing flies I need some decent moving water and right now it is tough to find. For those of you who can find a little water spey buggers have been working well for me in black. (over the next day or so I will post in fly of the wek a step by step of the spey bugger as several people have inquired on how to tie this fly). Now if you are indicator fishing the pools the hot ticket seems to be hex nymphs,rockworm(caddis) and do not forget about clown eggs tied small due to low clear water. On a good note there is a cold front moving in that might just bring a little rain with it!

Christopher with the Caddis Shack here. As Fall is upon us I could not think of a better title than Final Chapter. As the morning sun came upon us it was quite telling it was going to be a fantastic ending to our trout season as it is time to start in pursuit of the BIG fish. I rapped up my trout season with a fine Gentleman by the name of Steve from Casper Wy. As fall always proves to be a good time for any self proclaimed streamer fisherman this morning was no differant. The fishing has been good with Zoo Cougars, Madonnas, ICKs and Partridge and orange and Hornbergs producing fair numbers of fish. Although water levels are still trying to recover the water temperatures themselves have come down to around the low 60s. Even though trout fishing for myself has ended as it is time to start persuing the big fish(steel,LR browns etc) there is still plenty of time for some good trout fishing well into October weather permitting. Keep your eyes peeled for BWOs and Caddis and again dont forget about streamers.

My Fly Fishing shop was established in 2007 as I saw the need for a quality Fly Fishing shop in the central U.P. of michigan. I have so enjoyed seeing product sales, guided fly fishing trips and web-site interest sky rocket over the years. Inspite of all the good that has happened it saddens me greatly to let you all know that I will be closing the retail side of my Fly Fishing business. After making a very poor business decision(choice of partener) things have come about that I am ultimately in the end responsible for and at this time I can not recover from. As certian situations came about over the past month I have tried very hard to recover but I can not.

However with that being said I am going back to basics in other words were this all started for me just as a guide as this part of my services has grown tremendously. My web-page will continue to operate with minimal changes. I will continue to sit on the Escanaba River Association board of directors as this is my home water and a great group of guys who are dedicated to the river and its inhabitants. With this being said I would like to say thank you so much to all the support that I have received over the years and I look forward to continue to support this industry in any capacity that I may in the future!

After what has been said to be the hottest summer on record the last week has brought us some much cooler temperatures and I might say that they are welcomed. The heat that has been upon us has slowed the trout action down to a crawl but for the angler that is willing to stay out a little past his bed time or wiilling to get up well befor the sunrise the rewards are there. I have not seen alot of fish but the few that are being caught are large. Stone flies and caddis are the hot ticket right now with stones(stimmys) doing well in sizes 6-10 and a wide range of caddis from size 14 all the way down to size 20 in the little blacks. Another productive way is to rip streamers like Zoo Cougars, Nut Crackers through the surface film with a strip strip pause style with many of the takes coming during the pause.

With that being said during these dog days of summer dont forget about the warm water fish such as pike and bass that will provide you with alot of fun when the trout fishing is down.

The title says it all for those of you that await this areas last BIG mayfly hatch the Ephron. This hatch which typically starts to show itself around the second week in August has started a few weeks early which has been the norm this year. They started coming off in droves six nights ago and will last around ten days or so. We have recently had some good rain bringing water levels up and water temperatures down. The fishing has been a bit tough with the recent fluctuations in temperatures and levels but for the persistant one there are rewards. Along with the ephrons look for some stones and caddis as these flies are still around in good numbers.

The scorching temperatures continue with very little relife in the future. There have been a series of little pop corn storms popping up here and there giving us a little relife but not much. I have taken to to fishing at night or in the very early morning hours.and the rewards are plentiful. Below is pictured Eric J a local guy ,business owner and freind who has taken to fly fishing this year and has become quite accomplished in a short period of time. We were chased off the river early this evening due to lightning but not befor Eric was able to land this 20 1/2 inch brown(taped) on a size 8 golden stone. (last weeks fly of the week) Just prior to this he had one on that was larger yet and due to what I belive was bad instruction(mine) he broke off. Big Stones,stimmys and streamers are the choice for late night hunts and are proving well.

Hot is an understatement as of right now. With heat indexes rising into the 90s almost daily along with little relife at night water temps are reaching dangerous levels that are not suitable for our trout. However if you are going tobrave the heat best results will come from fishing in the late evening hours or very early morning hours.(start at 4 a.m. or so) Fish the faster runs and the deeper pockets the deeper the better. Flies that are popping now are Stones,lt cahills,caddis(blk sz 18-20 are hot) but all caddis are around and dont forget about ants and some tricos. Nymphing is also productive with these HOT temps so use a bead head and get it down deep and fast. To all who are going to be in the area dont forget about the Escanaba River Associations summer picinic.(July 28th 2pm-?)

1. If you dont already you might pinch the barbs on your hooks it helps with quick releases

3.If you need to handle those fish for pictures or whatever be very patient with the release. So often people will put the fish back prematurely and the fish will belly up further down stream so please be patient.

Again here I sit trying to force several days into a couple of paragraphs. Its been very busy with clients and real outdoors TV over the last couple of days just trying to squeeze a day into our schedule to get out and fish for ones self. But we did manage (Will, Todd and myself ) to get out and slay a couple of fish. Lt cahills are in bloom along with a wide variety of caddis, bwos and a great crop of stones. We have had a great amount of rain the last couple of days and have thunder storms expected for the next several days as well.

I wanted to make you all aware that the Escanaba River Association has a wonderful cabin that is right on the river and is available to use for the evening or weekend or longer for a donation of 15.00 per night per occupant. In order to use this you must be a member of the ERA which is quite inexpensive (25.00 for all, 15.00 for seniors and 15.00 for students) per year. Below are several pictures of the cabin and the inside and I say again quite inexpensive when all things are considered.

Hello to all, I know it has been a couple of days since last report but we have been extremely busy with our guide service. I had the opportunity to fish with Brian of Real Outdoors T.V. the other evening and was asked by him the question of what was your driving force behind your desire to fly fish and why is is so passionate. There are many reasons such as the environment on which the trout thrive,the art of casting, the catching of trout on your own flies but without a doubt, the tug-is-the-drug. We have just gone through a hot spell with very little rain but last night we received a little break with temps dipping into the low 30s and cool temps the next few days. The major hatches right now are caddis(many little blacks 18-20),cahills,bwos and stones.

Spent the day on the river with my business partner and all around good egg Will, aka(Winston) and my oldest son David, the jedi fisherman in training. We took off to some Escanaba river tribs to get out of the sun and into much cooler water. As you can see by the pictures the day was a great success, not only to be among family and friends but to see my son David start to come into his own. Water temps were in the 50s and when you could see the sun through the canopy there was a blue bird sky. A mixed bag of insect life was out and about with it caddis,cahills and a couple of drakes were available as well. Another thing that was quite effective was a madonna streamer tied in olive or white in size 8, the brookies couldn't get enough! This weeks forecast is calling for sun and temps in the 70s-80s.

Well I guess Im getting just what I asked for! Rain and cooler much cooler temps. The major hatches(brown drakes, Lt cahills, caddis, stones golden and bwos) are still moving along just at a much slower rate due to the low temps,wind and rain. But as you can see, still managing to grab a fish or two. Keep in mind that if you are not from this area and are planning a trip up here we are about 3 or so weeks ahead of hatch schedules. On another note the new shop is doing very well and we have sold out of many things early but dont fear another large shipment of inventory is on its way(rods,reels,lines,leaders etc.) Below are also a couple pictures of a client and friend Mark and his daughter Molly. Pictures prove this isnt just a guys sport!

Much needed rainfall has been upon us for several days but we are in need of more. As for our float trips, from here on out we are wading them out due to low water levels. We are booked for the first part of June but still have dates for the later part of June which are as follows June 17,18,21,25 and the 29th. The fishing along with bumper crop hatches are going great right now with the big brown drake approaching peak and I anticipate it winding down by the end of the week. Until next time God Bless and safe wading.