Header image
Enter a name
Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana
Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Roguerat has attached these 3 pictures to this report. The message is below.
A view downstream from our campsite...I woke up to this every morning!
Upstream, lots of wood...
Upstream again, even more wood.

Report at a Glance

General RegionBenzie Co, MI
Specific LocationUpper Platte above Honor, MI
Dates Fished6/30- 7/4, 2014
Time of Day6-10 am, 6-10 pm
Fish Caughtsmall Browns
Conditions & Hatchesmixed weather through the week- sunny, partly cloudy, cloudy with showers, consistent high humidity and low 80's, consistent small BWO's (sz 22), intermittent Light Cahills (sz 14)

Details and Discussion

Roguerat
Roguerat's profile picture
Posts: 456
Roguerat on Jul 6, 2014July 6th, 2014, 5:25 pm EDT
I spent most of a week on the Upper Platte, above Honor, MI. A very woody stream, lots of sweepers, spooky trout (averaged 1-2 caught per outing). Beautiful stream, 'Rustic' camping, and NO cell-phone service...couldn't ask
for more!
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Jul 6, 2014July 6th, 2014, 8:34 pm EDT
Nice!

Rogue...I have family just down 115 a bit. Evart, Marion, Bear Lake, Luther. One of these days you and I should explore your streams together. Ever fish the Jordan?

Used to have a little fun with the Benzie girls...Rosy cheeked and corn fed...If you know what I mean. :) Don't want to break their hearts, they can put a serious hurt on you. :)

Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Roguerat
Roguerat's profile picture
Posts: 456
Roguerat on Jul 7, 2014July 7th, 2014, 2:00 am EDT
Spence,

Yeah, I remember a raving young blonde beauty named Jane, we met in Northport (north of Benzie, does close count?) quite by chance but she is still stuck in my mind, always will be I guess...it was 1976 and I was hopelessly in love for a week. Glad my wife doesn't read my posts...

seriously, MICHIGAN'S Platte is a beautiful little jewel of a stream. I'm already planning the next trip north. The Jordan is marked up in my Delorme's,
too, along with a couple dozen more streams in our State!

Mark
Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Jul 7, 2014July 7th, 2014, 4:13 am EDT
The Jordan? If you post any ID requests I may not be able to help. I'm not up on Isreali critters... :)
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
Crepuscular
Crepuscular's profile picture
Boiling Springs, PA

Posts: 920
Crepuscular on Jul 7, 2014July 7th, 2014, 5:41 am EDT
The Jordan? If you post any ID requests I may not be able to help. I'm not up on Isreali critters... :)


Hahaha

I'd be willing to give the corn-fed ones that Sprnce was talking about a gander though.
Roguerat
Roguerat's profile picture
Posts: 456
Roguerat on Jul 7, 2014July 7th, 2014, 5:56 am EDT
Oy, Vay! This is getting out of hand, yet!

See my latest post/reply under Insect ID (the Drunella debate) for some other Michigan river monikers; we've got the Dead River up Marquette way, and the Dead Stream Flooding Area (sounds pretty final, all things considered) but not the Dead Sea.
My favorite is Delirium Swamp, in the eastern UP- I've passed by many times but never stopped to see what the name implied. No offense to da' Yoopers on this site, I'd live 'up there' if I could- God's Country, if you ask me!

It's all good,

Roguerat

I Peter 5:7 'Cast your cares upon Him...'
Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Jul 7, 2014July 7th, 2014, 3:32 pm EDT
Ha! Very good guys... Just having a bit of fun over the funny anomaly present in both topics, Rogue. ;)

"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Jul 7, 2014July 7th, 2014, 4:15 pm EDT
I always thought the first plant was in the Pere Marquette.

Jane, eh? :) Sounds nice. The Benzie girls I remember, though cute, were largish...Hence my "corn-fed" quote. Think Peter Paul Reuben's. A Dutch cousin who knew these girls well...Milk the cows before school in the morning and cuddle with you in a deer blind before the sun goes down. :) If you are lucky enough to bag a buck, she'll clean and haul it out of the woods for you.

Related to the stories told me by JohnW of the PA girls known as Betty, eh...I betcha Eric may have a few as well.

Spence

"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Jul 7, 2014July 7th, 2014, 4:24 pm EDT
How do you know a dutchman? He has a weak chin, a van der in his name, and beer, cheese, or chocolate breath...:)I resemble that remark.

Sorry! Those Dutch girls from the west and the northwest side of the great state of Michigan threw me off course...

I'm getting ready for out-west and just finished tying up some tannish streamers that, in honor of Kelly Galloup, another Michigan Boy, I've named, "The Dutchman Loves Blonds"...:)

Spence

"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Jul 7, 2014July 7th, 2014, 4:24 pm EDT
BTW Rogue, nice photos. That's a pretty little river!
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
Feathers5
Posts: 287
Feathers5 on Jul 8, 2014July 8th, 2014, 5:46 am EDT
Hell, I'm single let's go oook for them.
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Jul 8, 2014July 8th, 2014, 7:52 am EDT
Means of Introduction: The Brown Trout was first imported to the United States in 1883 from Germany and stocked in the Pere Marquette River, Michigan, by the U.S. Fish Commission (Mather 1889; Courtenay et al. 1984). Since then, the species has been stocked in virtually every state. MacCrimmon et al. (1970) gave dates of first stocking in each state. In most regions the species was first stocked in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Texas and Alabama introductions took place after 1970; MacCrimmon et al. (1970) listed no introductions for those states.


Above taken from a USGS.gov document.

If I remember correctly the first batch of eggs sent over were split between MI and someone in NY State.

The Brown was called von Behr here for a very long time to denote its origins and sulkiness. :) It may have been someones name or a place in Germany.

Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Motrout
Motrout's profile picture
Posts: 319
Motrout on Jul 10, 2014July 10th, 2014, 12:19 pm EDT
Sounds like a great trip. I love fishing the streams in that part of MI. Beautiful country.
"I don't know what fly fishing teaches us, but I think it's something we need to know."-John Gierach
http://fishingintheozarks.blogspot.com/
TroutBums
Cincinnati, OH

Posts: 13
TroutBums on Oct 8, 2014October 8th, 2014, 5:33 pm EDT
Interesting information OldredBarn. I have caught rainbows and browns in the Holston River near Bristol, TN . "The first batch of eggs", didn't realize eggs were used to stock the rivers. Always thought trout were used, at least that is all I have ever seen used to stock streams with.

Plus the pics were also mind dreaming triggers. It would be nice to be out right now wetting my line. Thanks for the post
Ted Holcomb
http://TroutBumOutfitters.com
Contact@TroutBumOutfitters.com
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Oct 19, 2014October 19th, 2014, 3:55 pm EDT
You ever hike the Old Indian Trail over that way Roguerat? We hiked it a few days back...Didn't tell my wife, prior to the hike, that this was where they claimed to have seen a Cougar in Michigan...;)

Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Roguerat
Roguerat's profile picture
Posts: 456
Roguerat on Oct 20, 2014October 20th, 2014, 1:01 pm EDT
Nope, I'm not familiar with that trail.

My hiking is pretty limited the last couple years, I took a bad fall in '06 and messed up both heels and ankles...now metal detectors go off the chart when I pass through at the airport or (crap) jury duty.

Wildlife in the Mitten State-

My bro-in-law lives in central Newaygo Co and swears he saw a Cougar some years back. I'm relegated to seeing the occasional coyote, first one I saw passed for a malnourished and mangy German Shepherd...I was @ Old Grade on the Little Manistee, at night they sounded like a chorus of babies crying.
(Western Troutnuts, bear with me on this...no antelope or bison here either except for those in confinement.)

Roguerat

I Peter 5:7 'Cast your cares upon Him...'

TNEAL
GRAYLING. MICHIGAN

Posts: 278
TNEAL on Oct 20, 2014October 20th, 2014, 7:04 pm EDT
I have no doubt we have cougars in Michigan. I know too many very knowledgeable people, including two who have spent their entire lives (65-85) years hunting, fishing, etc. who have seen cougars.
Crepuscular
Crepuscular's profile picture
Boiling Springs, PA

Posts: 920
Crepuscular on Oct 21, 2014October 21st, 2014, 6:00 am EDT
Cougars frighten me...but I suppose that I'll never know what hit me.
Kschaefer3
Kschaefer3's profile picture
St. Paul, MN

Posts: 376
Kschaefer3 on Oct 21, 2014October 21st, 2014, 6:09 am EDT
Cougars frighten me...but I suppose that I'll never know what hit me.

Me too! I wasn't afraid of bears in Montana, but of cougars I was. They are rare, but they exist in northern WI where I fish a lot too. Similar to MI, many say there aren't any.
Millcreek
Healdsburg, CA

Posts: 344
Millcreek on Oct 21, 2014October 21st, 2014, 8:26 am EDT
Cougars frighten me...but I suppose that I'll never know what hit me.

We've got a pretty fair number of cougars here in California. Somewhere between 4000-6000 according to DFW guesstimates. There have been six fatal attacks on humans since 1890, most in recent years, although none since 2007. I've seen tracks fairly often but have only seen one in the wild. Used to work in a bookstore in town and walk home fairly late at night through a rural area after the store closed. Saw one in a horse pasture on a full moon night. Certainly makes you reassess just where you are on the food chain. I'm certain they've seen me more times than I've seen them. Can't say they frighten me but I certainly have a healthy respect for them. Figure I'd be more likely to be hurt or killed by a domestic dog or car than one of them.
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein

Quick Reply

Related Discussions

Topic
Replies
Last Reply
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 (email Jason). privacy policy