Learning the way of the Spey

Spent the last two nights after work trying to get the hang of Spey casting on the Cheboygan River. Last night, the first with the new double - handed rod, was awkward but I made a few casts where the fly actually landed out beyond where I could have thrown it. Actually, I got it down where I had a few feet of running line out in addition to the shooting head. I was tossing a big conehead bugger, and just letting it swing with the current. The weather was mild, about 36 degrees. I fished the bend just below the tissue plant. I spoke with one other fisherman... I recognized him as a local but I don't know him... who said it was the first night he'd been skunked and he'd fished a lot lately. So the fish are there.

Tonight I went out on a follow up, and waded further downstream, behind Mariner's Village. The wind was stiff, straight up river out of the north, and carried a driving snow that accumulated about four inches during the day. Tonight I tossed a single - egg fly  with a hex nymph as a dropper. I don't know if I was getting deep enough, even with the 7 - inch / second leader. Anyway, the casting got a bit easier (I spent a chunk of time last night watching pros Spey cast via YouTube). I spoke with some guys using spawn and bobbers. They landed two small fish and lost a monster. More importantly, I wasn't the only one stupid enough to be out there on such a nasty night.

Tossing Spawn on the Lower Huron

Took a quick drive down to Lower Huron Metropark to see what the steelhead fishing might be like. I didn't have a lot of time so I pretty much took the first turn-off near the river that I came to and parked. Temp showed 26 degrees and there was about four inches of fresh fluffy snow on the ground. The river here is broad and very deep. I tried to wade (duck hunting neoprenes, of course) but couldn't get more than five feet from shore. I tossed a spawn bag below a float with a few split shot for balast. I ended up walking a beat up and down the fishing deck that spans the width of the parking area, probably about fifty feet long. I'd walk to the upstream end, cash out into the current, then follow the float to the lower end. Even with ten feet of line below the bobber, I wasn't finding the bottom consistently. Nice because few snags, but with the temps this cold I figured I'd almost have to hit a bottom - hugging fish in the head to get a strike. I fished for about an hour, chipping ice from the guides on every cast. Watched flights of geese cruise the river and several resident mallards were raising a fuss. I saw an otter run down the far bank but didn't get the camera out in time.