The Pere Marquette it’s almost in too good of shape this summer. With a lot of rain and cooler water temperatures over the past couple of months the river is at a nice height and has really good color to the water. July is the month of looking up. Hex’s should be going all over the state as I write this article. If you have never experienced sitting on a river in the middle of the dark waiting for the biggest of may flies to fill the sky. It’s a must, at least once for a fly angler. It’s awesome. Sometimes there are just so many bugs that it sounds like the buzzing of power lines. Don’t worry they don’t bite. The trout though love to bite them. When the Hex is on, it can be some of the easiest, yet hardest fly fishing you will ever do. Easy because the fish can get quite stupid with such an easy meal all around them, hard because your fishing in the dark. No lights just the midnight sky and your big Hex spinner floating to that gulper sitting next to that log. When the line goes tight, the question is, “did I get the fish or the log?”
With warmer temperatures during the day, hoppers and other types of terrestrial insects start showing themselves in the heat of summer. The trout action on the surface starts to heat up. This is one of my favorite times of year to guide on the Pere Marquette River. Just a great way to spend a beautiful warm day floating down the river smashing foam at the banks. Twitch, twitch those rubber legs and wait for it. Don’t go light on your tippet though, this is the one river you have a chance to get a twenty incher in the middle of the day.
For flies, have an assortment of hopper’s, crickets, ant’s, and beetles. Don’t forget a few Damsel flies for that fish that just appears along the bank slamming dunking one in mid air. Another great way to hunt for big fish on the Pere Marquette River is in the dark with large rodents. Fish large mice type flies along its grassy banks. Try gurgling them, waking them, or stripping them for aggressive toilet bowl takes, that will make you jump out of your waders.
Fly fishing in July on the Pere Marquette can be as thrilling as a firework show. Pack the headlamp and a lot of mosquito spray and give it a shot. For up-to-date reports check out outfittersnorth.com. Good luck and tight lines.