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  While I want to say that fishing continues to be good, it has moved back into more typical winter mode.  There continues to be good flow, but the  water is gin clear and the temp has dropped into the mid thirties.  As we experienced, you can fish for some time with just a little action, only to be awakened by a flurry of hook ups in a short time.   Thankfully there are plenty of fish around, you just have to be diligent in your presentation.  Both fly fishing and float fishing continue to be productive.  Don't be afraid to lighten up on your leader or tippet in order to get bit.  
   
     Paul and Micah joined me for an afternoon of steelhead fishing the Muskegon.  Father and son,
both are long time friends and Newaygo residents so we had a good time telling stories and catching up.   Fishing started off slow as I mentioned earlier, but we ended with a flurry.  Paul hadn't float-fished in a while, but didn't take long to remember the program.  Micah didn't have much float fishing experience, but he worked at it, and ended up catching our last few fish of the day.  Here's a picture of the guys with the one fish I got a picture of before the battery in my camera gave out. 

    Had a great post Christmas fish with my new centerpin enthusiast brother Chad.  Sunny and upper 30's, coupled  with co-operative fish and good conversation made for a fun morning.  The water is at a nice fisheable level, but quite clear.  A stealthy presentation is paramount.
    When I told Chad, an avid fly fisherman,  that centerpin fishing is just indicater fishing on steroids, he took to the technique like a pro.  With a short tutorial and a little instruction, he was making good casts and excellent drifts in no time at all.
    The trout bite was exceptional, and Chad brought a number of very healthy browns and rainbows to hand.   The native river population seems to be in great shape.  A few nice steelhead topped off our morning and we headed home to keep the wives happy.   I'm not positive, but I think that a new centerpin outfit will be on the top of Chad's Christmas list for next year.

Here are a few of our fish from today.
Nathan

    Got to spend this afternoon with Paul, long time friend and local legend.  As you can see from the pictures, steelhead in all of  their different color phases are available at this time.  From chrome bullet hens to deeply colored males, and the numerous trout that we caught, it was a regular smorgasborg out on the river today.  While most folks get excited catching fresh chrome fish, the beautiful river rainbow colored males like the one in the center picture hold a special place in my heart.  The winter fishery that we have on the Muskegon is  truly world class.
    I'll be off the river for a few days doing family Christmas things, but will be back at it next week.  Get out on the river if you get a chance over the holidays.  While the land is kind of blah absent the snow, there's a lot of  color to be had in the ripples.
 
Merry Christmas,
Nathan

They are still here, so should you be!   Steelhead fishing remains strong during the mild December weather that we are having.  Water levels are up above 2000 cfs and holding around 40 degrees, perfect conditions for most varieties of fishing.  Steelhead have moved toward their winter holding lies, but the warmer water has them still roving about into their feeding lanes.  All of our precipitation has been coming in the form of rain, and each push of water has brought a new push of steelhead up from the lake.  Pictured is one of a few fish I had the pleasure of playing with on a short venture yesterday afternoon.

Hey everyone,
    What a great fall run it was.  Thanks to everyone who helped to make this one a fall to remember.  Great days on the water with  long time friends (and many new) makes what I do enjoyable and worth while.  As many of the pictures below attest, the fishing was pretty outstanding as well.  
    Currently, water temps remain in the low 40's, unusually warm for this time of year and the steelhead are still very active.  Some have moved into their traditional winter spots, but many are still roving about in the harder water in search of food. The rain that we have received has brought a continuous surge of fish in from the lake.  The number of fish in the river system is tremendous, we are still seeing chrome fish daily and should have great fishing throughout the winter months.  As the weather allows, there should be real opportunity for some big number days.  
    
    The holidays are a great time to get out on the water and enjoy fishing with friends and family.  If any of you have an itch to get before winter sets in, we have days available.  We are offering a winter half day (4-5 hour) special for $200, and a Trip Gift Certificate makes a great Christmas gift.

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