Outdoor Mysteries

Target Brown Trout with Local Fishing Guide

MYSTERIES It is often said that every fisherman goes through three stages during his or her time on the water. The first phase is to catch as many fish as they can. The second is the biggest, followed by the smartest. Very seldom are the biggest and the smartest fish available at the same time...that is of course, until targeting brown trout after dark. Brown trout are notorious for feeding during the overnight hours. In the blazing Michigan summer sun, they sulk in the By Chris river’s deeper pools, particularly those Zimmerman pools that are protected by a fallen tree. Two or three trees are even better because it offers overhead protection and shade from the sun. While kayakers and canoers, jet boats and sun worshipers do their thing during the day, the biggest, smartest brown trout hide until the sun sets. What draws the big browns out of hiding? Food, of course. In mid-June until the first part of July, Michigan’s largest mayflies (commonly called “hex” flies or “fish flies”) hatch on some of “Bear” and guide Matt Brejcha just below our local rivers. After nightfall, the big Croton Dam. mayflies emerge from mucky portions

Cutline

Mouse flies are remarkably life-like and surprisingly easy to cast.

of the river, offering brown trout a nighttime snack of epic proportions. Most hex flies are over an inch long, not including the tail. They’re packed with protein and it doesn’t take much energy to slurp them off the water’s surface.

That’s where it gets interesting for fly fishermen. Casting a big, hairy fly to a giant fish in pitch black conditions is a challenge like no other. Imagine closing your eyes and casting a fly to the steady sound of a gulping monster. It’s all finesse and touch. When a big brown takes the fly, it turns into a brawl that makes the highlight reel of every fisherman’s dreams.

I’ve nailed some beautiful big brown trout in those instances, including earlier this summer. With the big flies gone, no longer hatching, the biggest, smartest brown trout still like to cruise for food after dark. It’s no mystery what big brown trout like to eat: crawfish, minnows, small birds and mice.

When local fishing guide Matt Brejcha said he would take me “mousing” for browns after dark, I jumped at the chance. Brejcha lives in Stanwood and takes clients fishing on several west Michigan rivers, including the Pere Marquette, Muskegon, and Manistee. The Muskegon is one of the state’s largest, longest rivers and boasts impressive runs of salmon and

steelhead that enjoy excellent spawning conditions on the river’s extensive gravel bars. In the spring and fall, Brejcha targets steelhead and salmon. During the summer months, it’s nighttime trout and daytime smallmouth bass.

In late June, I met Brejcha and his dog, Bear at a Muskegon River boat launch just before dusk. We motored upstream over the gravel in his 18-foot riverboat powered by a massive, jet engine. After a few minutes, we arrived at Croton Dam, where the water gushed out of a cement embankment.

My hopes for a memorable evening on the river were stoked by the occasional trout proposing in the swift current, just downstream of the dam. A smorgasbord of insects fl itted above the water’s surface. As much as I had hoped for a nice trout before nightfall, it didn’t pan out.

As nightfall came over us, the river took on an eerie tone. Th e sounds of motorcycles and children playing on the shore were replaced with reptilian catcalls from green and blue herons. Th ose calls echoed through the hilly, timber lined forest, dotted with cozy cabins. I caught a whiff of a distant bonfi re. Occasionally, we heard the random slurps of trout on the feed.

After tying a mouse fl y to my 7-weight rod, Brejcha was “on the sticks” (oars) and Bear keeping a watchful eye for danger. I fi red the mouse towards shore, large rocks, and downed logs in the inky darkness. Th e idea was to drop the fl y in places where a trout might be lurking.

And it almost worked.

Several times throughout the evening I had a large fi sh swipe at the mouse fl y, but miss. “Th at’s quite common,” Brejcha said. “Th ose big trout don’t always make a connection with your fl y. And the

Big brown trout like this 23-inch specimen are hard to catch on a fl y.

mouse fl ies are quite a mouthful for the smaller trout.”

To be sure, mouse fl ies are quite a mouthful. Th ey’re made from dyed deer hair, have felt ears, and a leather strip tail. I must admit, that if I were a hungry trout, I’d be all over those mice. Th ey’re bite sized, in a jalapeno popper kind of way.

Brejcha says he’s been fi shing the Muskegon since “I’ve been in diapers.” His enthusiasm is contagious, and his knowledge of the river is impressive. He off ered lots of instructions on where to cast as we drifted the edge of the river.

Although I didn’t catch any big browns as I had hoped, it was a fantastic experience and I wouldn’t hesitate to book another trip. Th ose big, smart browns may have gotten the better of me this time, but with summer season coming to a close, I’ll be back.

To book a trout, bass, salmon or steelhead trip with guide Matt Brejcha, call 231.660.3951.

Chris Zimmerman is a Canadian Lakes resident and the author of six Michiganbased mysteries. Have an outdoorsy story idea for the Canadian Laker? Send an email to: Chris@chriszimmermaninsurance.com, or search for him on Facebook: Michigan Author Chris Zimmerman

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