Favorite type of water

[Steve]

What is your favorite type of water to fly fish? Myself I prefer a medium sized stream like the Little Manistee or Bear Creek. The big ones can get just too tough to wade at times, while the smaller ones can be frustrating with all the "tree trout". The holy water streatch of the AuSable is also an example of what I'd call perfect water.

[jnpcook]

I prefer the smaller to medium sized trout streams with knee to waist deep water and slow to medium currents. I also prefer a stream with a lot of bends versus one with a lot of straight sections (I find I can read the water a lot better on small windy streams). Some of my favorite streams are Paint Creek (close to home), the Manistee (near Deward), the Pigeon, and the Pere Marquette (although the current is a little too fast for my liking while wading upstream).

[Steve]

JNP, Paint Creek is one of my favorites too. Don't get there as much as I used to though. Are you a member of the CVTU? Some of the stretches near and around Silver Bell are so nice its unbelievable. Every time I go there its depressing though, as there's usually another 500,000 house built right on the creek.

[jnpcook]

Steve,

No I am not a member of CVTU (but probably should be). Yes I agree with you on the depressing developments that have taken place along the creek. I usually fish the stretch from Tienken road up to the first or second house along the creek. I am not sure what they are building but last summer they had the parking area at Tienken road all torn up for building something (probably another high income subdivision).Hopefully the creekside development will slow down. I don't like fishing near the houses because with the creek being so narrow I feel like I am in someone's back yard.

[Steve]

I know what you mean about the houses but I fish behind them anyway. The creek and the fish were there a long time before the houses. BTW isn't there already some apartments at Tienken road?

[jnpcook]

Steve, Yes there are some apartments (Kings Cove) but that is just downstream from where I start fishing (I start at the first railroad crossing (Paint Creek trail) upstream of Tienken Road. There are some decent holes in this area and I never get skunked here any more. I also have a nice hole I plan on returning to this year where I broke off the largest trout I have ever hooked in the creek (guestimating it to have been around 15" or more). That hole is between Dutton and Silverbell roads. Hope the fish is still there this year.

[Steve]

I caught this fish

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/logs/paint_creek_pic/paint-ck-trout.jpg

In the area that you speak of. Actually a little upstream of there. Caught it in September actually. I bet your fish is still there. A couple of years ago I got ahold of something opening day that took off with everything. Some people say that some steelies from the Clinton are making it up that far. Makes you wonder....

Of course I wasn't fly fishing at the time, just learning how to catch trout, so it probably doesn't belong here in this forum...

[This message has been edited by Steve (edited 01-24-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Steve (edited 01-24-2000).]

[jnpcook]

Wow, that is a great fish Steve. Were you using garden hackle or something like a small mepps, rooster tail, or panther martin spinner? I have thought about trying spin fishing on Paint Creek to see how I did but since I started fly fishing I really enjoy it and it probably comprises about 90-95% of my summertime fishing efforts.

[Steve]

It was garden hackle, first thing in the morning right after a big rain storm. I use flies there for the most part now, and usually catch fish, but have never outdone that fish. Don't get there as often as I like anymore as I have moved further away. 10 years or so ago, I almost lived in that creek.