Huron River report for weekend of Feb 23-25th

[gunrod]

I had to work this weekend but I am off for Monday and Tuesday. I was looking for anyone who got to go out and fish the Huron. The DNR report says that some Steelies are beginning to show up.

Is the water high? Were there fish starting to move over the coffer dam? Was anyone landing any fish? What were they biting on?

Any info would be appreciated. I am trying to figure out if I should just spend the two days at the tying vise or fish.

Thanks

[Woolybugger]

I was out last week down river from the dam in Flat Rock. There were about a dozen guys fishing with spawn bags in the park but I didn't see anyone catch anything.

Any ideas about this week? The Huron flow rates are three times normal at Milford and Ann Arbor. Will this give us an early run or just muddy water?

[kroppe]

Fished at Flat Rock below and above the weir. About 8-12 anglers. The guy I was next to said he landed a nice piece o'steel 10 minutes before I got there. He didn't say how big. I asked others around how it was going and they all said that the guy I was standing next to was the only one who caught a fish.

Water is down several feet, but still several feet above normal. The west bank at HuRoc park is 1 foot underwater, but the breakwall on the east bank is pretty fishable. I was in a pretty good groove roll casting a PM wiggler nymph as a point fly with an orange yarn egg as a dropper. I was casting into the foam at the the weir and drifting down about 20 yards, then picking up and doing it again.

Unfortunately I tangled lines with some other guys a few times, but everyone was patient and good natured with each other. I did get to check out what other people were using it was almost 100% artificial flies, with various versions of Chuckie Duckie.

The wind was hellacious, and of all things I forgot my gloves. Plus my handwarmer was wet from Saturday's donwnpour and wouldn't work properly. Good thing the temps were in the upper 30's or I would have had to bail out. My casting hand stayed warm from the exercise but my stripping hand got a little chilly.

Things are looking good. Fish are steadily coming in. Now some nice 45 degree days for the anglers and we'll be cooking with gas!

[gunrod]

They have to be up soon. The only good thing is that it gives me more time at the vise.

The weather says that it is going to be cold for another week but no more rain. If the weather would just break and maintain in the forties and get the water temperature up. If that happens we won't be able to get our lines in the water fast enough.

The fish have to be staging at the mouth down by Pte. Mouillee waiting for the right temp.

[YPSIFLY]

I was down there last Tuesday when the fish turned on around noon. I saw five landed in the space of an hour above the coffer dam. All fish looked fairly fresh from the lake. From what I have been told, you have to hit them on the nose with your offering.

[Woolybugger]

I was out this morning at Huroc park, only place I saw anyone fishing between the park and Lake Erie. About a dozen guys fishing with streamers and spawn sacks. One guy caught a real nice steelie but that was all the action I saw. He caught the fish just upstream from the footbridge but I think he hooked it right under the bridge.
I tried fishing with brown and black woolly buggers and a couple other streamers. Casting into the foam under the footbridge and stripping as I went downstream, another guy was doing the same on the other side. I also tried a couple of areas between the footbridge and the big dam but didn't see anything there.
Anyone have any luck with any other patterns? Am I fishing the right place? I might need to weight my line with a couple of split shots.