Love in the Water

It is the time of year that Mother Earth tells the Brown and Brook Trout, "Time To Spawn".
Naturalists who study the fauna, say it is the length of the day that triggers this behavior. Shorter days, combined with cooler temperatures create the process. It takes about 8 weeks for the trout to prepare for the day in October when they meet on the redds. The egg and milt depositing takes place on the gravel river bed.
Brown Trout spawn in deeper water where fly fishing anglers in their waders fear to go. The Brook Trout in the smaller streams are easy to observe. Watch the gradual change during these next several weeks. The Brook Trout begin to turn bright orange. The males lower jaw begins to hook and their teeth begin to blacken. The plus is that the trout begin to move to breeding areas. They come out in the stream, are reckless and easy to catch. They are the big ones, breeding class, ten inches and above in size. It is this time of the year I have released 60 fish in a  7 hour period.
Last night on the Maple river that orange was noticeable on the larger Brook Trout. The cool of night is sticking to 45-55 F and our days are a comfortable 7O-75 F. The river temperatures are dropping slowly to a high of 60-65 F. For those of us who have good memories, it is much nicer than the stifling 90's F we suffered through last year in August. This year the northern jet stream is locked-in over northern Michigan and all is well. The cool nights return most of the days evaporation in the form of a heavy dew each morning. Rain is in today's forecast but not a lot of precipitation after today.  Cooler temperatures are keeping river levels and temperatures at a safe level.
The trout are active, the bug hatches are spotty, terrestrials are working. Light Cahills, Stoneflies, and Adams are beginning to hatch again and the fishing is great. Those trout who have survived to this date have beaten all odds to procreate...releasing them makes you a part of a trouts circle of life.

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