| 4/18/2008 8:30:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Fishing the Rogue River. Many anglers find their favorite spots along the Rogue in March and April when the steelhead make their annual spawning run upstream. |
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| Indy photographer Paul Chicklon shows that he is not only good with a camera, but with bait and a reel. |
| | Scouting the Rogue | By Paul Chicklon
Indy Photographer
Following church service on Sunday, Jim Lyon asked if I would like to accompany him to scout out potential spots for steelhead fishing. Jim is a local guide on the Rogue River and has had two articles recently written about him in "Field and Stream" and "Michigan Out-of-Doors" magazines. I decided to tag along with Jim for the afternoon, deciding it was probably healthier then laying on the couch consuming a one-pound bag of potato chips while watching my 10th game of basketball on TV.
If you are an avid fly fisherman you might want to plug your ears. Jim has perfected a method of fishing for steelhead by using a bobber and feathered jig with three wax worms attached to the jig. He floats the jig through slow-moving water hoping for a strike. Jim said he had an idea where the steelhead might be holing up, so we headed there with plans to move to another location if things didn't work out. Jim knows the Rogue River like the back of his hand so if steelhead are anywhere near, Jim will find them.
"I've lived here for 35 years and have been fishing for 30," said Jim. "I know the Rogue River. It is just like being in my own back yard. I love the challenge of finding the fish. A lot of people walk right by where they are at."
After a short hike through the woods we reached our destination. Jim told me to throw my jig into a deep hole while he finished setting up his pole and line. On my first cast I hooked up with a beautiful female steelhead. With some helpful tips from Jim, I landed the first fish of the day. If we had packed up and left, I would have been completely satisfied. However, Jim had not even had a chance to put his line in the water, so we continued to fish the rest of the afternoon. Jim succeeded in landing three nice steelhead.
Now that Jim is retired he enjoys the extra time he has for his favorite hobby. "This seven mile stretch of the Rogue River is very popular for fishing," Jim continued. "The steelhead make it to the Rockford Dam and can't go any higher up the river, they're up here to spawn in the spring."
Jim does admit that his favorite time to fish in the Rogue is in November and December. He said that this spring has been exceptionally tough with winter holding on so strong and the constant flooding.
All in all we had a very successful afternoon catching fish, along with chatting with other fishermen.
Anyone using Jim as a guide is sure to have a wonderful experience on the Rogue. Jim can be contacted at (616) 874-8667.
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A river runs through it - fishing on the Rogue
Jeannie Gregory
Editor
One of Rockford's most beautiful assets has to be the rolling waters of the Rogue River. The Rogue, the Grand River's only large cold-water tributary, is 42 miles long and boasts a drainage basin of 234 square miles.
The river was very important to Rockford throughout the 1800s and the turn of the century due to the lumber industry, with logs coming down the river to be shipped to the ever-expanding country. The Rogue lent its endless energy for power to the quiet hamlet in its early years. The river also enticed businesses to build along its banks, including the now world-known footwear giant Wolverine World Wide, Inc.
The Rockford Dam was built to restrain the water within the city, and now sports the beautiful Peppler Park, resplendent with landscaping, fountains, flowers and a gazebo. But, the Rockford Dam - and the famous river that cascades over its confines - is a bigger draw for fishing enthusiasts from, not only the area, but throughout the country.
The Rogue River is the perfect setting for fishing. Whether an angler fly fishes or uses a rod or reel, the Rogue is the place to go. The Rogue boasts a large population of mayflies, hatches and sulphurs, so the river is teeming with tasty morsels for the migrating steelhead.
The warmer weather and longer days bring one thing to mind for the migratory steelhead - it is time to spawn. The same combination brings a different goal to the men and women who handle the poles. It is their ultimate goal to catch the trout in the rolling waters of the Rogue River.
"A steelhead is nothing but a rainbow trout with travelin' on his mind," according to Joel Vance of "Outdoor Guide Magazine." "The fish hang out in the large waters of Lake Michigan until the ice thaws and they start their journey to the moving rivers to lay their offspring in gravel stream bed riffle. Since the breed are not semelparous, they live to spawn another day. This annual trek by steelhead to their favorite nesting place is the stuff dreams are made of for anglers, whose top goal is to catch the journeying fish.
The fish grow quite large and are well-known for their feisty attitudes. Which is why they are a favorite of fans of fishing. Picture a trout on steroids and you have the general idea of how strong and large a steelhead is. Great Lakes steelhead can grow up to be up to 10 times larger than their brother trout.
These facts make fishermen (and women) drool as they fly fish or drop their shiners into the moving waters in an attempt to catch one of these beauties.
Glen Blackwood of Great Lakes Fly Fishing, Co. makes a living off of helping others pursue the joys of fishing. Blackwood owns a 2,500 square-foot retail store in Algoma Center teeming with everything a fishing enthusiast would need to catch the big one. Blackwood, host of PBS' "Fly Fishing with Glen Blackwood," also guides enthusiasts on the surrounding rivers.
According to Blackwood, "Mother Nature kept her icy grip on Michigan and it was April before the fish started to show." Blackwood has been a professional for 20 years and has been teaching on the Rogue for 13.
"There are a few things that make the Rogue River a favorite fishing spot," said Blackwood. "One is its location. It is the southernmost river to fish in. The Grand is very difficult to wade in and the Rogue is a smaller, more intimate river. Due to its location it is very accessible for a large population, it is the first good quality river that is close to Lansing."
"For me fishing is nothing more than an excuse to go to the river," he said. "The Rogue is therapeutic whether you are canoeing, walking or fishing. And if you are fortunate enough to catch some fish, that's great. It gives you an escape and it stimulates your tactile senses."
Blackwood encourages anglers to try their luck during the steelhead run. "This is a time of the year that offers a great opportunity to catch some of the biggest fish in the Rogue during the year. It is always fun to see what the river will give you."
You can find more information about Blackwood and Great Lakes Fly Fishing Co. at the Web site located at www.troutmoor.net.
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