Michigan for Steelhead? or Just a Good Story?

Joey, Leland and I decided a few months ago that we were going to travel out to Michigan for a long weekend of steelhead fishing on the Pere Marquette, we would take Joey's boat and float for 2 days and wade for a half day o the third day, getting us home just in time to sleep a little before work. Well all went as planed until we finished the first day and not a single steelhead in the boat, lots of small wild trout, but no steelhead. After talking to a few people, the story was the same, low, clear water, and no fish. Needless to say our spirits were a bit low that night, heading to the only place in town to eat, burnt burgers and warm beer... yeah it was time to just cut our losses and head to bed.

We woke up the next morning, after a lot of discussion on where to fish, we were in route to the Big Manistee River, new river, more water, and a full string of steelhead be carried up the boat launch by a local, yup it looked promising. Two trout, a crazy interaction with a guide (Joey cutting a hook out of his face), and a moldy King salmon follow later, we were scratching our heads. We rowed out with about 2 hours left till dark, we aren't giving up just yet. We headed back up to the dam, it wasn't long before I had a fish jumping a running around on the end of my line, I got it in, Yup its a steelhead, but its only about 18 inches. I'll take it!

That was the only steelhead we landed in 2 days, so it was back to the bar for a couple beers and a burger, then a couple card games and some beer back at the cabin.

I would love to go back, The PM was an awesome river and we saw about 10 people all day, steelhead sightings were about 10, but hey what can you do.

Little wild Manistee Steelhead