Today reminded me of last year when Drew and I were catching rainbows on the fly during the first week of June. Only now it’s almost July and these fat rainbows are still cruising near shore on Lake Superior eating up bugs and apparently still trying to spawn. Most of the fish have dropped out of the rivers by now and are feeding aggressively. The water was rough and waves were smacking into me soaking icy cold through my rain jacket, but the action was fast and the fish were hungry chasing down and taking stripped flies in the turbid water. Winter was freezing cold and we had a late spring which has kept water temperatures cold. Combine that with regular rainfall keeping water levels consistently high and I think these fish have decided to stick around a while longer than normal. All of these fish were still dumping eggs and milt. A late season indeed – largest fish today was 27 inches.
This might call for a new kind of 4th of July celebration donning the fly gear once more.
Not sure where or how I came across your site tonight, as I was pretty well lost in the surf and unlikely to be able to retrace my wanderings. Was kind of fun to see some young, rabid fish hawks doing the same, urgent dance on the same rocks upon which I perched some forty long years ago. My old pal Nez and I may have been the first dudes to ever catch loopers at the French. That was March 1975. Keep on rockin boys and enjoy those lakers as well – they were in very short supply back in the day.