Mill Creek Guide Book Layout Draft (4)

7/21/2019 Mill Creek Guide Book Layout Draft (4)

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Mill Creek FlyFishing Guide

Ethan A. Cramer

Section Guide

Introduction

Brown Trout

Mill Creek

Getting Started

Preparing for Your Outing

Time of Day

Season

Accessing the Creek

Arriving at the Stream

Dry Fly Fishing

Nymph Fishing

Streamer Fishing

Wet Fly Fishing


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So You Hooked a Trout, Now What?

Proper Catch and Release Practices

Barbed vs. Barbless?

Closing Statements

Introduction

My name is Ethan Cramer, and I suffer from the incurable

disease of fly fishing addiction. My father taught me to fly fish on

the Huron River when I was 11 years old, and I have not been

able to keep a fly rod out of my hand for an extended period

ever since. As my skills as a fly fisherman developed, my

interest turned from panfish and bass, to trout. In my opinion,trout are the most rewarding species to pursue. Catching a trout

on a fly is one of the most exiting experiences to a fly fisherman,

and doing so represents a significant achievement by any

standards. Over the years I have fished almost every major trout

stream in Michigan and have been able to catch every species

of trout in the state. In 2012 when I learned that Ann Arbor Trout

Unlimited had begun stocking Mill Creek in Dexter Michigan, my

reaction was nothing short of ecstatic. For the past two years I

have spent hundreds of hours fly fishing Mill Creek and

exploring its over 200 miles of cold water trout habitat. I can say

from experience, that Mill Creek offers anglers a real opportunity

to land a large healthy Brown Trout over 20 inches in length.

Brown Trout

Powerful fights, tantalizing selectivity, and ability to reach a very

large size in river environments all make Brown Trout one of themost sought after species by fly fisherman around the world.

They are ferocious feeders that will consume nearly any living

creature that will fit in there mouth. Mice, crayfish, even other

trout are all on the menu for a large brown living in a temperate

stream. Spawning occurs from September to November, with

eggs being deposited and fertilized in redds where they will

hatch about 40 days later. Brown Trout can exhibit a variety of

colors, but are usually olive to brown on the top, fading to


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was reviewed. He speculated that the temperatures in the creek

were low enough to permit the development of a year round

trout fishery. After additional analysis, the decision was made to

begin an experimental stocking of Brown Trout in 2011. Since

then, the results have been promising. Subsequent stockings

have occurred every year since 2011 and angler returns as well

as electro-shock surveys have shown that Brown Trout are in

fact surviving and thriving throughout the year.

Getting Started

For those new to the sport of fly fishing, or interested in trying itfor the first time, its important to understand that getting on thewater doesnt have to put a 4 figure dent in your bank account.Quality outfits such as the Redington Crosswater, or rvis!ncounter can be purchased for around "#$%, and retailers likeCabelas and &ass 'ro (hop offer outfits that can be had for wellunder "#%%. )ost kits of this type include a rod, reel, backing, flyline, and even a leader with a selection of flies in some cases.For a beginner * would suggest a $ weight rod between + and long. -his weight of rod will work great as a generalpurposetrout rod and will also suit many other freshwater applications.ther items * would suggest purchasing are a net, pair of needlenose pliers or hemostats, and polari/ed glasses. 'olari/edglasses eliminate the glare off the surface of the water and allowthe angler to spot fish that would otherwise be invisible to them.'urchases you may want to consider in the future includewaders and a fly vest, but these items are not essential whengetting started.

Preparing for Your Outing

-he first step to catching a trout is preparation. For )ill Creek,

the e0uipment * would recommend would be a 4 to 1 weight fly

rod from 213 to in length. )ost of the public section of thecreek offers an open area where casting a longer rod is not achallenge. tapered $5 to 15 213 to leader and a selection ofthe listed flies and you are set to hit the river.

&efore fishing the creek, * always like to check the waterconditions and water temperature. 6ou can check what the

discharge levels on )ill Creek at the 7nited (tates 8eological(urvey website by searching 9)ill Creek :e5ter 7(8(3 on8oogle. -he discharge is measured in cubic feet per second, or9cfs3. ;ormal low flow levels are anywhere between hen water temperatures areabove 2%? F it is best to abstain from pursuing trout as the


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stress caused by fighting the fish can result in high mortalityrates after release.

Time of Day

s a general rule, morning and evening represent the best times

to fly fish for trout. -he first hour after sunrise is often veryproductive, with catch rates tapering off through the day andthen picking back up in the evening hours before sunset. :uringthe morning and evening hours, insect hatches are moreprevalent and trout are more likely to be actively feeding. Caddisand Cahill hatches are common on )ill Creek in the morninghours during the summer months. lso the summer monthsrepresent a period when brown trout often feed throughout thenight, so by fishing in the morning or evening you are likely tocatch the beginning or end of their aggressive feeding. lthough

fishing in the early morning may result in a few less hours ofshuteye, the e5cellent fishing waiting for you when you arrive atthe stream should be more then enough motivation for you todrag yourself out of the comfort of your bed. @tipA prepare yourgear the night before. -rying to tie a leader or even assembleyour set up can be very frustrating when you are only halfawake, especially when there are feeding tout waiting to becaughtB

;ighttime flyfishing poses many obvious challenges to the

angler, but can also present an opportunity to catch the largestbrowns that predominantly feed at night. *n order to target largebrowns at night, you need to fish in a location that you havealready familiari/ed during the day. ;ighttime wadding can bevery dangerous if you are unfamiliar with the section you arefishing. 'atterns like mice or frogs that create a disturbance asthey are erked across the waters surface can entice largebrown to strike violently.

Season

&rown -routs diet and behavior change with the season, andas a result, the techni0ues used to catch them do as well.8enerally speaking, late spring through fall @)ay through;ovemberB sees the most action. s water temperatures rise inthe spring, so does the metabolic activity of the trout @coldbloodedB living in the stream. *n addition to the effect on thetrout, rising temperatures also result in increased insect activity.

-hroughout the summer, there are numerous hatches andfeeding is strong most days. &y late summer, ugust and(eptember, terrestrials @insects that spend their entire life onland, like crickets and grasshoppersB become a maorcomponent of a brown trouts diet. *n mid to late (eptember,brown trout begin preparing to spawn and hold over for thewinter. :uring this period, brown trout feed aggressively to buildup their energy reserves for the months ahead. fter spawning,brown trout settle in for the long winter ahead. :uring the winter,trout hold in deep holes and runs and move very little as not to

e5pend energy. &rown trout do feed during the winter, but thefeeding is limited to small nymphs and other insects, and is rarewhen water temperatures are below 4%?F.

Accessing the Creek

As of today, over three miles of Mill Creek are accessible to the

public, although this is will likely increase in the future. The

public reach begins at the south end of the Sloan Preserve andends at the confluence with the Huron River 1/3 of a mile north

west of downtown Dexter. The creek averages between 25 and

35 feet in width throughout this reach. Parking for anglers is

available in downtown Dexter as well as at the Sloan Preserve

located 1.5 miles south of downtown Dexter on the west side of

Baker Rd.


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The Sloan Preserve is a 33-acre natural area that was

purchased by Scio Township through a grant in 2012. Mixed

deciduous forest and lowlands dominate the landscape of the

preserve. Anglers can access Mill Creek by walking a short

distance (less then 5 minute walk) down the trail which heads

north from the parking lot before turning west towards the creek.

Be aware the first channel you will reach will be the East

Branch, a smaller, low flow branch of the stream. The quality

trout fishing is located on the West Branch. You can cross the

East Branch at small rock damn and continue down the trail

another 150 yards west to the West Branch of the Creek. One

should allow 4-6 hours to fish the Sloan Preserve stretch of Mill

Creek thoroughly. Dont be surprise to see beaver or mink as

they too make their home on the creek.

The most accessible reach of the creek is that which flows

through downtown Dexter. Anglers can park in the parking lot

located at the intersection of Broad St. and Grand St. or at Mill

Creek Park in downtown Dexter (formerly Warrior Creek Park). A

boardwalk and trail-way follow the stream for most of the

downtown stretch. I would suggest beginning at Mill Creek Park

and fishing upstream to Forrest Lawn cemetery, which is located

directly adjacent to the Broad-Grand parking lot. This section of

Mill Creek offers wide-open areas to cast as well as multiple

deep pools and rapids. One can spend 2-4 hours fishing the

downtown stretch.

Suggested Mill Creek Flies

Drys Royal >olff #


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Dopper 'atterns #hite or -an Gonker


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s with any trout stream, a fisherman should first observe theconditions before he begins fishing or enters the water. lthoughit may be tempting to immediately begin fishing, you will bemuch more effective if you spend the first few minutes of yourfishing time assessing the conditions. *t is important toremember that trout are very easy to spook, so keeping a lowprofile and walking slowly and 0uietly are crucial when

approaching the steam. n sunny days the shadow cast by anangler can send trout darting for cover.

(can the water for a trout, as targeting an individual fish is oftenan effective method when possible. lso look for feeding fishthat can be seen as they leap from the water or simply sip fliesoff the surface @tipA often the largest fish produce the smallestrings on the surface when feedingB. nce you have determinedif there are fish feeding on the surface or not, it is time to selecta fly pattern.

Dry Fly Fishing

*f fish are feeding on the surface then selecting a dry fly patternis a good place to start. *f there is an obvious 9hatch3 @a massreproduction event that many insects of the same speciespartake inB it is best to try to select a fly that imitates that insect.-o make this process much more straightforward it is advisableto try to match the important aspects of the insectcharacteristics. -hese are si/e and color. selection of green,

brown, white, and yellow dries in si/es #ulff, and dams flies.

&efore you begin fishing, you must first apply floatant to your dry

fly. -here are many brands of floatant, but hey all accomplishthe same taskJ keeping your fly on the right side of the waterssurface. -he best way to apply floatant is to place a smallamount on the tip of your finger, then thoroughly work it onto thefly, especially the wings. Floatant is hydrophobic allowing the flyto repel water and maintain buoyancy. 6ou will have to beperiodically reapply floatant while you fish. *f false casting,@casting 0uickly multiple times without allowing the fly to touchthe water in order to dry if offB is no longer allowing your fly tomaintain buoyancy, its time to reapply.

*f you have observed a specific fish repeatedly feeding in thesame location, begin targeting that fish. >hen casting, avoidslapping the water above the fish with your fly line, as doing sowill likely spook the fish. -rout search for flies on the surface bylooking upstream, as a result, it is best to place your flyupstream of the fish by 1 to + feet and allow the fly to floatnaturally downstream until it passes over the fish. )aintaining adragfree drift is crucial to making a realistic presentation, so theskill of mending line is important to be successful.

*f the fish does not take your fly the first time it floats over the


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location that you observed it feeding in, do not give up. ften, itmay take numerous drifts over the same fish before it makes thedecision to feed on you fly. *t is also possible that the fish mayattempt to strike, and will miss the fly as it leaps from the water.*f this occurs, it is a good sign as it indicates that the fly you areusing is a good choice, and that the fish is actively feeding.Continue making cast to the fish and making drifts over its

location as it will likely try again to feed on your fly.

>hen fishing for trout with dry flies, it is best to move upstreamas you fish. s trout feeding on the surface are often lookingupstream, they will be less likely to notice the angler if youapproach from behind.

-he locations where trout feed are often predictable. -rout arecoveroriented fish, meaning that they like to spend their time inlocations that offer cover from predators or protection from the

current. :uring the day, trout like to stay near cover, includinglarge rocks, undercut banks, wood @logs or branchesB in thewater, deep pools and runs. -argeting these location with yourfly is often effective.

6ou will often hear fly fisherman say 9put your fly in the bubbleline3. -his indeed is a wise tip. ften insects on the waters

surface will follow the same path as bubbles or foam floating

down stream. -he surface currents tend to direct floating obectsdown the same path. -rout will often sit below the bubble lineknowing it will bring food their way, so making drifts that followthe bubble line is often and effective approach.

*n late summer, terrestrial insects become a maor component ofa trouts diet. 8rasshopper and Cricket flies work very well on)ill Creek, especially on days with a bree/e. s terrestrialinsects climb on grass and braches overhanging the edge of thestream, they can loose their grip or be knocked off by the wind

and fall onto the waters surface. -rout are very aware of theoccurrence and as a result spend much of their time cruisingalong the bank waiting for an easy meal to fall from above.Casting a large terrestrial fly along the bank and twitching itoccasionally to simulate a struggling insect can be veryeffective.

Nymph Fishing

>hen there are no trout feeding on the surface, it is likely that


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fish are still actively feeding, however they are consuminginsects that are below the surface in their a0uatic life stage.)any insects that trout feed on spend the first portion of their lifecycle living on substrate material and other organic material inthe channel @branches, logs, a0uatic plants, rocks, etc.B. :uringthis stage of their life, these insects often 9enter the drift3,meaning that they release from the substrate material and begin

floating downstream. -here are many reasons why this occurs,but all a fly fisherman needs to know is thisA small insectsfloating downstream in the water column are an easy meal for ahungry trout, and comprise a maor portion of a trouts diet.7sing patterns knows as nymphs, a fly fisherman can imitatethese a0uatic insects and increase their chances of catching atrout under certain conditions.

-he best locations to target when nymphs fishing are deeppools and runs. -hese locations offer the perfect opportunity to

fish a weighted nymph rig. Fish are often feeding near thebottom in these locations and may be unwilling to come up tothe surface for a dry fly, so targeting them with a weightednymph rig can be very productive.

-o effectively fish a section of stream it is best to use asystematic rather then random placement of each drift. >ithevery cast, place your nymph rig K 13 to # farther across thecurrent then where it began its previous drift. &y doing so youinsure that all of the water has been covered thoroughly giving

any fish in that section of stream an opportunity to strike your fly.7sing a systematic approach is advisable when blind casting@fishing a section of water rather then targeting a specific fishBwith dry, wet, and streamer flies as well.

simple rig is used when fishing nymphs. -he popular, standbypatterns, work well in )ill Creek, these include Copper Hohns,Dares !ar, pheasant tail, and 'rince nymphs in si/es #


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have an indefinite life span. third option is to use a larger dryfly as an indicator. n slow days this can be the ticket tocatching a trout when all other anglers fail. n many occasions *have caught fish on both the dry fly and nymph on the sameouting using this set up. -he beauty of this set up is that you areable to fish a dry and nymph at the same time. Choosing anappropriate dry fly to serve, as your indicator is important. *t

must be large enough that the additional weight of the nymphdoes not pull it under. Foam hoppers are often a good option asthe foam floats high and is very buoyant. -he section of tippetused to tie on the nymph is tied directly to the back of the dry flyhook. -his set up is not appropriate when fishing large weighednymphs or when fishing water over hen atrout does strike a nymph, you will know because your floatingstrike indicator will stop moving downstream and will be pulledbelow the surface. >hen this occurs, it is time to set the hook,and doing so as soon as possible is crucial, as any delay may


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result in the fish spitting the nymph resulting in a missedopportunity. ;ot every time the indicator is pulled under will it bethe result of a fish, however you should still set the hook if youare unsure. &e prepared to loose flies, as its not uncommon tosnag the bottom when nymph fishing.

Streamer Fishing

nother effective method for targeting brown trout in )ill Creekis streamer fishing. (treamers are large flies that are draggedthrough the water by the fisherman by stripping the line in atvarious speeds and patterns. Earge trout in )ill Creek consumefrogs, crayfish, leaches, and even other fish @including smallertroutB, so many effective streamer patterns imitate these foodsources. (ome of the most effective patterns for )ill Creek are>olly &uggers, &lack ;osed :ace, )ickey Finns, and Gonkers.>hen streamer fishing, * would recommend either a $ wt or 1

wt, rod as they allow the fly fisherman to more easily castlarger, heavier pattern longer distances more accurately andeasily. * would also suggest using 45 tippet when streamerfishing, as strikes can be more aggressive and the stealthinessof thinner tippet is not necessary.

8enerally speaking, brighter, flashier patterns work best insummer and fall when &rown -rout are very active andaggressively feeding, especially so in the fall during the periodthey spawn. *n the winter and spring, natural colored steamers

in shades of browns and greens are effective when fished slowlyin deep holes.

>hen fishing streamers, * would recommend movingdownstream as you fish. Cast at %? angle to the direction of thecurrent and strip the fly in as it swings downstream. arying thespeed and length of each strip is recommended. *f you aretrying long slow strips with no success, try shorter faster strips.ften the speed and length of strip may be a deciding factor in a&rown -rout striking the streamer. -arget cover, deep pools, and

runs. ften large brown trout will hold in these areas and will

respond aggressively to the opportunity of a large meal passingthem by.

s * mentioned earlier, high water conditions in )ill Creek @thosebetween 2$ N #$% cfsB, and any trout stream for that mater,represent a uni0ue opportunity to effectively target large &rown-rout. *n theses conditions, trout often move near the banks or

behind large structures in the river to avoid the force or theincreased flow. *n these conditions, * would recommend usingM5 tippet as the increased turbidity of the water will make theline impossible for the trout to see, and allows the fisherman toavoid braking the line when fighting a large fish in the elevatedflow. Earge streamer patterns with red, yellow, purple, and lotsof flash work well under high water conditions. Focus your castalong the bank and behind substantial structure.

Wet Fly Fishing

lthough it has fallen out of fashion in recent decades, swingingwet flies is one of the oldest techni0ues of fly fishing. rguablyone of the easiest methods for a beginner, wet fly fishing isaccomplished by casting a wet fly across the current, andallowing it to swing downstream covering a swath of water as itdoes so. !ffective wet fly patterns on )ill Creek include theRoyal Coachman, the Dendrickson, and the dams @>et flyversionB. 45 or $5 tippet is best when using this method.

Find a location that is open and enough to begin making cast atan angle across the current. >et flies will stay ust below thewaters surface, as they swing downstream. )ending your flyline upstream will slow the swing and allows the fly to sinkdeeper in the process, where mending downstream increasesthe speed of the swing. s with other techni0ues, use asystematic approach to cover the section of water you arefishing, moving downstream #< feet with each cast.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


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So You oo!ed a Trout"No# What$

nce you have successfully trickeda trout into striking your fly andhave set the hook, you are but one

step away from landing the fish.Fighting a fish properly not onlyinsures that you will land it, but alsothat you will land it in a timelymanner as not to overstress thefish. s soon as the hook is set, it isimportant to keep the rod tip up atall times. :oing so keeps constant

pressure on the line, which reduces the chances of the fishshaking the hook during the fight. dditionally, keeping pressure

on the fish helps tire it out more 0uickly. Earge &rown -rout havea tendency to stay deep as you fight them and are less likely to

ump into the air @although they sometimes do soB.

s you fight the fish you should always be thinking aboutpossible obstacles in stream. &rown trout will often try to run tothe nearest cover when hooked, which sometimes results in theline breaking or the hook being dislodged. -he use ofappropriate si/ed tippet for the fish you are perusing is alsoimportant. 7sing the largest si/e tippet possible @without

affecting the presentation of the flyB allows the angler to fight thefish more aggressively, and have more control during the fight.For e5ample, in most places $5 tippet will work well on dry flies#


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ne common failure * have observed is keeping a trout out ofthe water for too long. >hen a tout is landed it has uste5pended a large amount of energy during the fight, like arunner who ust finished a marathon. s soon as the fish isremoved from the water its gills can no longer provide it witho5ygen, so minimi/ing the duration of the unhooking process isimportant. Remember, the stresses imposed on the fish are

increased when the water temperatures rise, as warm waterholds less o5ygen then cooler water, so e5pediting the processis even more important under these conditions @2%?FB. *fpossible, unhook the fish in the net and avoid touching it alltogether. *f holding the fish is necessary for unhooking it, or totake a photograph wet your hands before doing so. -hisminimi/es the amount of protective coating removed during theprocess. *f you are fishing alone, i t is best for the fish tophotograph it in the net rather then trying to hold it one handedrisking inury to the fish while trying to maintain a firm grip.

;ever place a trout on the ground at any point during the catchand release process, leave it in then net. lso remember neverto hold a trout by the gill or by the mouth like you would a &ass.'lacing your hand behind the gill plate poses a significant risk ofdamaging the gills. >hen you hold a large trout, place one handbelow the front of the fish, near where its pectoral fin are, andthe other around it body ust in front of its tail @tipA holding a troutupside down has a calming effect allowing for easier handlingB.

7ltimately, the time the trout spends out of the water should be

no longer then #$hen releasing a trout, hold the fish facing upstream in movingwater, if the fish does not swim out of your hand, continueholding the fish until it regains enough strength to swim out ofyour hands under its own power. -his process can sometimestake minutes, but will significantly increase the chance ofsurvival for the fish that ust provided you the e5citement ofcatching it.

(ar)ed vs* (ar)less$

For years there has been much discussion and disagreement inthe world of flyfishing over barbed vs. barbless hooks. )anyanglers are proponents of bending down the bard on all theirhooks when trout fishing. &y crushing the barb, the hook ismuch more easily and 0uickly removed form the fished mouth,resulting in less time spent unhooking and releasing the fish. *tis also true that when using barbless hooks, less damage is

done to the tissue in the trouts mouth.


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thers point outthat there are somenegativeimplications of usingbarbless hooks.>hen usingbarbless hooks,

many anglers maybe more reluctant tofight the fish more

aggressively for fear the fish may shake the hook loose duringthe fight. s a result, the longer period spent fighting the fish canpush them to the point of e5haustion leading to high mortalityrates after they are released. lso, many believe that thedamage done to the tissue when removing the hook isinsignificant and does not pose any serious threat to the troutswell being.

* am of the mindset that using barbless hooks is only sometimesnecessary on larger flies @si/e 1 and upB. *n my opinion, thebarbs on small hooks do not pose a serious threat to the wellbeing of the fish, and the risk of minor inury is outweighed bythe benefit of being able to 0uickly play and land the fish.

%losing Statement

Flyfishing is a sport thathas been enoyed byanglers for hundreds ofyears. -he best troutstreams often happen tobe some of the mostscenic places in the world.*n my opinion, there arefew things better thenbeing alone with your

thoughts, standing in themiddle of a flowing stream with a fly rod in your hand. Eifes

stresses and concerns always seem to drift away like the waterdisappearing around the bend, and you are left to focus on yourpursuit of your clever adversary, the trout. -he fly rod begins tofeel like an e5tension of your own body, the pace of your castand the water floating by seems to slow your hart rate until youare in tune with the world around you. n )ill Creek you can beless then a mile from the village of :e5ter, yet feel a million

miles away from civili/ation, as if you were in a remote reach ofa vast wilderness. -here is nothing better then bringing to handa beautiful speckled trout from the cool water, to complement aperfect day on the stream. >ith this guide, * hope to haveencouraged you to enoy your local recourses through flyfishing, and provided you with information that will assist you indoing so.

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Mill Creek Guide Book Layout Draft (4)