the fish are feeding on is word of mouth
— talk to your fellow fishermen. If you
don't know what to try on any given day,
keep your eyes on the bugs. If you get
bit by a mosquito, put on a fly resem-
bling one. If you see gnats flying along
the surface of the water, try a darker,
smaller fly. You will usually discover a
fly that works after trying three or four
different kinds but a good fisherman
changes them constantly until he finds
one that is the best.
Learning how to fly fish is tough. In
addition to practice and patience, you
need to pick out a good rod and reel,
the proper leader, a good selection of
flies, correct line and, of course, a li-
cense. When buying a beginner's outfit,
it's sometimes a good idea to purchase
the rod and reel in a matched set so that
they are properly balanced.
Loomis and St. Croix are the best
makes of fly fishing equipment. But each
fisherman needs a rod properly suited
to his or her height and strength, and
the types of fish he or she plans to catch.
The best way to get started is to go to a
reliable tackle shop that employs ex-
perienced fishermen and ask them for
advice. Orvis Riverbend Sport Shop on
Northwestern Hwy. in Southfield is a
knowledgeable store and has record
sales across the country according to
salesman Michael Miller.
Once you have purchased your rod
and reel, you should get a good selec-
tion of flies if you plan on catching trout.
Some old stand-bys include wooly bug-
gers (olive colors especially) and midges
in winter; midges and stoneflies in
spring; sulfers and soft-hackles in sum-
mer; and caddis flies, wooly buggers
and soft-hackles in fall. If you plan on
fishing for bass, poppers or streamers
resembling minnow are usually effec-
tive. Bluegills will chase just about any-
thing you offer them.
The Ausable River in Grayling is one
of the best local rivers for trout fishing.
Another popular spot is Pere Marquette
River in Baldwin for steelhead and
salmon fishing.
If you're a beginner and you want to
catch trout, try your luck in the spring
after the State Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) has made its yearly
stockings of thousands of trout in local
rivers and ponds. Most tackle stores
post a schedule of stockings. Give the
trout a week or so to acclimate to their
new surroundings, then go get them!
Although most trout fishermen re-
lease wild trout they catch, stocked fish
offer a guilt-free chance to take home
some fresh fish for supper. In some ar-
eas it is illegal to keep any trout so al-
ways check the rules before putting a
trout into your creel. Usually, the rules
for each stream are posted at the pub-
lic access spots.
The local reservoirs give fly fisher-
men a chance to go after other fresh wa-
ter game. Whether or not you keep fish
from these waters is strictly up to you,
as long as you adhere to the laws re-
garding size and numbers of fish. When
you purchase a fishing license, a book-
let is provided by the DNR which de-
scribes current size and creel limits.
Michael Miller, of Orvis Riverbend
Sport Shop, suggests buying the book
Michigan's Ten Classic Trout Streams. There
is also a personalized guide to Michi-
gan's rivers.
Call it whatever you like — sport, art
or recreation. It may take years to mas-
ter, but fly fishing is a great way to learn
about nature and enjoy the outdoors —
even the 35-degree water!
[=I
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t
S • • •
Paparazzi
Golden Phoenix
Travelers World
Carmens
T.C.B.Y. Yogurt
C.D. Warehouse
The Time Shop
Cycling Resources
If a new bike is in your future, you're
not alone. There are plenty of local, and
national, bicycling organizations, pub-
lications, events and destinations that
can help you get started.
Wolverine Sport Club, P.O. Box 63,
Royal Oak, MI 48067. The largest cycling
club in Michigan, for both recreational
and racing cyclists.
Michigan Mountain Bike Associa-
tion, P.O. Box 274, Detroit, MI 48231.
Members do trail maintenance and
publish a quarterly newsletter high-
lighting land-access issues.
League of American Wheelmen
(L.A.W.), Suite 120, 190 W. Ostend St.,
Baltimore, MD 21230. Phone: (410) 539-
3399. L.A.W. is the largest and oldest
national bicycling organization, focus-
ing on advocacy, education and touring
information.
Michigan Cyclist, 150 Fountain N.E.,
Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 454-0155.
Available free in bike shops, Michigan
Cyclist is a magazine that features ar-
ticles and information for recreational
cyclists.
Belle Isle Marathon, May 15 17,
1992. A 24-hour, 200-mile road event
featuring rides of 25, 50, 100 and 200
miles in length. For more information,
call (313) 652-0511.
Kidz Kloz
Callanetics Studio
Raphael's Salon
Weisman Cleaners
Footloose
D'Alleva's Salon
Interiors by Colony
-
Orchard Lake Rd.
North of Maple
West Bloomfield
SPRING '92
61