Migrating Steelhead Draw Local
Fisherman To Michigan Streams
-- April means fishing --
Steelhead are first to hit the streams
April 15, 2003
By: O. J. Cunningham
Brady Layle shows off his trophy catch
Jack Layle is proud of his steelhead
Baldwin, Michigan -
April 1st means many things to many people.
Spring Fever!
April Fools Day!
And oh yes! That is the day you need a new Michigan fishing license.
However, to the Bay City father-son-fishing team of Jack and Brady Layle, the end of March and early April mean Steelhead Fever. Each year, this dynamic fishing duo make the annual trek across Michigan to cast at migrating steelhead in the famed Pere Marquette River.
Neither rain, nor snow nor the gloom of a late winter storm stops the Layles from their annual fishing trip to Hiawatha Lodge at the top of "flies only" stretch of the Pere Marquette.
"Fishing was tough this year," said Jack Layle, a retired Electric DepartmentManager for the City of Bay City. Jack Layle went on to say that the lingering winter weather has kept stream temperatures below normal and that has slowed the annual spawning run. "We might see steelhead in mid-May," Jack said.
Brady Layle, whomans the oars on the pair's Fish-Rite drift boat agreed. "The fish are later than usual this spring," Brady said. "We worked hard for fish each day. There were a lot more fishermen than fish," he laughed. "And because of the colder temperatures, fish were not up on gravel. We spent every day fishing deep runs."
Each Spring, the migrating steelhead move out of Lake Michigan and swim over 90 miles upstream to spawn in the glorious gravel stretches of the upper Pere Marquette River. The premier spawning area is the eight-mile long "flies only" section of the river that begins at Michigan Highway M-37 in Baldwin and flows downstream past the famous Green Cottage access and ends at Gleason's Landing.
This eight mile stretch of premier quality designated trout stream is "catch and release" for all species. Just a few years back, fisherman were allowed to harvest as many as three fish per person/per day in this stretch of the river. Now, although fisherman harasses the fish during each day, none are killed and the fishery is improving each year according to fisheries managers.
Weather was a big part of the trip as it is each spring. "It rained like a monsoon all day Friday," Jack said. "Saturday it was a blizzard and dang cold. But that's a Michigan Spring for you."