Success fly fishing on lakes always comes with its challenges. Success when fly fishing the largest lake in the world takes some luck to help overcome the challenges. A mere three days ago Matt “Howie” Norton, Granny and I met our match on Lake Superior. Despite fishing hard all day we managed only one tiny brown trout. While Granny opted to enjoy a lone day at the house before her work weekend, Howie and I attacked the Great Lake again today.
Despite cold frosty mornings this week, the weather in Northern Wisconsin has been to die for. We’ve had rich blue skies and lots of sun daily. During these beautiful days the leaves are budding rapidly making my 5:30 am departure and hour long drive for Howie’s house from Hayward, WI to Iron River, WI a spring day wonderland. The sun was barely rising on his lake when I pulled in his dirt drive.
I brought with me a part for Howie’s outboard motor. Somehow, the other day we lost his trimtab. Howie is a handyman and within minutes he installed the new one. Before we knew it we were launching out of Washburn.
In addition to needing to reclaim our confidence on Lake Superior, today’s mission was because of the weather. We actually had a chance to catch fish. Unlike two days ago in the Apostle Islands when there was virtually no wind at all and the fish were spooky, today the forecast was for 10 mph wind with gusts to 18 mph. While that doesn’t sound like fun for fly fishing, it’s much more normal a condition for Lake Superior. In turn, we expected a little more cooperation from the fish.
Wind changes the plan however. Howie’s boat can handle normal winds enough that we could have headed back out to the Apostle Islands. But there was a slight chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. Howie’s boat would not be good in much higher winds than 10 mph. Well, the Apostles are a long way out so instead of living dangerously, we spent our time in Chequamegon Bay and today’s target would be pike instead of trout. We started alongside the Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse.
Things went about the same as they did the other day for our first four hours. We fished the breakwater for over an hour then pummeled the shallows with pike flies where pike SHOULD be this time of year. Neither Howie or I let up even for a minute for another two hours. But despite being relentless and dissecting about a mile of great looking Ashland, WI shoreline, we didn’t move a single fish. Nothing.
We were pretty perplexed by lunchtime. We were getting skunked again. As we drifted, ate lunch and enjoyed a beer, Howie suggested a look into an area, a slough actually, that is almost always muddy. A river comes in that flows through the classic northern Wisconsin red clay. But it hasn’t rained in over a week. Its actually a drought up here. Howie convinced me it could be worth a look.
Howie’s idea was game changing. First of all, the water clarity was the best either of us had ever seen in this spot. While not crystal clear like the open lake, it had about two feet of visibility. Normally its inches. We also saw a guide boat when we arrived. They were bait fishing but there had to be fish and we know that flies can catch them.
I was tossing a large 4-5” tan and white fly attached to a foot of wire. It’s literally the same fly I was tossing for toothy musky since last October and November. Though its chewed up, it’s become my lucky fly and for sure it’s a good pike fly. I was using my 7-weight Winston and an SA floating line with medium sink tip (250gr). It’s a great casting line and effortless to throw when you need to make numerous long casts all day. About ten casts in I went tight.
We were in weeds and four feet of water. There was a scattering of protruding logs as well. The location is known for its pike fishing and a pike is what I expected. But no. I had a hard fighting, overweight, 19 ¾” smallmouth bass. An absolute monster ate my pike fly with no regard to the wire!
As great of a fish as this was, it’s not the best time to catch smallmouth bass because they spawn in April, May and June. This smallie was incredibly fat and that’s likely because of eggs. After a quick photo I released the giant pike-fly-eating bass.
Howie and I were actually talking on speaker phone with another college pal, Mike Neuman. Mike was part of the epic musky weekend back in October when Howie landed his first musky on a fly (a monster) and then the next day Mike landed his first. Well, Mike must bring good luck because I caught my bass while he was on the phone. Then Howie turned around and hooked up a minute after I released my bass.
Howie had a good northern. Wisconsin rules on Lake Superior is that pike need to be 26” or better to harvest. And we were harvesting. This beautiful fish measured out at 28”. Dinner!
In the next few hours we landed five more pike and each another huge smallie. While the extra smallies weren’t as beastly as the first, each were solid, chunky 18 inchers at least. The pike were all under the 26” mark.
It was an absolutely fantastic day on Lake Superior and an excellent redemption from a few days ago. Howie and I can still catch fish on the big inland ocean! After a beautiful boat ride back to Washburn, we fed our well earned appetites a couple of Patsy’s burgers and called it a day. Man I love being home!
Beastly Bronze backs! awesome!