![]() ![]() ![]() And when caught in wild, remote country like this stretch of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, it's an original, natural outdoors experience that defies time and defines our region. They are as beautiful as any fish on the planet. Without lifting the fish from the water, the hook was nudged from its jaw and the brookie swam off.īrook trout are the only native stream trout in the Upper Midwest. It was a brook trout, about 12 inches long and adorned with most of the colors of the spectrum. The rod bent and quivered as a fish dug deep and leveraged the current.Īfter a minute of to-and-fro, the fish was worked into softer current and then into the shallows. On the third pull, the fly line stopped cold. I began a retrieve of quick, 3-inch strips. I cast a streamer at a 45-degree angle toward the tree its weighted body fell into the water inches from the tree with a satisfying "plop." And sometimes, all it takes is one fish to make the day. "There's plenty, for sure."įishing is typically a one-at-a-time proposition, anyway. "The answers to those kind of questions keep us humble," said Berndt, a fishing guide and my angling partner for the day. I wondered aloud how many fish were in the 5-foot deep slot under the tree. The tea-colored water found in the Ontonagon and many other northern rivers helps keep secrets. The current tugged at our legs near the east bank and formed a deep run along the west.Ī fallen fir was wedged in the water parallel to the opposite bank, further enhancing the fish habitat. ![]() Randy Berndt and I stood knee-deep in a rocky stretch of the river surrounded by towering balsam fir and hemlock trees. The Ontonagon River flowed past, its clear water on a journey north to Lake Superior. ![]()
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