Roger Odell, Pete Gustafson, and I headed north out of Grayling for our rendezvous with Brad Petzke of Rivers North Guide Service in Sault Sainte Marie. As we loaded up our gear Brad said this would be a unique fishing experience, unlike any that we have done or would likely do in the future. We would be casting a weighted slipbobber rig up into the discharge spillways of the Edison Electric plant. On this day the discharge did not begin until 10 o'clock which allowed for a late start. The electric plant is an impressive site, as are the big freighters moving up and down the St. Marys. The fishers here have invented a hook & rope assembly that holds the boat fast against the rushing water by fastening to the upper platform of the spillway. When a fish is hooked a clip on the rope releases the boat, leaving the hook in place on the wall. The fish is fought and released out in the river's slower water, making it easier to land the fish.
The first challenge was casting up into the shoot. The rig was about 10' in length, with two bead head nymphs tied to one foot trailers, a heavy weight at the bottom, and a slipbobber that allowed you to spool up enough line so as to be able to make the cast. Brad was right. This was a rig, casting technique and fishing venue we had never considered. The flies were very small and the strike very subtle. Pete was the first to catch one of these silver beauties. Roger and I followed, catching a few whitefish along the way. Altogether we landed 5 Atlantic Salmon, a like number of Whitefish, and some junior Atlantics. It was another gorgeous blue sky day. At lunchtime, Brad called ahead for a pizza which was delivered to the docks. As the day wore on we got better at recognizing the strikes and it was clear that we had let plenty of opportunity get away earlier in the day.
At days end, Brad cleaned the Whites, giving us a lesson in fast filleting. We headed back to Grayling for some fresh fried Whitefish. What a great way to cap off an enjoyable day on the St. Marys River.
Note: Check out fishing for the Atlantics in October in the rapids, or in mid-July during the Hex hatch. Another bonus during the Hex is catching Herring, which the locals apparently look forward to.
Weather: Cool early warming to 70s & sunny
Access: SOO Locks Campground on Portage
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