Spring Fever
To be honest, the idea of 'the first blog post' has made me quite hesitant. What kind of statement do I make? What should it be about? After a few drafts of different topics I came to the realization that none of that really matters... just post good things!
So, without further delay, here is some good news. As of May 07, 2020 guiding in Michigan is back online. With all that has happened since the begining of the year it is finally nice to see some bit or normalcy come to fruition... at least we can be on the water! Here are what the rules state:
Executive Order 2020-70, Section 11 (h) does provide “enhanced social distancing rules” that guides will have to follow:
1. Prohibit gatherings of any size in which people cannot maintain six feet of distance from one another.
2. Limit in-person interaction with clients and patrons to the maximum extent possible, and barring any such interaction in which people cannot maintain six feet of distance from one another.
3. Provide personal protective equipment such as gloves, goggles, face shields, and face masks as appropriate for the activity being performed.
4. Adopt protocols to limit the sharing of tools and equipment to the maximum extent possible and to ensure frequent and thorough cleaning of tools, equipment, and frequently touched surfaces
- Michigan United Conservation Clubs
What does this look like in terms of practice though? Well for one it will cause a little more planning for car spots. As of right now there are only a few ways to safely go about shuttling clients, guides, and gear around, but this will not affect the quality of your trip! Another way it will affect us is in terms of what I can offer for food and snacks... at the moment I can not offer anything to guests. So for now we ask that if you would like snack, meals, or drinks on the water, please bring them yourself. A clean cooler will still be provided to keep things chilled. I will also make sure to go over this again when you book your trip! Proper social-distancing should be easily maintained both wading and in the boat and all necessary steps will be taken to comply with the current rules and regulations given by the order.
Because I am limited as to what I can provide for trips at the moment, I have decided to reduce the cost of my services. Part of what you pay for in a trip is the delicious food and car spot, two things that are not available right now. If car spots are not available at the time of the trip, I will let you know and the price will be deducted from the cost of the trip.
As for the fishing, things are really heating up! Quite literally in fact. At the time of this post the weather for the next week is supposed to move into the high 50's to mid 60's. The fish are begining to look up; Hendricksons have really began to pop in certain stretches of the rivers and I expect even more action as the weather continues to warm in the next few weeks! Patience is the name of the game at the moment, the more time spent on the water the better as we are slowly but surely bursting out of this colder spring weather. In addition to the bugs, high water in the forecast with rain expected intermittently within the next week. Streamers will continue to be the hot ticket for the next week or so as the fish get 're-accustomed' with surface food.
I still have plenty of dates open for the coming season so do not hesitate to give us a call! It is my assumption that things will take some time to return to a relatively normal state up here. However, now is the perfect time to get out and enjoy the rivers and all they have to offer before life gets back to crazy!
- Sam De Jonge