Tiny Creek Fishing in Michigan-Unexpected Catch! (Tenkara Fly Fishing)

In this video I fish Michigan for the first time!
► Here's a link to the rod: amzn.to/3ABpvAM (Amazon affiliate link)
DATE FILMED: June 2022
LOCATION: Michigan
GEAR USED
** SEE MORE INFO ABOUT MY FLIES AND GEAR HERE: tenkaraaddict.com/gear
** ROD: Wild Water Shorty 7-8 ft zoom
** LINES: 7-foot level line (#3.5) with a few feet of tippet
** FLY: Size 12 as shown in the video
** NET: Medium Measure Net with rubberized net bag
OTHER LINKS
** Instagram (@TenkaraAddict): / tenkaraaddict​​​​​​
** My main KZbin channel (SUVRVing): / suvrving​​​​​​
** My other store: KamchatkaGear.com​​​​​​
#tenkara​​​​​​ #fishing​​​​​​ #flyfishing

[@RickMunday]

As part of covid lockdown and being forced to stay close to home, I started fishing local small creeks from head to tail. It's all warm water so it was mostly bass and sunfish and etc. But doing that fishing gave me a whole new respect for Chubs. They wound up being my target fish in the smaller creeks. I ended up just calling them mud trout 😜

[@kylegoetz5046]

I completely agree with your perspective on Chubs. I actually like catching them lol because you're right they basically are a "mud trout"

[@redtractor4658]

Buddy of mine went to Northern Michigan trout fishing. He thought it was easy. Sent me a picture of his shore lunch. He is forever known as creek chub. lol he said they wasnt bad eating

[@jeremyvelkoff1487]

There have been times when Creek Chubs saved the day, they still tighten the line, and sometimes you can hook a big one. I caught one on one of my local PA streams the barely fit in my net! I thought I hooked the biggest trout I've ever encountered, instead the biggest chub and it was quite a fight on my Tenkara rod. Again thanks for sharing your fishing adventures...

[@withoutdestination7840]

Welcome to Michigan, we live in the northern Lower Peninsula, and have been watching both of your channels for better than a year now.

[@ericharmon7163]

Man, that water color and forest makes it look like Scotland!! Very cool.

[@FissionChips]

Agree - very peaty looking

[@bartholomewprice3221]

I don't know of any native trout in Michigan but your channel is fun to watch in any case and you get a "Like" no matter.

[@tenkaragenki]

I always joke with people that you need your chub license first and then you can get your trout license! Haha! I'm happy you got that lil bow at the end! Congrats!

[@melchurch3019]

Welcome to Michigan and thank you for feeding the mosquitoes. I grew up in Michigan catching Creek Chubs as a kid in small streams. When I finally caught a trout I didn't know what it was. I've since caught many trout here and am now learning Tenkara. Thanks for the videos, they've helped my casting by watching you fish.

[@leftyrncii980]

Mosquitos are the unofficial state bird in Michigan. lol🤣

[@mirageviral4875]

You just reminded me why I don't head out to the woods in the summer ; mosquitos (plus black flies, deer flies, etc... here in Quebec). I tough it out in Montreal even though the weather is perfect and feel like a fool for being in a city. I wait until end of august every year and spend 3 weeks in the wild between mosquito and hunting season. North Shore of the St-Lawrence mostly , where it becomes an inner sea. I sleep in the car and know where to see whales from the shore, pick wild blueberries and wash naked in rivers. I don't fish yet, but these pleasant videos are starting to give me ideas...

[@MichiganJaguarsfc]

Welcome to the UP! Always wanted to see you in Michigan. Those dark up north creeks are hard to fish. Like you said, beautiful area, glad you stuck it out to catch one! Hope you enjoyed your time in Michigan🙏

[@leemowers9395]

congrats on your first Michigan Trout. Fish on.

[@michaelsmith7193]

Yep, the mosquitoes bring back memories of Michigan trout fishing.

[@Hudsonq]

That last fish brings so much joy! thanks for sharing

[@xcreepyunclex9440]

Awesome to see you in my neck of the woods! Great video as always!

[@Ostrom38]

Fun Video! I haven't watched a video in a while and it popped back up in my feed randomly. I am glad it did.

[@kevinhines1765]

I recently had an outing at a local class A trout stream here in PA where I caught several chubs before landing my only trout of the day, a little 7" wild brown. I enjoyed this video. I love those small streams in a picturesque setting. It always feels good just getting that one trout. Tight lines to you!

[@mattstephens8887]

Welcome to Michigan from a native! We’ve got some amazing fishing hope you have a great time. Beware though - our potholes will eat your tires…

[@kevinchiles9638]

Love your videos. Glad you visited the state. An yeah the skeeters come with the territory.

[@michaelshuman3319]

Chubs , the best pike bait for ice fishing with tipups !! Good vlog . Glad that you came to our side of the Mississippi River ..

[@ericinouye803]

Thanks! Enjoyed the video.

[@ephraimmanasseh4586]

Beautiful little creek. Those are the type I started trout fishing on. These days, it's large streams and small rivers for me. But I remember loving the beautiful little creeks, even if it was almost impossible to catch a 7 inch trout. The mosquitos you were experiencing would have driven me out of the woods and driven me mad. But you sounded so calm and relaxed.

[@concernedcitizen2868]

Out all ur videos i have watched ( 15-30 ) i really enjoyed this one. Reminded me of being a kid fishing streams.

[@kylerowe6914]

Awesome as always! Come down south and fish the GSMNP!

[@henrybohm5776]

Love your videos! Have you done one on how you find these streams? How do you know what type of trout you are expecting to catch in each stream? Thanks for sharing!

[@thenobletrout]

I felt itchy just watching! Nice trout at the end!

[@Brunnen_Gee]

Can't hate on the bug net mask. I keep one with my fishing gear as well. Some times of the year here, you almost can't go outside without one.

[@winterwolf13]

I love small little Brookie creeks. They are so aggressive and fun to fight

[@frankkawasaki3082]

Tristan: You are certainly brave to want to fish in the mosquito environment. They looked to be the size of the Alaskan or Minnesota mosquitoes that I've encountered. I'm glad you finally caught and released a trout at the end of your video. Your enthusiam for Tenkara fishing shows thru every episode.

[@janpastorix6548]

In Europe we have different kind of chub. They grow up to approximately 30 inches. But if you catch 16 incher, you can be proud of your fish. 20 incher it's gigant, and it's really hard to catch anything bigger than this. In my favourite river, they finally started to bite. Water is really low now, so it's great fun to watch them swimming close to your dry fly(mostly 3/4 inch foam bug). As I told you before, if you don't have what you like, you have like what you get.

[@joeyshepherd3157]

Loved the video. Spent a lot of time small stream fishing in Michigan. The best small stream that I ever fished was just a little north of a town named Harbor beach. In the thumb between grind stone city and the old town of Huron city. Small creek big rainbows or small steelheads. If you are up that way you should try it

[@miket1064]

We can certainly see the bugs flying around as you fish!

[@DAVIDDAMIENR]

Thank You

[@Brunnen_Gee]

Chubs can get a respectable size. Last year I found a local creek that had some, and I was catching some 6-8 inch chubs pretty frequently in there. I was using ultralight gear at the time, hadn't heard of tenkara yet. They can put up a pretty good fight at the bigger sizes! And right after I typed that you caught a good one!

[@tummy_fritters]

Satisfying finish, there. That being said, I don't mind watching you catch chubs. I would say it's worth posting the videos, even if you don't catch trout.

[@davidschroeder9650]

This looks like northern WI streams. 👍

[@tomdwyer8974]

Have you considered using a couple feet of ‘Sighter’ at the end of your leader. It makes watching the end of your line much easier.

[@tenkaraintheiowadriftless]

You get five stars for your perseverance! Makes me want to run out and buy a head net.

[@sclewell777]

looks like steams here in PA. That brown water is tanic from the decomposed leaves. Oh the skeeters are big to. Looks like when I went to Quebec fishing. They use your arm as a runway. LOL

[@guyring8912]

Tristan, Have you considered going up to MN north shore and fish the streams and rivers that feed Lake Superior? Good fishing and you're close . Anyway food for thought!

[@keith6308]

Ouuu, I like the dark tanin stained water. Reminds me of some of the streams in Northwest PA.

[@MrZeagans]

Minus the mosquitos that looks like a beautiful fishing spot 😊

[@juststeve1539]

I appreciate the heads up about the blurriness going away.

[@robaldridge6505]

I have to learn all those 'eastern' fish too. my oldest son is retiring from the Navy and bought land up on the U.P. different fishing.....

[@richardingraham6353]

Rod and fly look good 😊

[@edmiller4149]

Sometimes the best trout fishing in Michigan is when the “ skeeters” are really bad. Not fun to get eaten alive by pests but it comes with the territory. Good job, Tristan,

[@deanfirnatine7814]

I got eaten alive on a trophy trout stream in Oregon, the Wood River, I refused to leave because it was a known trophy stream and a long long drive but since then I got a head net and fingerless gloves because that day I was covered in Deet and had a anti bug buzzer on my belt and they did nothing.

[@PhotonChief]

I've been watching your videos for a couple years, and I have to say it's nice to see you branch out to more iffy trout waters. I know trout are your thing, and I've no complaints about that, but an occasional different fish is nice. That being said, if you can find some fallfish in your travels, they are a blast to catch. They fight as hard as trout and can get some pretty fancy colors and tubercles in breeding season, and can get to be a couple pounds.

[@lanecobb4150]

Chubs…ha! 😂 Years ago I was fishing the White River here in VT and noticed a large trout across the river, nice head and tail rhythmic rises so I went downstream, crossed on the cement bridge, worked my way back up, it was still there, made a perfect cast, the classic take, a fine spirited fight and landed…a 16 inch fallfish (AKA chub and dace)! I was so disappointed because it wasn’t a trout but upon reflection started laughing at myself! Another time I landed an 18” fallfish while floating the Connecticut River. It had a beautiful rose blush to its scales and had a hook and spinner in its jaw from somebody else. Close to the VT state record! Those minnows can get BIG in the right environment!

[@GenXPatriots]

Hopefully you were able to try some other areas in the state!

[@cavslbj]

Glad to see you fishing in Michigan. There is some great trout fishing to be had in the UP. Any issues with ticks?

[@markvanderstelt8999]

no he loves ticks

[@jeffdavidsonmusic]

Love ❤ it

[@stevehorswell2371]

You covered a lot of water on your trip to the Midwest. While there are a few bugs in the Driftless Area, they don't compare with the mosquitoes and black flies of the North Woods. I wear a bug suit when I fish up north during summer.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

I grew up on a stream like that ten or more chubs or suckers for every trout, excluding steelhead runs season.

[@Esoxfan]

You are an amazing Chubb fisherman

[@ianwhitehead3086]

Thank goodness you found a trout.

[@viaconqueso]

Looks like the Upper Peninsula? Beautiful…but those mosquitoes give the shivers. I live in southwest Michigan and got my first Tenkara rod this year. So far all I’ve caught are chubs :)

[@johnmaskell5124]

Some of the streams I fish in Europe are plagued with chub! They are sometimes welcome on a hard day but eventually they become a nuisance when you are targeting trout. They are greedy and go for anything and don't seem to ever get spooked in a pool. I think I had about 20 chub and one 4 inch wild brownie the other day but that one brownie felt like a bar of gold! Do you ever come across bears on your creek wanderings?

[@TheMichiganFishHunter]

Michigan Master Angler Chub!

[@amyrobinson9306]

Did you fish in Iowa? You went past some great trout streams in Decorah, IA on your way to Effigy Mounds. Beautiful area in Iowa and Trout Hatchery as well as Eagle's nesting area along with the famous Toppling Goliath Brewery. My family and I are heading out to Idaho this month and plan to fish near the sawtooths!! Been following your videos!

[@kiwi2631]

If you think the skeeters are bad up ‘Nort you should head up during black fly season. They will devour you. I was kayaking on Lake Superior and had blood running from under my watch. A little black fly crawled under my watch where deet wasn’t applied to feed on me.

[@DrewWithington]

We have chub in the UK. Member of the carp family that lives in rivers, especially small faster flowing rivers. Bit bigger though - my best is 6lb.

[@Lapeerphoto]

Dude!! You came to my neck of the woods and didn't stop by? And here's me needing some Tenkara tutoring!! 🤣🤣 Seriously, Welcome to Michistan! I hope you get out without the feds trying to kidnap ya! Cheers!

[@robertphillips3893]

You found the missing trout. It doesn't seem there are very many in that creek. I am happy you caught at that last spot.

[@charleshawes3670]

water looks like it is high in tannins a lot like the Black River in NC

[@Venom011]

I'm wondering if you ever considered using a thermacell when your in these mosquito infested areas? I use one that I made a little custom belt loop for and keep it on my back. Once they warm up for 10 mins they really do work at keeping the little bloodsuckers at bay. I really like your videos and looking to pick up a tenkara rod soon for some.of the tiny creeks around my area. Take care

[@willsullivan9471]

No hate to chubs but if you are catching lots of them it usually means water temps are not right or you are fishing to slow of water so it is best to move if you are catching a lot of them

[@c.cabanilla8963]

I have a six foot wild water I love it! I caught five cutthroat today

[@retirednavy8720]

I know you are into tenkara but those chubs make great bail for northern pike and big lake trout

[@magicworldbyjorg]

[@bozzskaggs112]

There's a lot of tannin in the stream. Does this impact the way you fish it?

[@ianwhitehead3086]

Maybe head up to Nova Scotia.

[@Doc_Watson]

Since I did some tenkara searches, youtube is showing me lots of your videos. Just subscribed. Small chubs are fun - although some will have little horns on their heads. I dislike larger chubs as they will foam at the mouth and around the gills and are overly slimy when you are trying to remove the hook.

[@Abandoned_Brane]

Those small streams in the Yooop often hold fairly large fish. You have to know how to fish for them..

[@Palletjefe]

What do you use to take these videos? Is it mounted on your head?

[@ianjones6910]

Wow, this is the furthest east I've seen you fish...and I thought we had tannic acid stained streams here along the Gulf Coast - that is some seriously dark water.

[@johndavis8746]

Oh for sure an absolute staple to michigan streams. It's part of the experience really.

[@marmaduke0262]

I'm new to tenkara rods. What does 5:5 mean? How does that compare to 7:3?

[@BDCF100]

I've seen Salmon Parr identical to that fish.

[@Levi-jh6jh]

I fish in my creek for creek chubbs but my creek is shallow and small but there’s still a bunch of creek chubbs

[@michaeltichonuk2176]

Skeeters. Ugh-ly. I was surprised to see pull a trout out such stained water..looked like a couple of rivers in Fla, tannic I think ?? I've missed a few videos..have to address cargo box failure and loss of so much gear...including a head net that was in chest pack...oh well. NYP. I appreciate your perseverance! Skeeters can take the steam outta some folks ..

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Tannic-stained water is normal in northern MI and ON, and if it’s cold and oxygenated, the trout love it.

[@kats1978]

A creek that infested by chubbs!! It takes miracle to catch trout in that kind of creek. Congratulations:)

[@jacobmuston9422]

Where is this stream, I neeeeed to fish it

[@cabinvibeetsystore9094]

New sub! Liked 🙏😆😚🤣🤩😃😆🤩

[@christiansmakingmusic777]

Looks lie your in the UP, judging by the tannic water and black rocks. There are many great trout streams there, but often the big ones take a lot of patience. The presence of large numbers of chubs in a stream usually indicates that the habitat is marginal for brook trout, or that there just aren't very many trout in the stream for whatever reason.

[@robertkemp622]

This is more like the fishing I'm accustomed to ... a couple of years ago while fishing the mouth of a creek where it ran into a lake, I kept catching 4-inch yellow perch, but I never hooked a trout. I think the water was a few degrees too warm.

[@campcookhenry]

The mosquitoes looked on par for where you were, did the ticks find you?

[@KenGross]

Mirrors my experience here in Maine…minus the trout! Someday I'll land a trout!

[@ipie14]

I got a place in Michigan for you. Beautiful brook trout and not that many Chubbs. OMG that was a lot of Chubbs. Anyway, ever since I started watching your channel I kept thinking that you would love the creek I grew up around. If the mosquitoes didn't permanently damage your mental opinion of Michigan than DM me and we can work it out.

[@Time-Trvlr]

that water is as dark as the coffee i’m drinking

[@robertmcgee3602]

My neck of the woods. My state at least.

[@scottbates1424]

What?! Did you bypass Minnesota’s and Wisconsins whole Driftless Area and go straight to Michigan? Pretty much every stream in southwest Wisconsin has great trout fishing in them…actually pretty much the whole state. We try to fly fish them as much as our work lives allow. I feel saddened you just jumped over us… you missed a lot of fish 🎣 😆

[@jasonwooden]

Did you check to see if that big one might have been a state record creek chub?

[@smashdtrash3432]

Not close

[@carlzobel513]

If it's not the mosquitos, it's the black gnats!

[@LAV777.]

👍👍👍

[@robertmcgee3602]

I'm assuming this is the Upper penninsula. Don't be discouraged. We have many many streams and creeks with many species of trout and salmon. The mosquito netting though is a great idea up there, you'll be eaten alive.

[@steviehyperS98]

Headnet. Must be the UP

[@johnbakken1853]

PTSD from growing up in Minnesota. Mosquitoes are hell fire.

[@trapperpak123]

That first fish you caught was not a chubb it's called a dace.

[@jarretthovey3634]

Sorry about our first impression on the trout fishing!! We do have trout here!!

[@darkstorm6558]

I received a message saying that I won a drawing on a short list. The link said to text a number. It was from a previous video where you asked what we fish for and where we are from.

[@dg9388]

Tannic water, and mosquitoes pretty much sums up the upper peninsula.

[@CoolTearsMagazine]

Welcome to Michigan! Based on the color, rocks, trees - it looks like you’re in the UP. Mosquitos here are no joke! Bug nets are part of our non-winter attire.

[@Bookgirl1974]

Lol, my husband says that the official cologne in the UP is deet. 😀

[@Sammysaltsadventures]

And a chubby is a bonus !

[@richardpolidore1702]

Thanks to the viewer for supplying the pole.

[@carlzobel513]

Amazon rod price, sure jumped up! $120.00 now!