The Upper Hand

While I get a lot of traffic on this blog from Michigan, I also get a ton from locations around the world. So, first a little explanation of Michigan geography.

If you know anyone from Michigan you'll know that we're a unique state. You can basically show someone a "map" of the state with both hands. The Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten. By tipping the other hand on its side, you've got the Upper Peninsula. The Mackinac Bridge connects to the two, bridging the Straits of Machinac where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet.

The two Peninsulas couldn't be more different. Back in the 70's, the Upper Peninsula (or UP as it's more commonly known) even tried to form it's own State. Unfortunately, they overlooked one minor issue - all the money, and all the population (i.e. tax base) is in the Lower. Oops. "Yoopers" are the from the UP, while "Trolls" (as Yoopers refer to them) live below the bridge. I am proud to be a Yooper by birth. But, I left shortly thereafter. My family has had a place in da Yoop since the early 90's, on Lake Michigan just outside Manistique.

Last weekend I took advantage of a day booked over a year ago to chase Atlantic Salmon with guide Brad Petzke of Riversnorth Outfitters to expand into a full-on Yooper Fishing Fest with my Dad. Over the course of three days, we covered a lot of backroads, a lot of water, and caught a wide range of fish using a wide range of techniques.

If this feels a bit like a movie trailer - it is. Look for a broad range of upcoming posts on our antics.I'll be mixing in some gear reviews as well - this was a first outing for a whole new fly fishing rig set-up just for small UP streams.

Stay tuned.

-Sean-