by Joe Cermele

Michigan is an iconic trout state with some very famous rivers. For every one of those world renowned flows, however, there are dozen of lesser known—yet equally fishy—rivers. Guide Brian "Koz" Kozminksi of True North Trout Guide Service knows a staggering amount of these "sleepers" like the back of his hand, so when he invited the Hook Shots crew to the northern end of the Mitten to experience some of these hidden gems, they jumped at the chance. The real appeal is that Michigan's log-jammed filled, deep undercut rivers make ideal mousing habitat seeing that the big browns are most often only coming out of their sanctuaries to feed at night. Of course, the tight quarters and minimal backcast room make swinging a mouse in the dark here one of flyfishing's ultimate challenges as host Joe Cermele and Northeast guide Joe Demalderis quickly learned. These waters might be A-game material, but they are also truly unique with their own special beauty. Find out how the team fared against the wily browns and wild brookies in this pristine trout country. To book your own adventure on northern Michigan's hidden rivers, visit Truenorthtrout.com or call Kozminski at (231) 675-1237