Inside the Box: Mysis Shrimp

Inside the Box is an indepth look at the flies I use and why I use them. The Mysis can be a relatively easy fly to tie while presenting a unique and often overlooked Great Lakes steelhead food source. Mysis relicta, commonly called Opossum shrimp, is a key food source in the Great Lakes for forage fish like sculpin, rainbow smelt, and alewife. It also contributes significantly to a steelheads diet with some research suggesting that they consist of up too 70 percent of their food intake. Tying instruction is here: Have a look at the Lake Ontario Mysis densities. Notice the concentration of Mysis around the mouths of Eighteen Mile, Oak Orchard, Genesee River and the Oswego River. Awaiting their time to migrate, fall fish stack up on the mouths of these creeks and rivers. The high levels of Mysis may play a significant role in the steelheads diet as they forage in the cooler oxygenated water just off shore. Look to use this pattern in these creeks and rivers as a tasty treat for worn out travlers but also try it when fishing in any tailwater system to actively feeding trout.