The April 1st new "Michigan Trout Opener"  was a great success.  Friday kept mostly sunny but the AuSable River Brown Trout came out to play anyway.  The water clarity was just stained enough to get the trout biting.  It seems like every boat landed at least one nice fish.


And check out the weather for this weekend.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Forecast.aspx?location=USMI0349

Early Spring Stoneflies

Every year we get two different black stones that show up with the warmer weather.  One is small--like a sixteen.  But the other is big.  I like it on a 2XL #14 or a standard 12.  That's probably over sizing it, but the trout don't seem to care.

When you're fishing the stonefly, be sure to twicha nd skitter it.  Work it in all the same places you would a streamer.  Fish the wood piles and the bubble lines.  Drop a nymph off this beefy critter.  It makes a fine bobber.

I like fishing  the stone best upstream as a single fly.  Really focusing on the secondary and tertiary bubble line behind logs. 

However you use it, it can be a great way to get your first dry fly fish of the year.

Have Fun.

New Open Water

Here's the skinny on the New Michigan Trout Fishing Regulations as they pertain to Catch and Release Fly Fishing in our waters.

Starting April 1, 2011 we can fish flies on the Au Sable River from Burton's Landing all the way down to the power lines by Rainbow Resort (remember Rainbow Resort is a private launch).  And we can fish from Mio to McKinley below the damn.  Now a lot of this water is also open to Catch and Release fishing in the off-season with artificial lures as well, but I'm just talking about what we can do with flies for this entry.

The Manistee has some cool off-season opportuntiy, too.  You can catch and release fish there from the bridge at County Rd 612 all the way M-115.  Again, quite a bit of this is also open to artificial lures, so if that's your game, just check the reg's.

That's just so much water.  What a great trout fishing opportunity the Michigan DNR has created for all the Michigan trout fishermen and women.

Winter Warm-ups Mean Fishing Fun

Thermometer hit 46 and we hit the river yesterday.  The guys streamer pulling didn't do all that well from what I understand, but we caught a bunch of fish nymphing.  Brown trout seemed to the most active but we caught a good number of good rainbows as well.  This was a real typical trout yesterday. 

Just a great day to be out.

Fly Contest

The tyers have certainly been busy.  It's amazing what some real winter weather does for fly production.  Two weeks ago I was in a bit of a panic about the tyers' lack of progress.  All that changed with about 16 inches of snow and subzero temperatures.  Here's a pile of  flies Sam wrapped up in only five days last week.

These are size ten drakes.  Any idea how many?  I'll give you each 3 guesses and the contest will stop on March 1st or when someone gets the correct answer.    We'll toss in a hint here or there if you need it.  I tell you now that the number doesn't land on an even dozen.  It's more that 100 and less than 1000.

Please post your guesses as a comment.  Winner gets an Old AuSable Fly Shop gift certificate.  Good Luck!

Original Painting of Your Hunting Dog

Here's something pretty cool.  I've got an artist that will do original, unframed, paintings of your favorite gundog for only $175.  This is real, local, folk art.  I'm certainly going to commission a piece with my old Red Setter.  I challenge you to find a better price for an original, commissioned piece of artwork.

New Rental Cabin

I'm pretty excited.  The Old AuSable Fly Shop is currently able to offer a premium rental on the Au Sable River's "Holy Waters".  Located only 8 miles from town the cabin rests 25 feet from the river and sleeps up to four anglers (two bedrooms with a double bed each and a futon for your mother-in-law)

This cabin sits on a completely wadable stretch of river that is situated among some of the best pools in the Holy Waters.  Check out the link http://www.oldausable.com/services-86.html .

It's Show Season

The Old AuSable is kicking off the show season with "The Indiana Fly Fishing Show" this Saturday January 8th in Indianapolis.  These shows are a great way to spend a wintry Saturday afternoon, meet new folks, and re-connect with old friends . . . hope to see you there.   Here's a link http://www.freewebs.com/reelwomen/indianaflyfishingshow.htm

Never Too Cold to get in Waders

Who says it's too cold to get in waders?  Well, me for one.  But not the USGS.  These folks pulled on yellow jackets and camo waders and jumped right on in the Au Sable River behind the shop.  Don't worry there wern't any problems, these workers were just measuring the river flow, etc . . .   The USGS is a pretty cool organization and I use their info all the time.  If you want to know more about the USGS just click here.  

 

Take Advantage of Relative Warm-ups in the Winter

Here's a nice fish Alex caught while nymphing earlier today on one of our Northern Michigan steelhead streams.

Good fly fishermen (all outdoorsfolk really) become psuedo scientist in a number of different fields.  Of course, you should know as much about your quarry as possible.  But that snowballs quickly into what the critters eat, where they live, when they move etc . . .  It's all important.  For winter fishing and hunting, we study the weather.  It's the most dominant force for the the next few months and the key to everything.

Pushing 32 degrees, today was the second day of a relatively warm spell with bad weather rolling in over the next 24 hours.  Those are good days.

 

Getting Ready for Christmas

Christmas is in the air at the Old AuSable Fly Shop.  We've put up the tree and everything!  There's a little snow on the ground and we're looking forward to a white Christmas.  If you need any last minute stocking stuffers for a fly fisherman in your life, give us a shout and we'll ship your goodies for free.  Hope all is well and everyone has a great holiday.

Tying Season . . . Who Can Admit They've Done This?

Hard to pass on a good squirrel tail--plus it's kinda fun having other drivers think your crazy.

I guess attending the FFF Fly Tying Expo in Holt last weekend really put me in the mood for tying season.  That show always serves as a sort of unofficial kick-off.  Lots of fly tyers from around the region were in attendance and it was great to talk everyone.  It's a very social show and that's why I go.

Anyway, it got the juices flowing in my tying fingers.  I dusted off the vice and tied Quigleys until 3am last night.  I'm a little rusty after the long break, so I didn't get many tied for the amount of time I spent behind the wheel.  But, hey, winter has started and I've already started passing the time.  We've also posted the schedule for tying classes @ http://www.oldausable.com/services-154.html 

Here's Something Cool

Living up North is definitely cool.  Joey and I were pretending to work about ten minutes ago when I looked out the window and spotted this.

You see it?  Just above the grass in the bottom left hand corner.

Look closer.

That's a gray fox that came out of the culvert just across the river from the shop.  I haven't seen many in my life.  Pretty cool.  Pretty good place to work.



First Snow

Woke up yesterday to the first snow of the year.  It's absolutely beautiful when we get that intitial, thin covering.  That all becomes less true in January . . . but, anyway, here we go.  It's winter in Northern Michigan's AuSable River Valley.

Corner of Wakely and N. Down River

There's a old, little, long since out-of-business convenience store near the AuSable river that the owners keep interesting.  With the changing of each season, the folks change the "man in the window".  Over the years it's become a fun, comfortable, strange part of being a Crawford County local.  My wife and I sort of look forward to the new displays and even tend to compain a little if we feel the change is running late.  I expect we'll see a hunter soon.

Fly Fishing License Plates

Good friend of the shop, Tim, gave us this cool license plate to hang on the wall.  If you've got an expired fly fishing themed plate, we'd love to have it for the shop wall.  And for your efforts we'll swap you a FREE Old AuSable hat.  If it's really cool, don't be afraid to barter with us . . . who knows what you can talk us into.





Johnny on the Spot

My friend John is a streamer junkie and cloudy days in the spring, summer, or fall you can find him on the Au Sable River in Northern Michigan.  He fishes the marabou black ghost almost exclusively.  I'm not sure if he was stripping the ghost on this day, but I'd bet it was tied on for at least a little bit.  He caught 3 monsters that day.  "Best Day Ever" was the title of the e-mail he sent me.  He also mentioned something about the possibility of retirement  . . . amazing what a great day on the stream can do.

Fly fishing got me out of grad school and it's gotten lots of my friends out of marriages.  Oh the power of the trout.  Be careful.

Ice in the Guides

This is a terrible picture.  But it's ice in my rod guides.  Lots of ice.  And it's blurred because I was shivering.  Alex and I went out in 25 degree weather to chase browns on the AuSable.  It had to be closer to 15 by the time we got off the water at dark.

I have to say it was worth it though.  We both caught really nice trout.  I'll talk about that trip and post pic's on Thursday's fishing report. 

But ice in the guides.  I hate ice in the guides.  I am haunted by the damned ice in my guides. The only aspect that's good about ice in the guides is that it means you're being hardcore  insane  . . . well you're doing something that involves fishing.  So there's that.

But what can we do about ice in the guides?  Short answer, "Not Much".  There's an ice off paste product out there.  But, frankly, if you've got extra money laying around, you'd be just as well off to send me the $4.99 and I'll send you an empty bag "full of hope".  For 3 bucks more I'll throw in the "dreams". 

You can try Vaseline.  I never have but suspect like most Vaseline applications you should probably lock the door, keep it to yourself, and hope no one finds out.

I heard folks talk about inventing something like a battery operated wire that runs up the rod . . . million dollar idea really.  Brilliant!  Smart like opening a fly shop.

You can swoop and swish your rod under the water and that works a little but your rod tip scrapes the rocks and the stripping guide feels left out.  Nope, fact is that like lots of life's unpleasantries you just gotta suck it up and deal.  Chip the ice out and bitch.  Then remember you're fishing . . . so there's that.

  

Wieners on the Porch

Is there anything better than a Coney Dog by Michigan's,  Au Sable River on a bright, sunny fall afternoon.  Probably, yes.  Probably lots.  Like fishing, kayaking, hunting, etc . . . But hey we've got a week full of beautiful weather and you just gotta enjoy it anyway you can.  Soon there'll be snow.  I'm gonna do my best to get plenty of outside time in while the gettin's good.  Even if it means sitting on the shop's porch eating a hot dog. 

If you let it, life gets in it's own way. 

Turn off the big screen and go outside.

And other such sayings . . .

Man, I'm thinking I should have used "hot dogs" in the the title . . . could get some sketchy followers.  Yikes.

The Famous Lovell's Riverside Tavern

Lovell's Tavern made Outdoor Life's "25 Greatest Fishing Bars"

It's always cool when something/someone from our area gets recognized.  Nancy and Roger have done a great job up there.  If you're ever fishing on the AuSable's North Branch, Lovell's Riverside Tavern is the place to find a bacon cheeseburger and a beer.   The locals are crazy enough to be fun and interesting but not nuts enough to be scary . . . a perfect blend I'd say.   Sorta feels like home to me.  Here's a link to the article.
http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/fishing/2010/10/best-fishing-bars?photo=14#node-1001333069