RIVER REPORT – December 2,2022

The Old AuSable Fly Shop Fishing Report I had the encounter. It wasn’t close, but it was with the bone-horned brut I saw last year on the same runway—one year older. I’ve taken a lot of bucks, but this one is an entirely different animal.  His antlers look too small for his body, but that’s … Read more

RIVER REPORT – November 11, 2022

The Old AuSable Fly Shop Fishing Report When the weather turns cold and the woods silent, my world slows and all thoughts turn to deer hunting. There is only one pursuit in Northern Michigan during the last two weeks of November—it’s white-tail season.  An event so important and steeped in tradition that many businesses shutter … Read more

River Report October 1, 2022

The best month of the year is here.  I wish October stretched into Spring.   The undisputed king of the calendar offers everything outdoors folk could want.   Winter has snow, Spring has showers, Summer has sunshine—October has all of that and more.  Sure, it might be short of wildflowers and swimming and snow skiing, but … Read more

River Report August 1, 2022

Where has the Summer gone!?  It won’t be long and kids will be filing back into schoolyards. My clan has been camping a lot.  We’re weekly bivouacked in the tent or some lakeside, summer camp style cabin.  Jack has learned to swim this Summer.  He’s made a lot of one-day campground friends.  It’s amazing how … Read more

July 18, 2022 River Report

It’s full-blown Summer here in Northern Michigan and the weather is spectacular.  We’re running a little cooler than normal, but all that means is that “the water is fine”. Lakes are plenty warm enough for a plunge and the River is keeping cool enough for pretty decent trout fishing.  In fact, July has offered up … Read more

River Report June 24, 2022

It’s been a wild ride on the hatch match evening fishing train.  Most anglers were having trouble staying in the heat of the Hex Hatch.  Drastic temperature changes have made angling unpredictable.  We’ve had air temperatures swing nearly fifty degrees in a twenty-four-hour period, and that made figuring out spinner falls nearly impossible.  Worse, the … Read more

River Report – May 28, 2022

This one is straight from the hip. There’s a time for fun language and indulgent writing, and then there’s Drakes in June.  I love May more than any other month in the Au Sable flyfishing world.  I live here for May and June and for October.  May was tough for me.  I fished exactly where … Read more

River Report – May 13, 2022

I live by the Au Sable River mostly because of May and June.  Those two months are hatch match time – the time of the year when water-born insects like mayflies and caddis flies emerge and live out the adult part of their life cycles (even while sandal wearing fifty-year-old fly anglers with Peter Pan … Read more

River Report – May 5, 2022

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report. Windshield wiper smeared bug guts mean fishing is getting good.  We’ve been lurking on the top of the basement steps of water temperature – peeking through the door but, now, the forecast warm weather is about to karate-kick-splinter the opening of Hendricksons.  Things have been hovering just … Read more