It’s pin-drop quiet on Northern waters washed in orange sunrise. There’s no one here. There’s no one in your way. Anglers have the rivers to themselves at dawn and dusk. Savvy fishermen won’t pull two trucks deep into any parking spot—there’s no reason. All of our fields are green and all of our streams crystal. … Read more
Trout Opener was a great success. While not everyone got the trout they were looking for, many anglers saw Hendricksons bobbing along the surface and found fish rising to the bug. Some fine specimens were caught. Having trout rising on Opening Day is like having a birthday on Leap Year. So, that makes me about … Read more
Man, fishing has been great. We just haven’t been catching anything! There’s always an air of excitement around the Au Sable River in Spring. Everyday is filled with the anticipation of good angling and bug hatches even if your birdbath is filled with fresh snow. So, the fishing is always great, even if the trout … Read more
It’s winter and while that means ice in the rod guides for some, it certainly means fly tying here at the Old Au Sable Fly Shop. We will be hosting open fly tying once a week at the dates and times listed. I’ll be doing proven, production patterns and folks are welcome to watch, ask … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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