Old AuSable River Report – May 3, 2023

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

River Report – April 20, 2023

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

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 – 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

River Report March 14, 2022

This is the weather we’ve been waiting for – Spring is breaking.  We’ve moved the clocks and the kids will steal a week away from school.  There’s a change settling into Northern Michigan.  Spring creep is kindly welcomed.  Temperatures move from twenties to thirties and thirties move to forties and each marker sheds a layer … Read more

River Report February 15, 2021

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report The miserable cold snap has finally ended.  It has been a beautiful, mild winter and the cold spell lasted just long enough to thicken the blood.  Mild temperatures are in front of us for a good while and after the toughening up, it’s going to feel like … Read more

River Report February 4, 2021

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report Well, when you live in the North it’s only a matter of time before winter turns tough and Arctic air dumps into the Great Lakes Region. There’s a beauty of a deep freeze settling in. The snow will be squeaky when daytime high temperatures just tickle single … Read more