The water temperature below Mio Dam today is 72 degrees, so be very careful releasing fish, if you must fish at all.

Best dry choices continue to be light cahills, isos, hoppers, and ants.

It looks like the hex hatch is pretty well done for the year, at least on the Au Sable.  We haven’t heard about any significant sightings for at least a week.

The water temperatures below Mio Dam have returned to safe levels with the recent rain. The water level is up a bit today, but not to unsafe wading or drifting levels.

Lots of people are asking about the Hex hatch. The answer is, who knows? I’m getting reports of sporadic hatches on the Upper Au Sable and downstream of McKinley Bridge to 4001, but nothing very predictable. Our guess is the Hex are petering out and will be mostly gone in the next week or so.

Other good choices are still isos, #12 and #14 Light Cahills, BWOs in #18, stoneflies, rubberleg hoppers like the black and yellow skunks, Dave’s Hoppers, and Tarantulas, and of course several different attractors like Adams and Borchers. In other words, a smorgasboard, and if one fly doesn’t work throw another one on.

For streamers, try an olive Matuka sculpin, a Little Rainbow Trout, or a ghost.

Although the water levels below Mio have come down, the water is still higher than normal, so be very careful when wading or operating drift boats.

Hex and Isos are still the dominant flies, along with olives and various stoneflies. There are reports of light cahills, which would be an early appearance by these whitish bugs.

We also have some new streamer patterns, so stop in and take a look.

It’s that time of year again. Hex flies have appeared in their usual places throughout the Au Sable, although they are sparse on the Trophy Waters until you get past McKinley Bridge. They should stay abundant over the next week or so. Call for updates.

Isos are still plentiful and should stay that way for awhile, and are the best choice right now for the Trophy Waters.

Brown Drakes are pretty much done, although there may still be a few here and there. The dominant fly will now be the Isonychia, which should be appearing anytime. Blue Wing Olives should also get results. We have some new streamer patterns that are good choices on these overcast days, so stop in and check them out.

The water temperatures have returned to a safe level below Mio, and should stay that way through the weekend. As always, treat the fish carefully.

The start of the Hex hatch is probably very close, and there have already been scattered reports of Hex on the upper Au Sable.  Keep your eyes and ears open.

Just a word of caution — anyone fishing the Trophy Waters should use great caution when releasing fish.  The water temperature below Mio dam hit 72.

Sulphurs are still active, but Brown Drakes have started and should be numerous below Mio by the end of the weekend.  With the hot temperatures, a little more patience is required….

There is still some light hendrickson action, mostly in the afternoons, but the better action is with the sulphurs, which started a few days ago.  We have a good selection of a couple of different styles of sulphurs at the shop.  Also, hares ear and pheasant tail nymphs, prince nymphs, and zug bugs will produce good results.

The weather is expected to stay dry and hot this week, so that should produce good dry fly action right into June.

It's hard to believe another winter has passed and opening day is upon us. Seemed like a short winter — maybe it was the lack of heavy snow.

The Au Sable River is in fine shape for the opener.  Good dry fly choices for tomorrow are the perennial hendricksons, and also olives.  Streamers will be a good choice as well if it's overcast and rainy as predicted, which seems to be the standard opener weather the last few years.

The steelhead are pretty much gone from the Rifle River, in case anyone is interested.  They're usually there through April, but the warm weather led to an early run.

The shop will be open today and at 7:30 am tomorrow, and we'll have donuts and hot coffee.  Hope to see you even if you don't need anything.

Here's to another great season!

Rusty Gates, owner of Gates Au Sable Lodge in Grayling and President of Anglers of the Au Sable, passed away on December 19 at the too-young age of 54.  Except for possibly George Mason, it is doubtful that there has ever been anyone who devoted as much time, energy and vision to protecting and preserving our wonderful Au Sable River, and probably no one in the midwest who promoted fly fishing as well and as long as he did.  He will definitely be missed by everyone who loves this river.

Anyone who wants to make a memorial donation can visit www.gateslodge.com or www.ausableanglers.org .

The next week or so, if not sooner, should bring one of the most productive hatches to the Trophy Waters:  epherons, also known as White Flies.  This hatch will last for several weeks and will bring a lot of trout to the surface.  We have a good selection of every stage of this fly.  There are still light Cahills coming off, and hoppers and other terrestrials are good selections.  With warmer termperatures expected next week, look for a lot of bugs.  There are still isonychias, and for the last couple of weeks orange stimulators and stonefly patterns have produced good results.

Stop in for an update, as the action can change frequently this time of year.