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.
We are still getting questions about hex flies, but that train has pretty much left the station. There could be a flare-up or two with the warmer weather, but heading out in search of hex is probably a fool's errand at this point (although, of course, it doesn't hurt to have a few in your fly box).
A better choice would be the ever-present isonychia, light cahills, olives, and stoneflies. A Michigan skunk will be a good choice also, as the temperatures rise. For nymph action, try a zug bug or prince nymph.
As always, be mindful of the water temperatures. Extreme caution should be exercised with our Trophy Water fish when the water temperature exceeds seventy.
Hex flies have finally made their long awaited appearance on the river. Most of them are concentrated on the lower Au Sable downstream from McKinley Bridge, on Mio Pond, and on the South Branch and parts of the upper mainstream. With the hot weather we're getting expect the hatch to last longer this year than it did last year. We have a good selection of hex flies this year, so stop in for a sample.
There have been a few hex sightings in the lower Au Sable and a few on Mio Pond, but for the most part the big hatch has not happened yet. It could happen any day, though. Call the shop for more timely updates or check this site.
It's now officially my favorite time of year when it comes to bug hatches. Both brown drakes and isonychias have made their appearance on the river, and the fish are happily feeding on them. The drakes will be most active in the evening, as will the isos. Duns and spinners will get the best results, but it will be worth trying the emergers earlier in the day as well.
Another good fly to use right now is the Roberts Yellow Drake. It's not exactly a brown drake or iso, but it seems to get good results during these hatches.
The river is in good shape right now with decent water levels and good temperatures for trout, and the canoeing pressure on Saturdays has not peaked yet. If you're thinking about fishing the Au Sable or taking a guided trip, there isn't a better time than right now.
As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, conditions on the Trophy Waters look very nice. The water level is within the normal range, and water temperatures are ideal. Dark Hendricksons are pretty well done, although there are still light Hendrickson spinner falls. Last night the fish were looking for sulphurs, and it should stay that way for at least a week or two. Other good fly choices are mahoganies and Borchers Specials. For nymph fishing, stick with hares ears and pheasant tails, with the occasional prince nymph.
Don't forget to remember our fallen troops on Monday. It's easy to forget what this holiday is supposed to be all about.
