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2003 Report 1st Entry- Sunday, May 11, 2003. Well, where do I start? I've been chasing trout on certain waters since the end of February. The streamer and nymph fishing was fine for late winter and early spring but now we're into our third weekend of trout season and it's time for dry flies and rising fish! Without question the northerly component contained in our winds is the top story. Even with elongated days and some warming sun Northern Michigan continues to struggle with the arrival of spring. Cool evenings have limited the Hendrickson hatches or spinner falls to late afternoon events. Late morning dry-fly fishing has been augmented by Black Caddis hatches. Also of note are Blue-Winged Olives and Mahogony's. I've been fishing a certain section of Main-Stream AuSable River for 8 of 10 evenings awaiting a Henny spinner fall. A monster cold front blew in late last night bringing much needed moisture. It also brought highs in the low 50's and 25 mph winds. I decided to get started on this journal versus throwing a 3 inch streamer in 45 degree weather. Working backwards chronologically I've been able to fish the Main, South and North Branch of the AuSable the prior 48 hours. There have been significant habitat improvements on certain portions of this system since April. I'm looking forward to fishing the benefits provided by these forward thinking efforts. For the traditional Saturday opener I traveled up to the Pigeon River State Forest. The area east of Vanderbilt is one of those areas introduced to me as a teenager. The stretch chosen for Saturdays opener was a bit crowded but that's to be expected. I included a trip to the Boyne River on Sunday to round out the weekends fishing activities. Steelhead had arrived in sporadic numbers. They were aided by some spring rains. The same rains that didn't show up for the fall run. I'm still trying to get a handle on these fish when it comes to taking them with a fly rod! A trip the following Monday to Oscoda only solidified this desire. I had the good fortune of fishing with the single-best fisherman I know! That day we were on the lower AuSable. He and his future Son-In-Law were already knee deep in the river when I arrived. A number of area hopefuls were perched on various river bends lamenting the "lack-of-fish". Well after salutations and general pleasantries were exchanged I asked the question... "How's the fishing"? My buddy simply pointed to a log with a hemp rope stringer. He then suggested a break for lunch; but after he cast to a steelie lying in one of the rivers interior runs. Two casts and 10 minutes later we headed for the parking lot and an afternoon meal. I helped him carry his morning catch past those nay sayers. The same ones who suggested there were no fish in the river! It's an incredible pleasure to fish and spend time with craftsman like this guy. What-a-treat! Along that same vein was a day float on the Pere Marquettte near Baldwin. April 9th was the day. A buddy cashed in a favor and I was included in a day-long excursion on this well-known water. We covered lots of river during 10 hours. I was responsible for the afternoon shore lunches main course. Three stellar cuts of beef covered my admission to the days activities. That days lessons weren't limited to spawning steelhead. The time streamside visiting a new river and meeting new friends would have justified a whole side-of-beef! I've been able to fish 6 of 7 days for the prior two months. The Sturgeon River below Wolverine has been another of my stops prior to Opening Day. I suppose a picture is still worth a thousand words so I'll aspire to include photography in some upcoming entries. There are more creeks, streams and rivers than I have time to visit even if I relegate myself to a full-time trout bum! And that's talking of blue-ribbon trout waters within 30 miles of this keyboard. On a more serious note... Public hearings have concluded for the addition of the Upper Manistee and Pine Rivers into the Michigan Natural Rivers Program. I visited the public meetings last Saturday in Grayling and Monday in Gaylord. What I find especially heartening regardless of opposition or support is this... The rivers and their watersheds are special places that deserve and require care! All in attendance agree on that issue. You can check out more info on the Act by clicking on this embedded link. Saturday, May 17, 2003. The week brought our area strong storms and a nasty cold-front for Mothers-Day last Sunday. With this front was enough moisture to raise the levels and dirty the waters of most area rivers. Not a terrible consequence when you look at local water tables. It did set the dry-fly fishing back a couple days though. Some sporadic Hendrickson spinner fall has occurred but the majority of the activity has been relegated to mid-or-late afternoons. Keep in mind that this pertains to the rivers located south of Gaylord. Those rivers running north are just beginning to see some Caddis activity. A buddy fishing the Pigeon River east of Vanderbilt reported some excellent morel finds. I guess this helps compensate for an otherwise quiet fishing day. The Grayling Chapter of Trout Unlimited is holding its spring meeting later this evening... so I'm compelled to fish somewhat near town in order to make the social hour prior to dinner. Thursday, May 22, 2003. Last Sunday Evening brought a significant Hendrickson spinner fall while on the South Branch. A number of decent fish took up feeding lanes around 8:00 p.m. Monday brought warmer temperatures to the area. It also introduced the Sulphurs to this springs line up. Another front moved through on Tuesday out of Canada. Temps fell during the day and our northerly breezes became a gale. A number of reports throughout the system indicated some hatches and spinners falls but it was rather sporadic due to the blustery weather. Wednesday saw a mid-day hatch of Sulphurs on the AuSable Main Branch. I've seen three species of Caddis, B.W.O.'s, Mahogonies, Sulphurs and late Hendricksons sporadically during the late afternoon. Our evening temps fell into the upper 20's on Tuesday night and the low 30's this morning. The sun has warmed water temps into the 60's but the cool northerly winds and lack of cloud cover doesn't seem to help the early evening insect activity. The steelies have moved into the Boyne River in nice numbers as of last Monday. Buddy John had several hook ups and little fishing pressure. This after waiting weeks for any real significant numbers to enter this river. With Memorial Day Weekend just around the corner I think I'll make an effort to visit a couple other streams in the neighborhood. Wednesday, May 28. Last Friday evening (May 22nd), the start of the Memorial Day Weekend brought much needed spring rain to all of northern Michigan. Campers and canoeist didn't enjoy the moisture and cool temps much but the insects and local fisherman did. It's a bit selfish when ones chuckles about the lousy holiday weather. The mayfly activity has included nymph and emergence activity on cloudy mornings followed by evening spinner activity. The yellow #16 Sulfurs have taken center stage throughout much of the area. Fishing a late season Hendrickson has still produced some nice evening results. If you're limited to one or two days fishing then by all means start mid-morning with emergers. A nymph dropper has produced steady action behind the emerger. Just after lunch you'll still have Caddis activity. Pace yourself because you'll be fishing until nearly 10:00 p.m. into the evening rise. On Saturday morning my fishing partner released a 29 inch hen on the Boyne. The number of fish in that river was decent until yesterday. Wednesdays trip was probably the final push for steelhead this spring as the evenings fish for steelhead became two hours fish for rising trout. The Pigeon and Jordan Rivers are producing Hendrickson and Sulfurs. I'll be on the Pigeon later this afternoon. I've a visit to the Black River scheduled for next Tuesday. I'll try to post an update and photos within the next 48 hours. Friday, May 30th. Thursday afternoon was rather quiet on the Pigeon. But Sulfurs and Olives were active from 7:00 p.m. Then a significant emergence followed of a #12 mayfly. I think this is a early season Brown Drake. The fish were boiling and all kinds of good things were happening. I touched the nicest brookie of the season before the night was over. We have considerable clouds right now and I'm pressing to get back on the river for another Sulfur spinner fall. I'm using a couple references to verify last nights hatch. Stay tuned! Tuesday, June 3rd. I'm told by those who know the Pigeon much better than I, that the emergence last Thursday was a Gray Drake. At least that's the local name for it. Friday afternoon brought steady rain well past 11:00 p.m. I know that because I fished the Pigeon until that time. Sulfurs dribbled off the water up until dark but the water level was up significantly from the prior day. My time on this river the prior week has been a lot of fun. There is a tremendous amount of wildlife throughout the forest area. I think the biggest effect on we fly fisherman is the dam located on the local "ranch" just off Sturgeon Valley Road. I visited the same general area 4 of 5 days last week. We had no significant rain during that time but the river was up/down by several inches on successive days. Many portion of the Pigeon are less than 30 feet wide. When a couple additional inches of water head down stream that tends to wash an awful lot of food and debris into the system. Just my observations! For Sunday I attended a memorial service in Grayling for a gentleman I wish I'd known better. He was a guide and friend of many avid troutsman. Here's a link about him from folks I admire... and those who knew him much better than I. www.gateslodge.com/fishing.htm For Sunday evening and again on Monday I visited the waters above Lovells on the Ausable North Branch. The Sulfus provided a nice spinner fall right at dark. There are brown drakes emerging too. The temps fell into the low 30's on Saturday and Sunday evening. We had sunshine on the following days that warmed the water to 60 degrees. Our daytime highs have been in the 70 degree range but we've still got a cool northerly breeze late into the day prior to darkness. I'm off to the Black River later today. The forecast calls for "more fishing". Saturday Afternoon, June 7. The eveing fish on the Black River was highlighted by a steady Sulfur emergence from 5-8 p.m. The Sulfur hatch was followed by a March Brown hatch. This was punctuated by a very heavy Sulfur spinner fall just prior to darkness. As the sun set so did the temperatures. The 70 degree temps fell to 48 degrees by 10:00 p.m. We still have prevailing north winds. There's been very little daytime warming and if the skies are clear at dusk then the temps have really fallen quickly. A number of beautiful brookies were caught and released on Tuesday evening. Wednesday brought steady rain in the upper portion of Crawford County. The remaining Sulfurs in the Ausable system didn't seem to mind; and neither did the March Browns. The steady shower was good for the general area. Today is the beginning of several days on the North Branch chasing Brown Drakes. Typically this starts above Lovells and works its way downstream in rather rapid fashion. Thursday, June 5th. My buddy and managing broker took up the cause for the eveing along a bend of river now dubbed "The No Fish Hole". Jims inclined to down-play a certain section of rivers potential. While there is some justification for his reasoning we both know there are some very nice fish in this stretch of water. We're at a point in our fishing were we drive separately. I tend to stay too long and Jim tends to leave too early. Thursday night was a very good example. March Browns and more Sulfurs up until 9:45. He left at 10:00 p.m. I stayed until 11:30. Last evening (Friday) I was preparing to leave at 11:30 p.m. when an area guide stopped me. He was headed for home after finishing a days work. Because he saw my vehicle he figured I was into something worthwhile. The evening fish had been decent but the Brown Drakes hadn't really popped. Next thing you know we're at the rivers edge listening to decent sized fish take #10 Brown Drakes. This guy landed 4 fish in the same feeding lane without moving much more than five feet. The fifth fish was a brown that measured 18 inches. I know because I put the tape on him as Joe prepared to revive the fish. It was 1:15 a.m. when we called it an evening. I'll be headed to the same general area once this update is completed! Friday the 13th, June, 2003. The word from last Saturday through today is still drakes. I thought the major Brown Drake activity was finished on the middle and upper AuSable North Branch last weekend but I was wrong. Saturday evening began with a rather large bunch of hopefuls awaiting the evening rise. Most departed after a decent March Brown emergence. This happens just prior to the evening Sulfur spinner fall. Our temps continue to be regulated by cool days and northerly breezes. Sunday and Monday evenings were spent in the Mason Tract of the AuSable South Branch. The Brown Drakes have begun their emergence in portions of this river. We received big rains on Tuesday. Some areas of northern Michigan received nearly two inches. This made the Pigeon nearly unfishable through Thursday. I've been fortunate to meet a number of interesting people via fly-fishing. The natural resources and unique geographical characteristics around us are really remarkable. These factors draw folks from around the world; really! A couple of afternoons fishing with this chap from England were a riot. Don has a unique practice located across the pond. If permission is granted I'll provide more information in a future update. Last evenings full moon was worth the time spent stream-side. Jim and I were each able to land very nice fish prior to and during a steady Brown Drake hatch. More of the same is expected for this weekend. I have a day trip scheduled next week for the Manistee River. Look for an update on Monday afternoon. This should be another terrific fishing weekend! Monday, June 16. Last Saturday and Sunday evenings on the South Branch were terrific! The Brown Drakes were spinning prior to dark. The last of this months full moon provided a great back drop. We're having a decent warm-up with temps in the upper 70's and low 80's. The humidity has been relatively low and the afternoon breezes have been nearly non-existent prior to the Drakes mating dance. A rather meaty Cadis is busy ovi-positing just prior to a number of mayfly emergences. Add Isonycia to the remaining March Browns and throw in some Olive activity and... you get the picture. The activity within the river is incredible once the trout are expecting these insects. At times I find myself astounded with literally a dozen fish slapping or slurping any number of insects. Matters become even more interesting when one insect is emerging while another is mating or falling to the waters surface spent from its reproduction efforts. My Vanderbilt buddy fished his home waters for most the weekend. The river appears to back into mid-season shape after last weeks drenching. Caddis and Olives are providing most of the surface activity. We're looking for more Drake activity possibly by weeks end. A trip to the Sturgeon is in the making one day next week. Tight Lines Folks! Saturday, June 21. Summers First Day. For Tuesday Matt and I spent the afternoon and evening making our way down the AuSables "Holy Water" toward Wakely Bridge. We wound up out-of-daylight and significantly short of our final destination. The final stretch near Wakely will have to wait for another day. Isonychia, caddis, olives, midges, yellow stones... all added a bit of uncertainty to the evenings fish while we waited on Brown Drakes. The drakes were light on this night on our stretch of river. Matt had a new fly rod that was put to the test though. It passed with flying colors. For Wednesday we traveled into Otsego County and made our way along both Goose Creek and the Manistee River. A couple of brookies came to the fly on the creek at high noon. The most interesting happenings were later on the Manistee. A high sky and bright sunshine with temps in the upper 70's for most of the day. In an area below M-72 we encountered some very large browns in feeding lanes taking nymphs. The water was crystal clear and no cloud cover to speak of at 3:00 p.m. I've not seen fish this large show themselves in conditions like this. I tend to learn something on nearly each trip to these area rivers! The evening rise consisted of March Browns, Isonychia and good numbers of Brown Drakes. A very rewarding day on the river. It's interesting the difference 24 hours makes. Between Wednesday and Thursday we had a significant cool-down. No rain but temps fell into the mid-30's by Thursday late. The rivers water temperature was in the mid 60's. This created quite a contrast and river fog for an evening spinner fall. The larger mayflies were not as numerous but a steady emergence of late-season Sulfurs still provided for an evening rise. For Friday evening I headed off to the Pigeon. Isonychia and light olive action helped produce 30-45 minutes of decent dry-fly action. Today's temps were into the low 80's. I'm certain this should bring about some spinner falls on any number of area rivers tonight. Look for an update and photos over the next 48 hours. Thursday, June 26. Dry and hot best describes the prior 4 or 5 days. Friday evening on the Pigeon River I managed to land a number of nice fish from dusk until mid-night; I also wound up over my waders. The electronic equipment including my dated digital camera won't be of much good anymore. That sharp curve and beaver lodge has produced a nice, deep hole! Saturday and Sunday evening were spent on the same river further down stream. Isonychia and late season March Browns were still producing a steady evening rise. Monday, Tuesday and last evening were focused on the Hex near Grayling. These nymphs have become very active as our temps have been in the low 90's. No rain for two weeks has warmed most local waters to 70 degrees. A temperature reading on the AuSable Main Branch at 8:00 p.m. last night had the water at 72 degrees. These temps become tough on the trout and can be lethal for hooked fish. This is also perfect Hex emergence conditions! Fishing to rising trout that are busting emerging nymphs prior to their adult flight is probably what most fly fisherman wait all-year-long for. Tuesday night the hogs were active from midnight until our departure after 2:00 a.m. Fresh tippet and large dry flies are on the agenda for the next 7-10 days! Thursday, July 3rd. The 90 degree temps were broken on last Friday when significant rain and much cooler weather rolled across the area. Those 70 degree water temps fell as low as 59 degrees for Saturday evening on the Manistee. The same goes for most other area streams. This slowed the Hex from a flurry to a steady emergence. I had reports and fished four counties that showed good numbers of Cahills, Mahogonies, Isonychia (bi-colors) and Hex. I've broken my normal pattern by skipping around to any number of rivers and different locations the prior week. I've met a number of fine fisherman during this summers evening excursions. The Manistee and Main Branch of the AuSable are still producing decent numbers of big bugs. Today's rain and high temps should make for a long evenings fish. The Pigeon has had nice numbers of Light Cahills and bi-color Isonychia spinners. I expect I'll be trending a bit more North during this 4th of July weekend due to emergence schedules and fishing traffic. I'm extending an open invitation for electronic photos of your triumphs. Send them after contacting me via an introductory e-mail. I won't open any attachments unless you've notified me prior to sending an attachment. *** IMPORTANT STUFF!! *** Many of you have no doubt contacted your legislators, the DNR or the DEQ concerning plans for drilling operations near the Mason Tract of the AuSable South Branch. I'll be posting a link in the journal and providing a permanent link of my site while this issue is in the permitting process. http://www.LanceWeyeneth.com/masontract.htm Stay tuned and let-your-voice-be-heard! Tight-Lines and Happy 4th of July. Saturday, July 12 Michiganders have a saying regarding our weather... "If you don't like it now just wait five minutes!" The dry warm conditions have given way to a major rain event and very cool temps. A friend from the National Weather Service in Gaylord reported some local areas had more than 3 inches of rain between Thursday afternoon through Friday evening. Good news for the environs but a bit tough on visitors and fishing plans. The Manistee River was fishable last evening but the trout have had lots of food choices. I'm still seeing light Cahills and an evening emergence of B.W.O.'s These olives range in size from 18-24's. The Cahills are about #14's. We had good numbers of Trico's on portions of the AuSable system early in the week. I imagine conditions should be favorable by Sunday for these early morning spinners. It's interesting to note the progression between April and July concerning the increasing size of these mayflies and the time frame we pursue them. It's a welcome change to find myself fishing the morning rise associated with the Trico's versus the midnight foray surrounding the Hex. Another sharp comparison has to do with the size difference between these insects. The Hex are the largest mayfly in North America while the Trico is one of the smallest to elicit really active trout feeding. I imagine grasshoppers and ants can't be too far off once we have another significant dry spell. An informal public meeting was held in Grayling on Thursday afternoon concerning proposed mineral exploration near the Mason Tract. I'd like to thank all who turned out on rather short notice. Look for a synopsis in the coming days regarding this meeting. I expect an announcement of formal public hearings any day! Friday, July 18. Well a recap of last Friday, Saturday and Sunday goes like this... good; better; best! The rains raised water levels and lowered temps. A group of frenzied friends spent time on the Manistee River below M-72 on Friday evening. Streamers and wets produced some action. Saturday afternoon we headed further upstream near County Road 612. Decent numbers of olives and cahills were followed at dusk by Isonychia and then... Hex Spinners! We fished under a full moon with coyote yelping about us. Several brookies and browns came to the fly well past midnight. Sunday morning found our foursome on the North Branch of the AuSable. There we arrived in time for the end of that days trico spinner fall. By 9:30 a.m. we were into a steady blue wing olive emergence. By noon we were headed back for town to meet family members and depart for other environs. I fished the Manistee again Sunday evening but had no significant Hexagina activity. Monday & Tuesday were off-days but Wednesday found me in the Pigeon River Forest chasing those big beautiful Hex Spinners. This was rather by accident. My Vanderbilt friends were entertaining a visitor. I'd been nursing an aggravated tooth; but I figured I might just as well be miserable on the river as anywhere else. Just prior to our departure time (10:00 p.m.) guess what shows up causing all types of commotion? The Hex were the final participants that included Olives, Cahills, Stones, Isonychia and Caddis. This sure beat sulking somewhere awaiting Thursday's dental appointment. The Motrin, Vicodin and Amoxicillin have done there job the prior 24 hours... well enough that I'll try my hand at an evenings fish. *** MASON TRACT DRILLING UPDATE*** The permit as applied for by Savoy Energy has been denied by the Michigan D.E.Q. The Governors office has written a letter to the U.S. Forestry Department and the Michigan Senate held a hearing on Wednesday in Lansing. A very active week folks!! Thursday, July 24. I'll work backwards from this mornings activity on the North Branch of the AuSable River. We had airborn tricos by 8:15 a.m. This spinner emergence follows the earlier mornings dun hatch. Our water temps were 60 degrees at 10:00 a.m. even though there wasn't a cloud for miles. Our high temperature today will be right near 80 degrees. A slight breeze picked up just as the spinner fall was completed and the B.W.O.'s started emerging. A beautiful morning fishing trip. As we were leaving the river a noticed a decent number of small grass-hoppers near the parking area. Wednesday night was also spent on the North Branch. The evening rise was highlighted by steadily feeding brookies and browns. Between 8:00 and 9:30 p.m. cahills, olives and Pontimanthidae were found in significant numbers. An few bi-color Isonychia right at dusk provided for decent feeding conditions up through 11:30 p.m. The milky-way was in all its glory! The atmospheric conditions were perfect for watching the night sky. Tuesday evening was spent in the Pigeon River Forest well east of Vanderbilt. Midges, caddis and olives together with a few late arriving cahills. The highlight of the evening was a rather large elk cow which refused to yield to our vehicle. Her actions left me wondering about a nearby calf. Nite flies are now in order for arousing the interest of our areas largest trout. The last hex activity I can verify was a week ago last Wednesday. The Manistee River in Otsego and Crawford Counties has been fishing much like the AuSable. One more thing... *** MICHIGAN D.E.Q. WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING PROPOSED NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION NEAR THE MASON TRACT*** WHEN?? MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST 18, 2003 @ 7:00P.M. WHERE?? HOLIDAY INN of GRAYLING Friday, August 1st, 2003. This summer has been tough on the typical vacation visitor, but great for fly fishing enthusiasts. Thursday night and this morning are prime examples... I planned to throw a night-fly on the AuSable Main stream but an impressive thunder storm rolled across this part of the state about 10:00 p.m. We've had additional rain this morning throughout the area too! Water temps remained in the high 50's and low 60's all week long. This helped promote very active Trico spinner activity between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. This spinner fall is followed by the Slate Wing Olive (Ephemerella lata) emergence. These are size 16/18 Mayflies that offer late morning and early afternoon dry-fly fishing. As a buddy was saying last week... "The Trico's and Slate Wings offer double the trouble with morning and evening action for both". Thursday morning I was still landing fish at 11:00 a.m. Work required my presence otherwise I likely would have fished well past the noon-hour. Wednesday evening and Tuesday were both spent on the North Branch near the "no-fish-hole". This is my favorite spot for a number of reasons. One of them has to do with habitat. The other is certainly the beauty of the place. A third could be its access. The trout and other wildlife put this place "over the top". I haven't ventured much beyond the AuSable the prior week. The word on the Manistee continues to parallel the AuSables. I'll likely visit a couple other rivers for my next report. Until then... Tight-Lines & Damp Waders! Thursday, August 7th. Conditions have been nice for morning, afternoon and evening fishing all week long. Significant cloud cover and moisture have help stabilize temperatures over all of Northern Lower Michigan. The Pigeon was up substantially on Tuesday evening. The water clarity was less than normal for this time of year. This river seems to be most affected by local rains. Streamers and #12 orange Sedge Caddis coaxed a few fish to the fly. An evening emergence and spinner fall appear to happen within moments of each other around 8:30 p.m. I believe this the "Potamanthus" that we've been seeing on the AuSable system for the prior 10 days. A steady number of trout were feeding from 8:00 p.m. well into dark last eveing on the AuSable's Main Stream. The first three fish I saw feeding all came to this #18 spinner. Within moments the trouts rise form changed from dimples to a more aggressive splash. This seemed to coincide with the arrival of the evenings duns. I haven't yet figured out the entire evenings sequence. At any rate once darkness falls there are still actively feeding fish. Last nights moon produced a lot of light and shadows. Most of my strikes after dark came from bubble-lines and near structure. The moon was still on the water at 11:00 p.m. Last Saturday evening three of us visited the South Branch with the sole purpose of fishing big flies well into Sunday morning. When I left the river around 2:45 a.m. I still had consistent fish looking for a large dose of protein. Several fish over 15 inches made it a memorable night. The Trico's are on tap for tomorrow morning... and so is the Manistee River. The local forecast calls for more temperatures in the 70's by day and the upper 50"s by night. These "dog-days-of-summer" sure are producing great fishing conditions! Thursday, August 14th. Friday morning I had the opportunity to make the friendship of two fellow anglers from Grand Rapids. Bart and Ken contacted me via my web-site. These guys enthusiasm and good nature made for a nice weekend. The Trico activity on the AuSable Main Stream was steady on Friday. Spinners by 8:15 a.m. followed by Olives at 10:00 a.m. I had business to attend to but these guys hit the North Branch Saturday morning. It appears the seasons Trico activity is completed above Lovells. Saturday evening the rise was triggered by tiny B.W.O.'s, Orange Sedge, #14 Yellow Stones and the last of a #18 Potamanthus. Just after dark Ken managed to land a couple of photo-worthy browns. Sunday morning produced very active Trico's followed by steady numbers of "Gray-Wing", #18 Olives. We were able to fish into the noon-hour before the AuSable Main Stream traffic ended our morning fish. The prior two evenings were spent on the upper Manistee River under a full-moon and Mars. Quite an encore presentation after a nice evenings fish. The moisture and moderate temperatures from July and early August have left our local trout population in relatively good shape. Temps are climbing this week into the mid and upper 80's. Last weeks unstable front has moved out in time for the next round of hatch activity. I'd like to say "thanks" to Richard for introducing me to his "home-waters"! This evenings excursion is scheduled for Mio. The Ephron are due any day! Our temps are close to 90 degrees. I've been fortunate the prior few years to experience fantastic hatches... but I've not seen anything that rivals these beautiful, white mayflies. Their numbers are hard to imagine. Stay Tuned... and Tight-Lines! ***IMPORTANT NEWS*** This Monday Evening, August 18th @ 7:00 p.m. in Grayling is a PUBLIC HEARING regarding proposed mineral exploration in the MASON TRACT! The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will host this forum at the Holiday Inn. Your e-mail, letters, voice or attendance can make a difference! Check out my site for prior links and contact information regarding this issue! Thursday, August 28th. Fall is in the air folks. We're seeing a clash of seasons on a daily basis through-out northern Michigan. This week brought warm temperatures and high humidity followed by cool evenings and big-time thunder storms. The recent rains have the area river systems in fine late-season shape. Last evening on the Pigeon River east of Vanderbilt water temps were 67 degrees at 7:00 p.m. The evening rise consisted of tiny Blue Wing Olives, small Caddis (#18) and a few Isonychia Sadleri. No real need for insect repellent now that most of the mosquito activity has leveled off. The past two weekends I spent a number of successive evenings just below Mio awaiting the Ephron emergence. The insects showed in decent numbers. The nymphs start their emergence once the sun is off the water and the temperatures begin to cool. 70 degrees seems to be a flash point for these mayflies. A couple of new friends have caught the fever since early August. We've managed a few rainbows but the hefty browns known to dominate these waters have been in short supply. Night-fly fishing was extremely productive for a couple buddies on the AuSable South Branch early this week. Those warm muggy days noted earlier resulted in great late night fishing. The brightest light in the night sky was Mars. Its closer to our planet now than any time the prior 60,000 years. Without any moon to compromise the southern horizon the MilkyWay produced a terrific back drop for viewing the red planet. We're expecting a major cool-down starting tomorrow. Highs are forecast in the mid-60's. Labor Day Weekend will really signal the end of summer this year. I expect terrestrials will be a big part of this weekends day-time fishing. Hoppers and ants with a dropper just for good measure. ***MASON TRACT DRILLING UPDATE*** More than 125 concerned citizens attended the public forum in Grayling on August, 18th. Those in attendance represented a number of businesses and two local Chambers of Commerce. Aside from environmental issues/risks its rather apparent that the area may well suffer further economic setbacks if this plan is approved. Representatives from Savoy Energy were also in attendance. More than 40 people spoke about economic, environmental and bureaucratic oversights. None Spoke Favorably! I've attended two forums the prior month. Savoy Energy has been represented at each. To date they've been content to allow State and Federal Agencies to speak on their behalf. In my view this firm is looking for another large pay-off much like the Nordhouse Dunes. That pay-off was nearly $100,000,000.00 Paid by the residents of this State. On the-other-hand... George Mason gifted this land with two very simple restrictions. (A) That the land forever remain a game preserve. (B) NO Part thereof shall be sold by the State of Michigan! This man was an astute businessman; who understood commerce and the need for quality recreation! Some of his closest friends were titans in Detroits' Automotive Society. He KNEW this day would come... I'm certain that the intent fostered by Mr. Mason has been neglected and disgarded by those entrusted to protect it! The battlelines are drawn. This is the first of what could be MANY intrusions on the tract. Tuesday, September 10th... Back to fishing! The events surrounding mineral exploration have taken far too much time and enjoyment from my pursuit of trout. The prior two evenings found me on very skinny waters. Last evening with temperatures in the mid 60's and clear skies I was able to coax three beautiful brookies and a brown to a #16 Adams. The upper Manistee River can be simply described as a ribbon of life meandering through the swamps of lower Otsego County. Fishing a dry up-stream between very dense old growth cedar is a kick! The local beaver population has really taken over; and their effect produces some unique challenges. Gaining access to the river and creating enough room for casting can be more difficult than landing otherwise receptive fish. Sunday evening in the Pigeon River Forest was every bit as rewarding. All three species of trout prior to dusk make for a nice evening of fishing. Water temps were 62 degrees. An evening midge, tiny B.W.O., Potamanthus and late seson Isonychia Sadleri complement the flying ants and hoppers found on or near the river during the mid-to-late afternoon. Darkness is rather complete by 9:00 p.m. so a large chuck of protein or nite-fly moved bigger fish after the evening rise. We've been more than a week without significant precipitation. That said the cool evening temps (40's) have made for very predictable conditions. Ephrons are still rolling on the AuSable trophy waters below Mio. Tiny B.W.O.'s in the morning and evening sandwich terrestrials for steady all-day-fishing! Our day-time highs have been in the mid-70's during the prior week. The word from the big lakes have schools of Coho and Chinook pooling up near any number of harbors. A friend docked in Rogers City has reported spotty-to-decent catches of both species the prior three weeks. The North-Easterly winds still seem to play a major role in their success rate. A conversation with an avid fly fisherman last weekend detailed some success from a number of breakwalls on Lake Michigan. The scene seems to be set once September delivers some rain to Northern Lower Michigan. I've committed to a weekend on the Pere Marquette later this month so I'm paying a bit more attention to the fall spectacular known as the "Salmon Run". With three weeks remaining on most trout streams I've planned to visit the Black and Sturgeon Rivers. Look for an update during the next week... and Tight-Lines! Tuesday, September 23rd. How quickly the time and our seasons pass. The text in the prior paragraph reminds me of this fact. A quick synopsis of a number of area rivers... Late season mayflies on the Manistee and AuSable are still producing opportunities for dry fly enthusiasts. The evening rise the prior 10 days between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. has included blue-wing olives, Potamanthus and Isonychia in decent numbers. Warm and dry conditions have been replaced by rain, clouds and cooler temperatures. Some spawning colors are showing on brookies and browns should be moving to spawning grounds. The Black and Pigeon have been fickle according to a couple buddies. These guys fish them a bit more often then most folks I know. Redds are showing up much like the colors in the woods around us. Salmon are in the Boyne and Platte Rivers. Decent numbers as of last weekend. These runs should be helped along by yesterdays rain. Last Monday, I had the pleasure of hunting with a buddy and his Golden Retriever. Seamus, is an eight year-old male who did his owner proud. Understand that temperatures were in the 70's. We'd had no rain for more than 14 days and the cover was thick. This mattered little to our canine companion. His work earned far more praise than my shooting skills could muster. His owner salvaged some form of redemption by knocking down a young bird. Seamus performed beautifully by retrieving an otherwise lost grouse. It's been more than two years since I last hunted with my Golden, Tally. The day sure brought back a lot of wonderful memories. This Grouse hunting could become rather regular if I'm not careful! Fins and Feather seem to go together. This weekend I'll be on the Pere Marqutte. Tonight the middle-Manistee. Some additional issues in the political arena will need to be addressed shortly. These include a couple of bills introduced in the Michigan Legislature concerning the Natural Rivers Program. On another matter... Public comment is now being accepted by the U.S Forest Department for future use in its three National Forests. Look for links on these issues and an update on the proposed exploitation of the Mason Tract. Monday, October 20th. My first post of the month folks. Area colors peaked last weekend. Cold, wet weather the first of the month was followed by "Indian Summers" full moon. Evening efforts produced nice fish on those waters open year-round for catch-and-release. Last Saturday tiny B.W.O.'s between 4-6 p.m. aroused rising browns on the AuSable North Branch and made for some late-season fun. Water temps have fluctuated dramatically. Area waters have moved between the low 40's up to nearly 50 degrees. Today will likely be the warmest afternoon until next spring. Low pressure is making its way into the region behind southwesterly breezes and highs will be 65 degrees... perfect for late afternoon dry-fly action. The last weekend of September produced some fun on the Pere Marquette River west of Baldwin. I was invited by a couple of buddies to visit the Barothy Lodge. www.BarothyLodge.com The fall run of Chinook salmon was at its zenith. I understand the attraction garnered by these large fish as they enter the river system. To see several males competing for the attention of a female near her redd is inspiring. It's also somber to realize these fish have a single goal in mind. They haven't eaten for a month; their bodies have transformed into reproductive machines and once they've accomplished this task their life is over. Not to be over dramatic... But I find the entire scenario both glorious and very somber. Such is the circle-of-life! If you've visited this site during the summer you're likely aware of the ongoing saga near the Mason Tract. The following are a couple more web-sites pertaining to the issue. www.fs.fed.us/r9/hmnf/pages/natural_gas.htm Also before us are plans to modify the use and over-sight in the Huron-Manistee National Forest. Public comment is required right now through November 17th. These revisions will affect the activities allowed within the forests for the next 20 years. One could easily spend 40 hours each week tracking and mobilizing sportsman about the pressures our natural resources are under. Big industry has the resources to do just that! If you have an evening or are an active member of any number of conservation, hunting or fishing clubs; the time to contribute is NOW! Friday, October 31st. Happy Halloween! A warm front with clouds and moisture has worked its way into northern Michigan during the prior 24 hours. A number of decent afternoons the prior 10 days has produced dry fly action on those waters open for catch-and-release. Active spawning and redds are visible on nearly all the area rivers and tributaries. An afternoon on the Boyne River this week produced a couple of salmon hook-ups. These are late season fish. The trip was really about locating some early season steelhead that might be up feeding on the late spawning chinook. Streamer fishing is producing nice browns near Grayling. Water temps have produced some aggressive fish for premium day-time fishing. Our evening lows have been primarily in the mid-to-low 30's. Daytime highs had been in the 40's. Contrast this to the forecast today and you know I'm headed out for an afternoon on the AuSables' "Holy Water". The South Branch near the Chapel is slated for late this afternoon. How SCARY is that? Novembers Gone... It's December 11th, 2003. This may be the final report for 2003 folks. I've not spent much time fishing browns or brookies and throwing dries but I have been able to get around a portion of north and western Michigan in search of Steelhead. The learning curve still seems a bit steep but I've met a number of like-minded desperados. As of this week I can report a number of fish in the Boyne, Muskegon and White Rivers. Each of these have been fished with mixed results. Nymphs, yarn eggs and streamers have resulted in a number of (missed) opportunities. Folks I spoke with on Saturday at the Lansing Fly-tying Expo report nice numbers of fish in the Betsie, lower Manistee and Platte. One of these rivers will likely be topic of my next update. For all practical matters it may be the new-year before my report is posted. I'll likely post a year-end update on the application by Savoy Energy to drill for natural gas adjacent to the Mason Tract before December 31. A request by Savoy Energy of Traverse City, Michigan for additional seismic testing under the Tract is now under consideration by the U.S. Forest Service in Mio, Michigan. I realize this journal was established to report on fly fishing opportunities in Northern Michigan... But... Chicken Little was chastised because he reported that the sky is falling. I've seen the leases recorded in Crawford County. If one well is placed in the Tract then you can bet many more will follow. This issue is far too important to all who enjoy an unencumbered outdoor treasure. It Must Be Stopped!! Your input, energies and financial contributions are needed. Public comment is being accepted until next Wednesday by the Mio District Field Office. Don't expect the MUCC, the Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited or the National Wildlife Federation to provide any backbone on this one folks. They've already "signed-off" on the Tract! I can provide written word of this decision. MOGA (Michigan Oil & Gas) has greased the rails with a number of hefty donations to the state chapters and they're getting a nice return on the PAC dollar. Lobbyist and big money rule the day in our State and Nations Capitals. That isn't news... This issue will be fought in the courts. Let's hope it successful there instead of Sections 7 and 8 of South Branch Township, Crawford County, Michigan. Welcome to 2004!! Winter has had these environs fully in its grip. The National Weather Service reported a record for snowfall in January, 2004. Nearly six feet of the white stuff. February provided me a two-week hiatus in the Arizona desert while we continued to receive snow daily. March has brought plenty of moisture... in the form of rain. I spent the last day of February fishing streamers on the "holy water" of the AuSable. Moved a couple fish but the opportunity to fish was huge. Water temps were less than 40 degrees even though we had sunny skies and ambient temperatures of nearly 50 degrees. I had hoped to fish the Manistee today but a low pressure system moved in from the central plains early this morning. The Manistee below M-72 was up significantly this afternoon. I had hoped to fish near Sharon today but that'll have to wait for several days. There are rumblings concerning steelhead in our States southern rivers. Most of this information has been second-hand but I'm inclined to visit a river-or-two once stream flows stabilize. There's plenty happening regarding mineral exploration and forestry use. These issues are certain to impact our favorite wild-places for generations to come. Stay Tuned! |
