Au Sable trip / Daily updates

[Steeldrifter 0]

Long trip North started Thursday but was off the grid at my cabin on the lower Au Sable for the first few days. Spent the first few days chasing smallmouth with the spey rods. Fishing for them was tough but persistence paid off and picked up some pretty nice ones. Was nice seeing my buddy Richard get his first smallie on a spey rod I built for him, was a nice one too which was cool. Just got in to Mio this afternoon and set up my "home away from home" at the motel I have been staying at here for many years now, and will be here now all alone for the next 2 weeks or longer trout fishing, we'll see how the weather/fishing goes. Got out tonight for a short time and did a little nymphing in the evening and got a nice healthy football of a rainbow.

 

[MuskyFlyGuy 0]

Steve

Nice to see that you are taking some time for yourself and catching some terrific fish!  That rainbow had a gut I can identify with. 
Tom

[The Mad Duck 0]

Looks like your trip is off to a NICE start!!!

[Dave G. 0]

Enjoy your trip. At least it looks like you have some water, the stepson on his way back from norther Maine right now found a trickle up there. This time of year the flow is generally tapered back from 4000cfs or even more to mid 2000cfs, this year they started at 1000. I pray for rain for those folks up there, that's a bad start and being so dry is tough on wildlife and potential fires.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Somewhat the same here as well Dave. Here in Mio the flow at this time of year is usually around 1000-1100cfs range, but currently it's only 720cfs. The good thing is there is a chance for rain a few times over the next 3-4 days which would be really nice. Keeping my fingers crossed they are right on at least one of those chances.

[Bruce Derington 0]

What, no walleye? pike?

[Steeldrifter 0]

Not yet Bruce, but plenty of time left 😊 Went out for a few hours this morning before the mid day heat sets in. Got a decent variety in the short time on the water. Back at the motel cooling off in the AC then plan to hit the river this evening for some dry fly fishing.

 

[Chris_in_Louisiana 0]

Love those smallies!!!  Looks like a great trip!

[skeet3t 0]

Off to a running start! Hope the rest of the trip is productive and relaxing. The one fish- sucker?  Red horse? Decent size, no matter what.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Yeah redhorse sucker/river redhorse. Think they go by a couple names I have seen.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Waited till just before dark to fish a run that is a bit cooler temp. The ones I landed were not all that sizable, but was nice to have some active fish on dries after waiting out such a hot day. Right at dark the bugs started and I had what I thought was a small trout take a comparadun Iso dry because it was just a small rise to the fly. I set the hook and had a rainbow that was at least mid to upper teens fly 3ft out of the water. He must have jumped at least a half dozen times. After all that I get him about 10ft away and the fly popped out Will for sure go bacl to fish that run tomorrow night again because it really came alive with flies and fish right at dark.

 

[Dave G. 0]

That last hurrah right near sunset is always the best !! Way to go Steve ! Then what I like to do is just as I can barely see to tie on a final fly put on a big black or purple marabou streamer and cruse that through the pool, sometime the fish of your dreams will grab that then.

[niveker 0]

Great report and photos, keep 'em coming

[Steeldrifter 0]

9 hours ago, Dave G. said:

just as I can barely see to tie on a final fly

Dave I'm starting to feel a bit old. I've never had problems seeing the eye of a fly even in low light, but last night about 9:45pm I was tying on a fly and couldn't believe how hard a time I had.

With the trout water too hot mid day I decided to strap on the backpack and went exploring some trails behind the motel that lead down to Mio pond above the dam. Figured I'd see if I could find some smallmouth to take up some time till tonight when the trout water cools down a bit so I can head out. Only got the fish for two hours but landed one and lost two. Prob hit that spot again this week during the mid day heat.

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Quite a change from last night. Was fish rising and hatches last night, tonight was almost nothing for hatch and just a few small trout. Sure cant beat the scenery though.