The much heralded and fabled Hex hatch is well started on the Au Sable River, and should get going in all area rivers very soon with a weather forecast boasting a string of 80 degree days. This certainly should be a week of peak activity on area streams. The Hexagenia limbata hatch, or Hex hatch for short, is also commonly known as the Giant Michigan Mayfly, fish-fly, or the caddis. Years past, secretive locals disguised talk of the Hex hatch by calling the enormous mayflies, the caddi...

By: Aaron Dexter   Category: River Reports Tags: Hex, Manistee, AuSable

Whipoor-will will will. The old timers call that particular bird call at dark the curse of the whippoorwill. Whippoorwills are often heard Michigan natives that are seldom seen, well camouflaged, elusive and rare birds. They are bug eaters that forage around Northern Michigan streams right at dusk. While rare in many parts of their range, the whippoorwill seems to do well around our rivers ripe with rich with insect life and thick bank cover.

By: Aaron Dexter   Category: River Reports Tags: Manistee, AuSable

The Brown Drakes are certainly upon us now. You can find them just about everywhere on the Au Sable system. The North Branch, South Branch, and Mainstream all have bugs and anglers on the Manistee River as well as most of the Northern Tier streams are start starting find drakes as well.

By: Aaron Dexter   Category: River Reports Tags: Manistee, AuSable

The nights are getting late for this wading angler. Complex evening flights of various caddis and stoneflies, sulfurs, march browns, mahoganies, and black quills . . . whew! . . . are occurring on all stretches of area rivers and have been joined in some spots by brown drakes. That’s right, the great drake chase has started!

By: Aaron Dexter   Category: River Reports Tags: Manistee, AuSable