June 25, 2019 The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report Hex are imminent. They have been for the last week. We saw the big fish-flies blow up  in enormous number on Lake Margrethe and have been waiting for the big mayflies to make an appearance ever since.  It normally takes about a week of eager angling before we see the glory hatch show up on the early parts of the Au Sable.  But this year has been anything but normal. It’s been over a seven days now by this ...

By: Jeff Gardner   Category: Blue Gills, Brook Trout, Brown Drakes, BWO, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing Community, Fly Fishing School, Fly Tying, Hex, ISO, Michigan Reports, River Reports, Streamer Fishing, Thunderstorms, Tourism, Weather

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report The fishing since the last report on the Au Sable has been surprising. The hatches came off as predicted but with the unprecedented cold and high stream conditions, good catching was improbable.  We expected tough angling, but what we got was amazing. High water continued to plague the river systems and wading was nearly impossible. But the boats experienced some of the best rise activity that we’ve seen since I planted myself here nea...

By: Jeff Gardner   Category: Brook Trout, Brown Drakes, BWO, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing Community, Fly Fishing School, Fly Tying, Hex, ISO, Michigan Reports, River Reports, Tourism, Trico, Weather

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report The rains keep falling. The rivers rise.  The hatches keep moving along. Some reaches of river have become too high and clouded to effectively fish. It can be stressful for the anglers that have planned a fishing adventure some twelve months ago and have arrived to high, cold water.  Some favorite reaches of the river are un-wadable and some stretches are unfishable even from a boat. Conditions like these can even make the guides...

By: Jeff Gardner   Category: Brook Trout, Brown Drakes, BWO, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing Community, Fly Fishing School, Fly Tying, Hex, ISO, Michigan Reports, River Reports, Streamer Fishing, Thunderstorms, Tourism, Trico, Weather

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report June is finally here and, even though we’re running behind with a cold Spring, this week is destined to be the first of the Brown Drake hatch on the Au Sable. “...

By: Jeff Gardner   Category: Brook Trout, Brown Drakes, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing Community, Hex, Michigan Reports, River Reports, Tourism, Weather

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report Fishing is always good, but now the catching is starting to slowly improve.   It’s been a cold Spring and we’ve been struggling with water temperatures.  That situation looks to be getting better all the time.  Nighttime low temperatures along with daytime high temperatures, are helping our streams warm.  We’ve been a few degrees away from greatness and, and as a result, the insect hatches have dribbled and the trout rise has been let...

By: Jeff Gardner   Category: Brook Trout, Brown Drakes, BWO, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing Community, Fly Tying, Hex, ISO, Michigan Reports, River Reports, Streamer Fishing, Tourism, Trico, Weather

June 22, 2017 The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report The Hex hatch is rolling on the Au Sable.  And the fishing has been great. It has been the strangest emergence I’ve ever witnessed.  Our river is a giant spring creek and by its nature warms unevenly.  Small springs, rivulets, creeks, and larger tributaries add volume and cold water along the river’s length.  So we have a river that looks much like a small stream best suited for canoes at its headwaters in fro...

By: Andy Partlo   Category: Blue Gills, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Hex, Michigan Reports

  June 13, 2017 The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report Big bug fever has caught fire here in Northe...

By: Andy Partlo   Category: Brown Drakes, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing School, Fly Tying, Hex, Michigan Reports, River Reports

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report. It’s a great time to be a fisherman on the trout streams of Northern Michigan. There are many tactics that can work in the weird, little world of fly fishing and right now all of them are in play.

By: Jeff Gardner   Category: Brook Trout, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing Community, Fly Tying, Hex, ISO, River Reports, Tourism, Trico

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report. Black Bear Encounter On the South Branch It’s July. Seems like I just woke up yesterday scr...

By: Jeff Gardner   Category: Brook Trout, Brown Drakes, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing Community, Hex, River Reports, Tourism, Weather

June 23, 2016 The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report. Well that was a great week we just had.  The Hex hatched and spun and big fish took notice.  We always see man...

By: Jeff Gardner   Category: Brook Trout, Brown Drakes, Dry Fly Fishing, Fishing Tips, Fly Fishing Community, Hex, River Reports, Tourism, Weather