Go Get 'em

July 28, 2010

Fishing conditions have remained steady on the Au Sable and Manistee systems. We’ve got nice hatches of tricos in the morning followed by some Blue Winged Olives. The daytime fishing is dominated by terrestrials and attractor flies. We’ve had good success with ants as well as iso’s and parachute drake patterns fished in the bubbles and in the mid-river depressions for the smaller trout. And we’ve seen a few better fish eating flies on the logjams. Rain and cool nighttime temps have kept the fishing solid for the last week, a trend that should continue for the next ten days. Don’t neglect the evening rise and be prepared.

Use all the tricks in your arsenal. Around here it’s always better to work a little harder than the next guy. Trico fish have gotten a little tougher, so drop to 8x and you’ll gain an edge. Use fluorocarbon during the day with your attracto flies and terrestrials. And fish the logs and overhangs tight. Four inches from the jam isn’t going to cut it. Be ready. It’s easy to get lolled to sleep when log after log doesn’t produce, but like fishing for any great fish, it only takes one good bite to make your day. Twitch and move flies. Use the dead drift. Fish hard and find what they want. Drop a nymph. Everyday is different when you’re prospecting for trout, but the results can be worth the effort. Like I’ve said before, the best anglers pay attention to details and work harder then most everyone.

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about all the big trout we post on the site. I know it’s what you folks want to see . . . hell, we all want to see ‘em. But it’s important to remember that even the best angler doesn’t catch a trophy everyday. Fish like that are about time, effort, and luck even in the heaviest glory hatches. When we get one, it stands out in our memories for ever. Then again, so do the great memories of days spent on stream with friends and family.

I relived this realization pointedly last night when I fished with Biker Dave last night and got skunked! We went to the South to fish small olives. It was hot, but we were in a great spot. You know, one of those classic smooth Au Sable runs that kicks into a dark pool with great outside bend cover. The cool springs were noisily gurgling into the river through the ancient cedars above the run and we were perched on mossy, fern covered root balls that overlooked the entire area. I tied on a 20 something small fly and light tippet for what I knew would happen. It didn’t. And I didn’t change. Just being lazy. Then it got dark. Should’ve put something bigger on and just went trout fishing. It would’ve worked. The South is in too great of condition for it not to (best I remember seeing it this time of year in a long while). We had a fine time anyway sitting next to one of the most beautiful streams in the world, sharing stories, and figuring out the big questions. Doing the stuff that fishermen do when the trout aren’t rising. I’ll remember that for a long while. So that’s a story of being lazy and not catching fish and having a great time with a good friend.

But there’s more. Recall when I said great experiences and good trout lives in our memories forever? When we were coming out, I noticed a cool spot that I once caught a thick trout while fishing with a good friend at about this same time of year. This little spot on the South Branch is a long undercut bank that pushes to the base of a big spruce that also boasts an undercut and the water eddies a bit right there. Usually, that place is high and dry July and August. But it was filled with water on the day a got a big one. And it’s filled with water now. The South is great shape and there are some memories to be made right now.

Work hard, pay attention, make some memories—this is the good stuff.

Wear ‘em out,

Andy