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River Report - November 11, 2020

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report

Wild weather swings are about to bend to more seasonable trends.  We went from an early season snowstorm to an incredibly warm Indian Summer.

The summer-like stretch made fishing and hunting difficult.  Grouse hunting fell apart with the heat.  Whipped dogs lolled tongues over water dishes in the bird covers by mid-morning.  It felt more like September than November.

Fishing changed starkly.  Most of the post spawn brown trout moved quickly to summer-like patterns—feeding in the early morning and late evening hours.  I expect they were most active after sunset.

It’s all about to change and move back to a more moderate and agreeable trend.  This change is welcomed.  We should be better off for it.   We’re back in the game.

White-tailed bucks are rutting and on the muscle.  I saw a whopper nose down, on doe sneaking only a few yards in front of him while I was rolling toward the shop one morning.  And my friend watched two different racked deer cross the road as he tooled up the gravel into his grouse coverts.  Folks here are optimistic about the antlers they’ve seen on the roadsides and on game cameras.  I wish the orange army great success.

Jack’s coming with me this year to experience the opening days of deer camp.  Grandpa is super excited.  And so am I.

Jack has been doing bow camp with Dad and I for a few years now and he’s getting pretty darn stealthy in the woods.  And we’ve learned a few things about making it quiet and fun.  First, we bring lots of snacks.  We unwrap everything before we go and keep it all in one big bag—no crinkling   Next, we stay warm and comfortable.  Jack also hoots on the deer call now and then when things get slow.  And we read and play games.  If you want this to become part of their lives, then you don’t want young kids to be cold and miserable and bored.

If deer hunting isn’t your thing, fishing for big brown trout is getting better.  The days between early November and late December generally show us some of the best, trophy trout of the season.

Whatever you do, have fun out there.

Andy