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River Report - October 15, 2015

The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report.
Fall colors have exploded here in Northern Michigan. It took a while for the change to happen this year, but now it has and the roadways, river bottoms, and lakeshores are awash in bright reds, yellows, and oranges. This is the week to take drive along roads like county road 612 or to slip down a lonely river to see some of the finest vistas and views that nature has to offer. There may not be a more beautiful time to visit Crawford County then during a Fall color tour in October. It can all be over in a blink, so try to find some time to get outdoors.

We kinda got a bit between things with the trout fishing here on the Au Sable and Manistee rivers this past week. The brook trout are in full spawning mode and have lost much of their interest in feeding in order to focus on their more primal urges. And the brown trout have just started to switch into a pre-spawn bite pattern. The late October and early November, streamer fishing for brown trout can be some of the best angling of the year and will very likely get going shortly. We’ve filled the fly bins at the shop with some tried and true big brown trout flies and have even added a few that may just catch the fish off guard. Stop by and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Salmon have starting to move out the holding pools and are gathering on the graveled reaches of the Northern Michigan streams. Most of them are in full spawning mode so, to many anglers, that means it’s time to leave the huge love-struck fish alone and target brown trout and steelhead. Skilled anglers and guides see those mating fish as bait piles full of eggs. The trick is to not disturb the spawning salmon and to let them lay their thousands of protein packed eggs into the darker water behind the beds where steelhead and brown trout will surely be staked out waiting for the easy meal. Then it’s as simple as matching a hatch.

Just tie on a salmon egg pattern, float it into the dark water and get ready.

Enjoy a fine week,

Andy