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Let It Rain!!!! - That didn't stop Gunnar Buhr and his dad Paul from catching this fine smallie. (Row 1) Scott Jacobs, Smallmouth Hunter! - It's Warmwater Tour time and Scott got it done on a popular Southeast Michigan pond. (Row 2). While 70 plus water temperatures have ruined C&R trout fishing, bass fishing has flourished. Get out there from the last hour before sundown until the mosquitoes chase you off the water.
If you enjoy
stalking trophy
trout, please
remember: large
trout are
elderly trout.
They are no
longer in prime
physical shape
and they fatique
easily.
Consider Using a stout rod (7 wt) and hoist these fish to the surface and bring them to shore quickly. If you play around battling these old timers on your favorite 4 wt rod, you will probably exhaust them to the point that they will not recover from the battle. Be sure to patiently revive your trout (moving them back and forth facing upstream) before you release them. Studies done to evaluate the stress and mortality levels of trout that were caught and released have shown the mortality rate is probably much higher than most people think. Be aware that during the warm weather months of summer, when the air and water temperatures are high, stress and mortality levels are also considerably higher. Ideally you should bring the fish carefully to the edge of the stream or river and unhook it while it remains in the water. However, most anglers will want to capture the memory of the catch by taking a photograph. If this is your plan, try to keep the fish in the water at all times, handle it as little as possible, and when you do grip the fish, wear a wet cotton glove so you won't remove the trout's protective slime coat. If the hook appears to be deep and not easily removed, cut the line and leave the hook in the fish. The less time the fish is on the line, the better its chance for survival. By considering water conditions, air and water temperatures, fishing techniques and how the fish is handled prior to release, anglers can directly influence the well-being of the fish they are catching and releasing. Remember, just because a fish swims away when released, does not mean damage has not already been done and that the fish won’t still die in the upcoming hours or days from the experience. But, by considering all of these factors and trying to minimizing their stress, the prized trout that you just released will have a better chance of survival to be caught again on another day! Take The 70 Degree Pledge Below Mio Until Further Notice!!!!! Extended 70 Plus Degree Water Temperatures Make Catch & Release Impossible To Learn More About Fishing in General Go To: The Fishing Report OK, why would a conservation group do a fishing report? Well, first off, why not? We are, by and large, a group of fishers who have adopted this stretch of river for our own to nurture and protect. We like the idea of fishing reports. Good honest information is hard to come by and we think that our report has a number of good things going for it. For one, we're not selling anything! So there's no reason to exaggerate. If the fishing is not any good we'll let you know. For another, we are very concerned that the population of salmonids below Mio Dam is not abused. It's tough enough for a trout to live in this tail-water at times. We support catch and release, but have no problem with folks keeping a few as the rules allow. The biggest concern is to leave the trout alone on days when the water temperature is 70 degrees or above - The 70 Degree Pledge! So bookmark this report if you enjoy fishing the Big Water. We have folks, usually several, on this reach each day, and they know what's going on. You're welcome to contribute as well, just send a report and pictures to tom@asbwpa.org.
Violator Protocol - If you see a violator on our water do the following: (1) Get a picture or a good description of the offender, a boat number or a car license plate is also useful. (2) Write down where you saw them (3) When you saw them (4) Call the Hotline at 1-800-292-7800 (5) DO NOT CONFRONT THEM - LEAVE THAT TO THE PROFESSIONALS! Use this formula for fishing and hunting violations as well as littering. Night season is upon us so we need to follow a few simple rules: 1. Keep motor use to a minimum. Only use it on the way out after you are sure the hatches/spinnerfalls are over. If you see an angler cut the engine immediately and row out. 2. Use search lights sparingly. Nothing ruins nighttime fishing more than somebody shining a light on your water. Again, use the lights on the way out. Truth is; if you have to use search lights a lot to fish at night then you should not fish at night. Know Your Rights As An Angler!
They Only Come Out At Night - This year's Hex and Brown Drake hatches were solid if a bit too short in duration.
Spring on the South Branch was grand.
Carryover Trout from 13 to 16 inches have been more common this year than at any time in the last decade.
Long and Short of it! The new Measure Net lets you know when the magic "20" has been reached, but also records the "teenagers" accurately. Hopefully the trout on the right will grow up to be as big as the trout on the left.
Merritt's Back in Action - Uber Volunteer Merritt Anderson with a nice early season brown that he caught with guide Jeff Boks. Check Out The New Fishing Forum July 23, 2010: Take The 70 Degree Pledge Below Mio Until Further Notice!!!!! Extended 70 Plus Degree Water Temperatures Make Catch & Release Impossible Unless You Are Keeping Trout There Is No Reason To Fish Below Mio Until Water Temperatures Drop - Race Saturday the 24th The Dog Days of Summer - ask my cocker spaniel - are taking a bite out of fishing. Warm weather has the Big Water too hot for C&R fishing. Hopefully cooler temperatures and some rain will show up soon. It's a gut check for conservation minded fishers. C&R on trout will not work down there right now. No amount of rationalizing changes that. What do you do if you want to fish? Well, fish late in the day on stretches with good diurnal effects. Most of the Au Sable above Mio has that but water temperatures can be bad in some spots up there as well. Nighttime fishing with mice, gurglers and Houghton Lake Specials is what summer is about for many fishers. It's hard work and takes a while to learn but it can produce fish. Waiting for a cool down and stalking some 'gills or bass is not a bad Plan B. Sun up will find active fish. The Trico hatch matches that well. It's a crack of dawn game, but very rewarding. The night fishing above Mio has been hampered by a waxing moon, but catches of fish near 20 inches have been reported. Use gurglers, mice and the old Houghton Lake Special. Don't start till the midnight hour for best results. Isos, Cahills and slate wing olives - a summer favorite - are setting up shop in the last golden hour of the day. For streamers, the water has dropped. Should we get a significant rain the streamer bite will be back on. You have the crawfish bloom going now. Tan Trick or Treats should catch a bushel of planters, and maybe some good ones too. The truth is that without regular rain, and a lot of it, streamer fishing isn't my choice. Clean up the 7 wt. and get those poppers ready. The Tour is underway. Many savvy anglers will concentrate on warmwater species until the rivers become cooler in mid August. The bass fishing for both size and numbers has been very good. Every reservoir on the Au Sable and many local lakes have active bass, pike and sunfish. The twilight fishing has been the best I've seen in my 10 years up here. This river still needs rain, just not a gator gusher. Check Josh's reports at www.gateslodge.com or Andy's reports at www.OLDAUSABLE.com for what's going on above Mio. The river still does not always run true below Foote so check flows at the USGS sites (we have it below here). Stoneflies - You can't miss the Big Golden Stone either. Paragentina media (8-12) hatches at night and often during Hex activity (although this bug lasts well after Hex are finished). They also spin right at dark. Have a couple handy during Hex just in case. Other stones Isoperla bilineata and Isogenus olivaceus, commonly called medium brown stonefly. The former is size 10-12. The latter is size 8. The former hatches in the morning. The latter hatches after sundown. Both are noted for the way females dive bomb the water during egg laying. Mayflies - Isos are back and back big! There are two of them, Isonychia sadleri and Isonychia bi-color This bug runs 10-12, is our fastest swimming nymph, hatches in the early evening in fast riffles, mostly, and spins right at dark. It's a wonderful bug and will be with us till September. Great wet fly action by swinging nymph. You can also drag an emerger and get great action. The Light Cahill Stenonema canadense is the cousin of the American March Brown. A size 12 to 14, creamy yellow, sometimes pure white, and in some cases with a rose tint, this bugs comes after sundown in most cases. It can produce good fish. A Light Cahill and an Iso emerger dropper is a late June favorite. The Baetis vagans (18-20) are here and they'll be around till late August. They can emerge all day and spin in the late afternoon and evening. Another smaller olive is Baetis cingulatus (20-22). It will mix in with sulphur spinnerfalls. The king of the BWOs is the Slate Wing Olive (Ephemerella lata). It's a 16-18, sometimes smaller dynamo that produces wonderful evening spinnerfalls. Bring a 3 wt. and a child on a warm summernight and give them the gift of this sport. The lata will cooperate. For small bug aficionados, the Pseudocloen anoka gets it done. A size 24 with big spinnerfalls, this bug produces. It'll be around the rest of the year. Caddis - The Chimarra aterrima and augustipennis are up on the hatch chart as well as being reported on some sections. They both get called Little Black Caddis (#16-18). Pretty much an all day emerger starting in mid morning and running till an hour or so before sundown. This is one bug where drag doesn't hurt you. It will often trigger a strike. They lay their eggs around the time Hennies hatch or just before Hennies spin. Use a pattern with a green egg sac. These are worth fishing while waiting on Mayflies because fish eat 'em! Add in the Brachycentrus americanus and Brachycentrus numerosus to the caddis parade. These are a little bigger (14-16) and females also have green egg sac. Oh, but there's always more Caddis. The Green Rock Worm - Rhycophila lobiferaledra, grandis and fenestra - is popping and propelling themselves around the Au Sable. The larva (10-14) is bigger than the adult (16-18). The net builders are out too, Hydropsyche simulans, bifida, bronta and morosa run from 14 to 20. These pop out of water at rapid rate, a swing and lift presentation is suggested.
Caddis Worm Emerges From Casing Not to be redundant but it's worth repeating: you can always check Rusty's - yes, I'm still calling it that for now - site www.gateslodge.com or the Old Au Sable Fly Shop www.OLDAUSABLE.com for more bug info on the upper river. Mike Bachelder (989-345-3234) is the source for the Rifle. Here's his info: BACHELDER
USGS Realtime
Streamflow Data
Au Sable River at Mio,
Michigan (at Mio Dam)
Au Sable River at Parmalee
Bridge (above Mio Dam)
Au Sable River below Foote
Dam (near Lake Huron)
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