Seasons On the Au Sable
A Book Review
By Neil M. Travis, Montana
When I opened Rusty Gates' book on Michigan's Au Sable River
it was like opening a window on my past. My association with
Michigan's Au Sable River goes back nearly fifty years. On the
Mason Tract I began a fly-fishing odyssey that continues to this
day. It was at Canoe Harbor on the South Branch that JC and I
first became acquainted, it was at Keystone Landing on the Holy
Water that I first met the Lady Fisher, and it was at that same
spot that I was the best man at their wedding. The Au Sable River
holds a special place in my heart, and holds memories that are
among my most precious.
Rusty Gates, the owner of Gates Au Sable Lodge, on the Au Sable
River near Grayling, Michigan is the compiler and author of this
new book. The Au Sable River is a classic trout stream in the
middle of Michigan's lower peninsula, and wends its way across
the pine barren country to mingle with the waters of Lake Huron.
In its upper reaches two major tributaries, the south and the
north branch join the main stream, each of them are legendary
trout streams in their own right. Rusty and friends provide
some insight into each of these waters.
A person familiar with the Au Sable will find this book a trip
down memory lane. Recognizable places tumble off the pages from
Canoe Harbor on the South Branch to the Holy Water stretches on
the Main Stream, and the thin water of the North Branch. Stories
of night fishing will bring back a flood of memories to anyone
who has spent any time on this classic stream.
I tried to decide exactly what purpose this book fills on an
angler's bookshelf. It is not a 'how to' book, although there
are some descriptions of flies and techniques sprinkled throughout
the pages. Unlike Hazen Miller's classic book, The Old Au Sable,
it is not a history of the river, although there are some historical
references. The various entries appear to be taken from the pages of
an angler's diary, but in this case I suspect that many of them were
taken from the daily on-line fishing report.
After due consideration I have decided that this book is a love story,
a love story of a man and his love for a river. In the tradition of
Traver's Trout Madness, and Schwiebert's Remembrances
of Rivers Past, Rusty has penned a love story between a man and
a river. This book deserves a place on the bookshelf of any angler that
has every fished Michigan's Au Sable, and for anyone that has ever loved
a trout stream. ~ Neil M. Travis, Montana/Arizona
Seasons On The Au Sable
By Rusty Gates
Copyright 2007
Published by Sports Media Group
$24.95
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