Hello,
I have a question about fishing the au sable. I need your one favorite fly wwith maybe even a pattern. I am going to be fishing it during June and July. I think it will be more in the middle of July. Can anyone suggest a better time to fish the Au sable.
Hey there cdpaul,
Funny you should ask. Did you not know that this FAOL site has it’s official annual recurring Fish-In on the AuSable at Gates Lodge in July?. Shirley, if you should decide to attend, you’ll meet a few folks who would be MORE than willing to answer your question and even perhaps tie one of their favorites onto your fly line. Take my word for it, this group does know how to tie one on.
The info about the MIFI is to be found on the main page under “Fish-Ins”.
Get yourself some patriots, parachute adams and Au Sable wulffs. Take your time, walk softly, and fish the cover. Run some streamers under the logs. If you’re not losing flies, you’re not getting close enough. It’s my understanding the fishing pressure and canoe traffic pushes all the decent fish under cover during the day. Those fish are educated. Patience and perserverance pays off on the Au Sable. There are BIG fish in there, but you gotta work.
Is the biggest fly you can get your hands on and fish it at night. A mouse pattern is a great option, that river has fish you wouldn’t believe but you need put time in at night. That is my choice, if you are strictly fishing daytime in July I would throw some sort of attractor, the evening hatch would likely find me throwing a mahogony drake, iso’s, or if your real lucky hex.
Mid July, plan on fishing early mornings and late in the day. It’s the time of smaller flies during the day so look for Trico spinner fall in the morning (I love fishing these tiny flies). #18-24 BWOs will also be emerging throughout the day, especially if it’s overcast. I fish a #22-24 Snowshoe hare BWO emerger or BWO parachute or an x-caddis through most of the day. Little yellow stoneflies(#14-16), Olive caddis (#16-18) (I fish a #18-20 hares ear X-caddis) Cinnamon Sedge (#16-18 as the sun gets low) There will still be some Iso’s in the late afternoon and evening.
I use Adams as well but more as a “Hopper” for the tiny dropper. Streamers also pay off big…but like gutbomb said, you do have to work for these fish.
If you need to recover from getting your butt kicked by the wild trout on the spring creek Holy Water sections, you might try a run down to below Mio (Cumins Flats) for some confidence building. This section is a stocked tail water and quite different in nature. On July 4, it’s just fun to watch the circus.
It’s easier if you just go check the hatch charts, then when you get to the river, go into the local shops and pick up some of the local flies, if only to get the scuttlebutt from the staff and other anglers.
I tie most my own flies, however, purchasing a mitt full of local flies has huge benefits, so I plan on it.
If your looking for trophy size fish…particularly browns, night fishing is the game. Look for BIG flies that push a lot of water. You can get an idea from reviewing the many years worth of Trophy Club catches here; http://www.gateslodge.com/trophy08.htm
hint: In the evening, by my camp lamp there are tons of moths…big fat juicy ones. Say a size 4-8. There are also a good number of yellow sallys and caddis and the odd June bug too.
You’ll get frustrated with the Aluminum hatch by about 10:30 AM. It’s a good time to think about looking for other water or sleeping if your planning a long night out on the water. You can also get out a topo and look for some feeder creeks or head to the North Branch. I walk into a nearby lake with my float tube for C&R LM bass, Pike and Bluegills.
P.S. The AuSable is well represented at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo. It would be a terrific place to go and ask those questions. http://www.midwestflyfishingexpo.com/
Don’t tell anyone, but when I was living up there and fishing that fantastic river regularly, I had some incredible fishing using size 12 and 14 renegades. I also did well using size 12 birds nest streamers. I fished the renegades downstream very similar to how you’d fish a streamer, only I’d shorten my cast, let if drift the seams and then skate it across the surface to end the drift.
Tail: brown hackle fibers
Body: Blue krystal flash with a red thread band mid abdomen in the style of a royal wulff
Wing: one single upright wing of white calf tail or body hair, depending on size
hackle: brown, tied parachute style
thread: red
hook: standard dry
when you tie in the krystal flash, use three strands and once they’re secured, twist them into a cord between your thumb and forefinger. this will keep them from going everywhere when you start to wrap them around the hook. take two or three turns, and secure them again. build up a thread band mid thorax, then wind the krystal flash forward to finish the body. I take mine all the way to the eye of the hook, but i’ve seen versions where the blue terminates at the wing. orvis sells a patriot tied in the catskill style, so look at their website if you want a visual reference for the body with the thread band.