# Help on the Au Sable



## Troutdoors (Jun 20, 2010)

My wonderful wife has told me that we are going to take a weekend and come up the the area of the Au Sable. One reason is to let me fish but secondly, and almost as important, because we are thinking of buying land on the river on which we can build our retirement home.

Can anyone tell me:

Where is a good basecamp....Grayling, Mio? What are the names of the hotels in these towns that are good?
I'm not asking to be told the location of any honey holes but where is a good place to fish? FYI, I fish with a spinning rod. If you do wish to clue me in on some better spots on the river, please PM me.
I have many rods, but which should I bring.....ultralite, light, medium, medium heavy?
What type of fish might I encounter.....trout, other?
I really appreciate any help as my wife and I are looking forward to a nice weekend of relaxation as it's been a kinda bumpy year!

Thanks,
Troutdoors!


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## Troutdoors (Jun 20, 2010)

Also, do you know of any guides that would be available on such short notice? Thanks again!

Troutdoors


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## bborow2501 (Nov 12, 2007)

The east branch is good for decent fishing, all tackle and no canoes, the ausable upstream of grayling in the Fredric area is good for these reasons as well, but can be paddled, but no commercial traffic. 2 "big" unmentionable tribs are paddleable in their lower sections with decent fishing, no commercial traffic. mcmasters bridge (about rainbow bend to just past mac's island) and wakely bridge (bridge down to white pine canoe camp), and down from parmalee bridge (bridge to 'the whirlpool" ie cherry creek rd. these are downstream areas are good for fishing as well for a bigger river, faster section very senic.


Dont buy in the grayling to burton's landing section or the mio to comis flats section unless you like the idea of drunk canoers peeing on your lawn

The north branch, while beautiful and quiet with amazing fishing is flys only in all the worthwhile sections.
pm me with any more specific questions, the river really varies in character depending where you look
I would look into the upper manistee if I were you as well in the grayling area up from m 72


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## It Smells In Here (Aug 14, 2009)

Troutdoors said:


> My wonderful wife has told me that we are going to take a weekend and come up the the area of the Au Sable. One reason is to let me fish but secondly, and almost as important, because we are thinking of buying land on the river on which we can build our retirement home.
> 
> 
> Can anyone tell me:
> ...


 
We floated the river this weekend. The guy has a good point about Comins Flats - McKinley Bridge - Lots of drunk canoers, but also Trophey Trout waters. Two of us managers 13 bows/browns in a 4 hour float. Also took a 23" eye at the bridge. Keep in mind, the most canoe/tuber traffic is on weekends. Land is cheap there. You're less than 10 miles from Mio. McKinley has a hotel and the Scenic Riverwood Tavern. McKinley has trails galore up and down 32. If you buggy, 4 wheel, snowmobile, or any other summer sport, it's a great area.


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## bborow2501 (Nov 12, 2007)

and as far as far as fishing let me know if you are planning on wadeing have a boat ect, though small stream fishing is for the best during the day.
Hendriks Island Lake Resort in rose city is a great place to stay on the nice peacefull lake where my cabin is, good people here, as well as rainbow resort in mio on camp 10 rd on upper mio pond
http://www.rainbowresortmio.com/cabins.php
for a more unique experience and a grand old time try ma deeters in luzurene
they have old motel rooms for rent out back from when it was a stagecoach stop
http://www.madeeterslodge.com/Resturant.aspx
and Gates lodge and north branch outing club are really nice places to stay but on flys only sections

here is good to find all property listings in the area
http://www.wwlx.net/idx/johnmclintock/land/browse.php

the type of rod will really depend on where you want to fish
a bad thing about mio also is that there are a few months in midsummer where the water temps can get too high, so you would be going off to fish somewhere else during this time period if you owned in this section


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## bonefishbill (Nov 1, 2009)

I like Fay's Motel--and the North Country Lodge--they are both in Grayling. If your planning to spend a lot of time in this area, I would suggest you learn to Fly Fish--many fine waters are located here.
Check out Gates Au Sable Lodge, and the Au Sable Angler--both in the Grayling area...otherwise I guess you should head south to Mio--and the deeper waters--Good Luck


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## Troutdoors (Jun 20, 2010)

Yeah, I've determined, without too much arm twisting, that I need to learn how to fly fish. As such, I am going straight to the Gates Lodge to get outfitted and take their 4 hour class that teaches the techniques of fly fishing! I'm really excited!


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

You don't need to spend a ton of money either... and learn a basic roll cast and hit the river at dusk with good weather for the previous couple days and you will find trout. 

I personally like the south branch but I guess that is because it's close to my cottage.

oh and everybody has a favorite go-to fly, mine is a parachute Adams just an fyi


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## solohunter (Jan 2, 2006)

Troutdoors said:


> Yeah, I've determined, without too much arm twisting, that I need to learn how to fly fish. As such, I am going straight to the Gates Lodge to get outfitted and take their 4 hour class that teaches the techniques of fly fishing! I'm really excited!


you will learn the advantages to a barbless hook after a short roll cast pull,,,:yikes:

mckinley is quaint area and there is little private property upstream from there, camp ten to mio is not overly canoed and hold alot of fish, there is private property on the river also. the tribs I cant answer for but dont _ i would guess- get the drunken canoers on weekends, I used to live up there and put my 12 ft in at 4001, motored up to the swamp below mckinley, had early dinner and float/ fly fished back to the bridge, rainbow,s small mouth,and walleyes were there for the taking.


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## Troutdoors (Jun 20, 2010)

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions as my fiancee and I had a wonderful weekend on the Au Sable!

We stayed at the Gates Lodge, I got outfitted with an Orvis Clearwater 7'9" 5wt rod and a Bettenkill reel. I swapped the Orvis fly line that came with the package for the weight forward Scientific Angler Mastery Series Trout fly line and a tapered leader. I was instructed by guide Mike Murrow (sp?) for 4 hours on Saturday afternoon and, although it was somewhat chilly and raining, I had a great time and it all culminated in catching my first brown trout with a fly! I was surprised at the amount of canoe/kayak traffic with the fact that the weather wasn't the best. A slip when getting out of the river at Louie's Landing landed my knee on a boulder and finished my fishing for the weekend but it was great! Sunday brought a great breakfast at the Lodge and time was upon us to leave! Both my fiancee and I hated to leave and we are planning on going back for our honeymoon after getting married in October this year!

Special thanks to Axiom, Flyfishinchristian and Bborow251 for their tips on where to stay and fish! A big thanks to the patient and understanding folks in the tackle shop at Gates...I must have asked 10K questions! Thanks again to all who gave their advice!

Best Regards,
Troutdoors


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