# Greenhorns looking for tips



## rcharvey (Sep 6, 2006)

I am traveling to the Ausable this weekend with a couple of buddies to go fly fishing. We are relatively new to the sport. I've been fly fishing for about two months and recently did a little trout fishing in Colorado. We looking for any tips. We'll going to rent some canoes. 

Any suggestions on where to fish?
What about technique? I'm familiar with trout fishing in waders on a fast moving stream. We would sneak up behind the fish and cast up stream or up and across stream. What about fishing from a canoe on the Ausable? Should we be doing long casts downstream in front of the canoes? or cross stream casts?

What types of flys would you recommend? Best times of day to fish?


----------



## Shupac (Apr 17, 2005)

Check the gateslodge.com fishing report for fly ideas. It might still be a good idea to go downstream to Mio for the white fly hatch in the evening. Otherwise, terrestrials are probably the way to go, aside from some mid-morning olive hatches. Maybe streamers with the cooler temps.

Haven't fished from a canoe--generally, downstream presentations are most effective on the AS. People I've seen fishing from AS boats usually seem to fish downstream, ahead of the boat.


----------



## brookid (Aug 25, 2004)

I think if you set some realistic expectations you should have a great time. 

The fishing can be tough this time of year. The trout have been worked and they don't fool easily. I was up this past weekend. The cooler early am was best fished with nymphs or small streamers...we didn't kill but did all right. Olives started showing about 10 to 10:30am and that got fish up and feeding. We also saw probably the last of the tricos (in certain stretches) they were dumping between 11am & noon. It was enough to keep us busy and the fish were far from foolish. We didn't fish much midday but i'm sure you could coax a fish to your fly with an olive or caddis. You could try the White flys below Mio but that may be hit or miss by this weekend. The evening olive spinner fall right before dark was pretty reliable...if not madening. Then of course there's always the night game...

I think fishing from a canoe could be an exercise in futility...not saying it can't be done but the river can be mighty tricky. I would be more inclined to use it as a vehicle to get down stream, hop out and fish the likely spots while you work your way down...

I would also suggest you swing by one of the local flyshops for patterns, access and a fish report. You'll get what you need...and they'll get a little business.

Good luck, enjoy your weekend and let us know how you do....


bk


----------



## TheHydeGuide (Sep 10, 2002)

I floated last night and the white flys are almost wraped up. We did see plenty of Blue winged olives in the evening though. Caught most of the fish on a #16 Adams. Then just before dark had a few good ones on streamers. Just remember those fish feeding on BWO's are hard to catch if you use a BWO pattern. They get used to seeing just about every BWO pattern ever made during the season. So switch it up and throw something they are not used to during the hatch and spinner fall ( like a Adams, Borchers, or a Lake Erie King). We were down below Mio.


----------



## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

Be sure to have some fly ants! They usually work all day long this time of year and the reports of them being in the air are still being murmured.


I fly fish out of a canoe. But without a chain it's going to be real hard because you'll more than likely be going to fast and the canoe will be pretty tipsy with out that chain to slow you out maintain a longer center of balance for the canoe.

I would therefore recomend just getting out and working back up to nice pools you just went over. If you do try just cast quartering down. Going that fast you it will probably be struggle with streamers too.

Best of luck. The fish are starting to gather so when you catch one keep on that spot because odds are there be more there. 

For other good notes re-read Brookid post. He nailed it.


----------



## brookid (Aug 25, 2004)

...strong second for the ants! We didn't get any this past weekend but you don't need to see them on the water...trout think they're yummy!


----------



## Krull (Mar 29, 2005)

If you are both going to fly fish out of the canoe, make diaganol casts infront and to the side of the canoe. Each person pick a side and pay attention to the other person as a mid air collision of flies is a nightmare. Put your strongest canoer/ paddler in the back of the canoe. By casting on a diaganol in front, you will get a great drift before the canoe catches up to the fly, once it does, lift and repeat. If you can do a roll cast yet, that would be your best bet. The negative of course with fishing out of the canoe is that you will blow by some hot spots, so if you find an area with a lot of fish rising, definitely pull over. I would stay away from any chain or anything utilized to stop the canoe. If you like an area, get out of the canoe. Those rental canoes are garbage and you don't want to dump your new fly rod, and it doesn't take much. I agree with utilizing Adams, and for some reason, the trout will stay on Elk Hair caddis pretty much year round. Don't be afraid to use small wolly buggers or streamers either. Fishing out of the canoe can be done and can be a blast, just takes some experience.

Good luck, let us know how it goes.


----------



## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

> I would stay away from any chain or anything utilized to stop the canoe


The chain just slows you down. Makes the canoe act like an Ausable Drift Boat. Just need about 9' 3/4 inch. You have to tie it to some rope to avoid it hitting the canoe. But it actually makes the canoe more stable & you can cast to potential lies 3-4 times versus 0-1 times.


----------



## Krull (Mar 29, 2005)

WILDCATWICK said:


> Makes the canoe act like an Ausable Drift Boat.
> 
> I will respectively disagree with this statement. Nothing will make those metal piece of garbage rental canoes like a AS Drift boat. Plus there are all the issues associated with dragging a chain through the river that have been tirelessy debated. Not sure how long they want to be on the river either, but a float with a couple stops just to "relieve" themselves from Mio to the flats is 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Throw in 3-4 stops on nice looking water to wade and you have yourself a 5 hour trip.  I don't know about you but my **** and back cannot take much more than that on one of those torture rack canoes.....:lol:


----------



## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

Well I can't say it will work exactly the same on the "junk" canoes but it works like a charm on my Mad River Kelvar. I don't even use my pontoon boats it works so dang good. Just my .02


----------



## rcharvey (Sep 6, 2006)

Thanks for the responses. We ended up bagging the canoe and spent the full day in waders. The fishing was tough, particularly when I'm still learning the basics of fly fishing. But I did catch 4 very small brown trout using only dry fly attractor patterns and hoppers.


----------



## brookid (Aug 25, 2004)

...keep at it and thanks for the update...


----------

