# AS South Branch Reports?



## DLHirst (Mar 14, 2009)

Heading up for a weekend of fly fishing with my son. We really enjoy the Mason Tract stretch of the South branch. Anyone know what the water is like right now? This time of year it can be pretty dicey one day and damned near perfect just a few days later. Any help on the general conditions would be greatly appreciated. And, of course, I will try to leave some stories after the weekend as well.


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

You are good to go this weekend. It should be a good weekend for you fly guys around the ausable.


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## DLHirst (Mar 14, 2009)

Thanks. I just spoke to a guy who suggested the sulfurs will be hatching. Now I gotta tie a bunch of them tonight!


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## DLHirst (Mar 14, 2009)

No Sulphurs to speak of. (Figures.) But the caddis were hatching both days in a fury. We stopped counting the brookies we caught early on Saturday, but likely the total surpassed six dozen. All brookies (which we thought was odd since we normally will catch at least as many browns - not a one this time) in the 5" to 10" range. The photo is a pretty representative catch. Had a blast on the South branch in a few spots, as well as two stops on the Holy Waters...


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## Shupac (Apr 17, 2005)

DLHirst said:


> No Sulphurs to speak of. (Figures.) But the caddis were hatching both days in a fury. We stopped counting the brookies we caught early on Saturday, but likely the total surpassed six dozen. All brookies (which we thought was odd since we normally will catch at least as many browns - not a one this time) in the 5" to 10" range. The photo is a pretty representative catch. Had a blast on the South branch in a few spots, as well as two stops on the Holy Waters...
> View attachment 215345


On the two trips I've taken up there this year, brook trout have been more abundant on both the main and south branches than in years past (and there are always plenty). Chalk up to better survival due to a warmer winter?


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## MMM (Apr 19, 2016)

DLHirst said:


> Heading up for a weekend of fly fishing with my son. We really enjoy the Mason Tract stretch of the South branch. Anyone know what the water is like right now? This time of year it can be pretty dicey one day and damned near perfect just a few days later. Any help on the general conditions would be greatly appreciated. And, of course, I will try to leave some stories after the weekend as well.



What's the best way to fish the Mason Tract area? Is there good access from the trail for hiking/wading, or would a canoe be a better choice? We have a cabin nearby and I was planning on doing some exploring around there this summer.


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## crazydrake (Mar 7, 2002)

MMM said:


> What's the best way to fish the Mason Tract area? Is there good access from the trail for hiking/wading, or would a canoe be a better choice? We have a cabin nearby and I was planning on doing some exploring around there this summer.


Start at Chase Bridge and work your way down...


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

MMM said:


> What's the best way to fish the Mason Tract area? Is there good access from the trail for hiking/wading, or would a canoe be a better choice? We have a cabin nearby and I was planning on doing some exploring around there this summer.


Tons of access and trails to walk back to your car. The Holy Waters guide book at the link includes very detailed information on the South Branch. Why a bunch of elitists who want the river to themselves would publish such a good guide book is a mystery to me. This guide has probably led more people to "secret spots" on the river than every newspaper story ever written. Too funny.

http://www.challengechapter.org/index.php/river-guides


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

Best way to fish the mason tract.....weekdays with worms or spinners on a sunny day!!!!! Oh wait, sorry that's a local secret!!! Hehe


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Tons of great access. I usually go to Canoe Harbor or Smith Bridge.


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

kzoofisher said:


> Why a bunch of elitists who want the river to themselves would publish such a good guide book is a mystery to me.


Money. Have to have it to push restrictions on the people you just told where to go. Too funny.


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## DXT Deer Slayer (Nov 14, 2009)

kzoofisher said:


> Tons of access and trails to walk back to your car. The Holy Waters guide book at the link includes very detailed information on the South Branch. Why a bunch of elitists who want the river to themselves would publish such a good guide book is a mystery to me. This guide has probably led more people to "secret spots" on the river than every newspaper story ever written. Too funny.
> 
> http://www.challengechapter.org/index.php/river-guides


A mystery to me as well. Many mysteries as to why people do what they do, and share what they share. The gift of the ability to be subtle, is not strong in many. Perhaps it is an acquired taste after being burned by the consequences of their actions, or perhaps it is a natural talent for some people.

I got my giant this weekend, on a #14 Light Hendrickson spinner. It was nice to wind down on the riverbank after an exceptionally stressful work week.... just sit there and watch the world go by, listen to the riffle dump into the slow pool I was watching over, appreciate the Marsh Marigold, and check my tippet just a few too many times as darkness approached. I found my trout feeding very, very lightly (just as a buddy had said the trout had been doing all week, as he passed by a couple hours before) underneath an overhanging cedar, in shallow water. Took some precise positioning and way too many casts, but I finally came tight to him in the darkness. After a couple jumps and a decent battle on 4x, he came to net. A few quick pics, and off he went, leaving me to appreciate in silence for a moment, with a goofy smile on my face. My smile faded slightly when i remembered how long of a walk out I had in the darkness. A nice-sized black bear decided to block my path back up the ridge on the way out. We exchanged a few words as I shined my headlamp in his face, 15 yards away. Thankfully, he only followed me for a few minutes. (Don't eat me, bear!)

After looking at some pics, I realized that I had caught the exact same trout, in the exact same spot, on the same weekend, last year. Kinda cool. What was he up to as a year of our lives passed by??? Who knows.

He was caught on the Ausable river, in The Great State of Michigan.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

Don't forget to pay your respects to Fred Bear at the chapel. His ashes were spread near it.

The bigger Browns are normally caught on #12 pink nighty's


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

DXT Deer Slayer said:


> After looking at some pics, I realized that I had caught the exact same trout, in the exact same spot, on the same weekend, last year. Kinda cool. What was he up to as a year of our lives passed by??? Who knows.


 Very cool story and very nice fish. I'll have to check out the new guide that covers all the way to Oscoda. Lots of beautiful water down there and quite a variety of fish.


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

Trout feed in the exact same spots most years. Very cool on catching him again and able to ID him with the markings!


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## DLHirst (Mar 14, 2009)

Nice fish! Way to make my brookies look like... fish food.


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## MMM (Apr 19, 2016)

Thanks for the info. Hopefully I will make it up there in a week or two to do some exploring. I can't believe the number of black bear that are showing up farther south. I had one run right in front of our car last year while we were driving up 75 just south of West Branch.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

DLHirst said:


> Nice fish! Way to make my brookies look like... fish food.


Your brookies are their fish food, unfortunately.


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