# AuSable to high to fish first time ever!?



## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

I have not seen but only assume due to this much rain that most of the AuSable/Manistee system is unfishable by waders and really quite dangerous by boat too. First hand, the south branch in my dads 40 plus years of fishing the brown drakes and hex and living on the river cannot remember the river being so unfishable this time of year. I have been fishing for 28 years and can not remember NOT being able to fish the drakes and hex at night due to high water, been times that its been high but not unfishable. No reason to see it go down this week either, everything is saturated that the river may take weeks to get it down to a MAYBE fishing and this pending the rain lets up. Thursday with the eiver very high there were a good bunch of drakes inthe air but since the mass amount of rain, forget it. Next chance is the hex hatch hopefully holds off till water go down but there is concern that maybe a good chance alot of the muck beds and this years hex got washed out!?!? Also right now using a boat to fish the Mason Tract anyways would be a little dangerous too.


----------



## Molson (Apr 18, 2003)

here is an excerpt from an email I just sent to some friends...

please be carfeul out there !!!
========================================

Blown Out Rivers make for unsafe conditions


Hey there XXXXX clan... you made the right call by NOT coming to the Au Sable area to fish this past weekend.

I made it up Thur night in time to do a short float. River was already high and somewhat discolored. Watched the storm (lightning) come in late Thur night. Friday I awoke to Big Creek running a full foot over my dock. Highest I had ever seen the water.

Saturday, buddy XXXX and I took our tubes to XXXX Lake looking for 'gills first thing in the morning. We stopped to check out the North Branch in a couple spots. That was high and discolored. Saturday afternoon, buddies XXXXX and XXX show up and want to do a float in the drift boat. We discussed the water situation, thought we might find a bit cleaner water below Mio. Headed down there. No clean water and it was rolling high and fast. Decided to float anyway. Mio to Commins Flats. There was a group of 2 kids, 2 men, and a little elderly lady taking off in canoes just before us. A gentleman standing at the launch, flipping a nymph and indicator, mentioned " that looks like trouble". I thought he was right and we'd probably be picking these folks up down river.

Well, we were both right. What I didn't plan on was the situation. They went into the water less than a mile downstream. They were yelling at us as we approached... "our mom is down". Getting to them on the south shore it doesn't look good. They had called 911 or emergency and had a unit on the way. We could hear it going by on the north side of the river. XXXX and XXX jumped out and we loaded the lady and her son. I started taking them across the river as the son performed CPR on his mom. I now believe that this was too late even then. As I crossed and moved downstream I got 911 on the phone. They said they had a boat coming down from Mio and to stay there. I told them to get the EMT unit to the first public access east of Mio on the north side. I stopped just upstream from the first access. The phone got dropped in the bottom of the boat and got wet. End of communication.

Multiple screw-ups then happened with the "response team". They brought a boat down alright.... a freaking driftboat. And to top it off the guy rowing didn't know how. It has now been 20 minutes since I picked up the son and his mother. They tried stopping under a sweeper thinking they could transfer the body. I yelled at them (I'm pretty shook at this point) - no freaking way - get your *****es down to that eddy on the north side, and by the way ... that is a public access right there... get the EMT unit in there... at the eddy we transferred the people. They had no idea that this particular access was there so the unit went to the next public access that is clearly marked on the road. This was another mile downstream.

I anchored there and sat for awhile trying to get my thoughts together. I then went down to the access where the EMT was. They (police & EMT) never took a statement from me, never took my name, basically didn't say squat !!

Shortly after that, XXXX and XXX came down in one of the canoes. We all got back in my drift boat and headed down. It was a different and quiet float down the remainder of the way to Commins Flats.

To all... Take care and be safe !!!!

=========================================


----------



## everlast1 (Nov 9, 2006)

beer and nuts said:


> I have not seen but only assume due to this much rain that most of the AuSable/Manistee system is unfishable by waders and really quite dangerous by boat too. First hand, the south branch in my dads 40 plus years of fishing the brown drakes and hex and living on the river cannot remember the river being so unfishable this time of year. I have been fishing for 28 years and can not remember NOT being able to fish the drakes and hex at night due to high water, been times that its been high but not unfishable. No reason to see it go down this week either, everything is saturated that the river may take weeks to get it down to a MAYBE fishing and this pending the rain lets up. Thursday with the eiver very high there were a good bunch of drakes inthe air but since the mass amount of rain, forget it. Next chance is the hex hatch hopefully holds off till water go down but there is concern that maybe a good chance alot of the muck beds and this years hex got washed out!?!? Also right now using a boat to fish the Mason Tract anyways would be a little dangerous too.


South branch at smith bridge is running at TWICE the level it has in the past 40 years. The N Branch should be fishable in the next couple days, the main by the weekend and the south a week or more is my guess. Its rolling thats for sure


----------



## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

Molson, so she did die? drowning? How long was she under? 

Had a friend kayak down Chase to Smith, he said dangerous and 1 or 2 locations had downed trees over river passable but not for the faint of heart.

It would be at the very latest 2 weeks to fish the SB...in my opinion. Next 2-3 more days has showers up here.


----------



## Molson (Apr 18, 2003)

she passed away.

the son & son-in-law said they had kept her head above water.

they believe she had a heart-attack.

they were on shore when we arrived. she did not look good.

I think it was too late when we arrived.


----------



## woodie slayer (Feb 25, 2006)

we've had 11 days of rain i don't think i ever seen the big sandy(ausable) that high or fast..was at north branch last night ...same same...High and Fast
i doubt if a week will help any of the three rivers ..

molson i haven't seen anything on the news up here about that lady??????????


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Sorry to hear about that situation, Paul. Sad circumstances. 

High water can be navigated safely most of the time, but VERY high water should have extra care taken when boating on it. It only takes a moment of carelessness, and someone can end up in a critical situation instantly. Inexperienced people should not boat in very high water conditions, period. Experienced boaters should be very careful in very high water. When in doubt, wait for the water to go down some.


----------



## Kelly Johnson (May 22, 2005)

Wife and I had planned on a canoe trip from Wallace park to Smith bridge this Thurs or Friday.

Should we make other arrangements?


----------



## Molson (Apr 18, 2003)

Kelly Johnson said:


> Wife and I had planned on a canoe trip from Wallace park to Smith bridge this Thurs or Friday.
> 
> Should we make other arrangements?


I would give it a while.

Take a look at B&N's post.


----------



## everlast1 (Nov 9, 2006)

With a few more inches in the forecast fri-sun gonna be a while longer. Anybody ever fish hex in the woods? :idea:


----------



## A_Outdoorsman (Oct 20, 2005)

i talked to a local fly guy in that area and he told me he had heard about the story only that she didn't pass away.


----------



## caulfield (May 7, 2004)

Try mice or squirrels in the woods.


----------

