# July NE report w/pics....



## brookid (Aug 25, 2004)

I just got back from the first of two week long trips up to the cabin in NE Michigan. I didn't fish as much as i would have normally but i did get my fair share.My niece just graduated fom high school so as a graduation present i flew her in to join us up at the lake. I haven't seen her in a number of years so it was nice to spend time and catch up.
My fishing time was regulated to early am, evenings and when ever i could sneek away during the day. The overall water conditions were ok. Most of the smaller streams where running a bit low but the water temps were stable in the low 60's.










So here is a little taste of the week in no particular order...

*TRICOS*










I was hoping to find tricos on the local streams but when that didn't pan out i opted to take a couple shots on the Ausable. My first try was on the main stream. I wasn't sure what time things would get going so to be safe i made sure i was there by 6am. It turned out to be a good move because by the time i got down to the river things were in full swing. The water was covered with them but oddly enough not to many fish had them dialed in, enough to make it fun but not crazy. I guess the mainstream is just heating up. I really like fishing the tricos. It's mostly smaller fish but did get a nice little brown of about 11 or 12 inches.










Things wound down about 7am. The olives started popping about 9am. I fished that for an hour or two and climbed out of the river.

I decided to hit the North Branch for my second try.










It is truely a beautiful river. I'm not sure why i don't fish it more. Its only about 35 minutes from the cabin to Lovells. I again got there at 6am but with the cooler evening the previous night, the tricos didn't dump till about 9am.










The hatch was much more prolific on the North, for about 45 minutes it was crazy.










It was mostly small brookies but with the little 3wt cane rod it was alot of fun. The interesting thing was after it died down where i was, i waded back downstream and it was just getting going near my take out. I re-strung the rod and went after it again for another hour or so, two for the price of one!


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## brookid (Aug 25, 2004)

*THE LAKE*

I only fished the lake out front one evening. It has a healthy population of smallmouth. I haven't spent alot of time with the fly rod chasing these fish but i should. They are a riot! So, one evening i grabbed my navigator and we headed out to throw streamers in and around the rafts on the lake.










We didn't have much luck but we didn't get skunked either, managed a couple of smaller ones.









(photos not to good but most if not all the night photos are taken with a disposable...)

*MOUSING*










I think night fishing is certainly an aquired taste, one that i'm slowly warming to. There is so much about flyfishing that is visual, so to me fishing at night kind of cheapens the experience. Having said that, i can't wait to go again!
The unfortunate thing is that this trip i had absolutley no "mouse mojo". I went 3 evenings, two locally and another back on the Ausable. The evenings usually went something like this....
Arrive a couple hours before dark and get warmed up throwing at whatever may be rising...










Then right at dark change things around a bit and start to work the larger fish that have moved out into the feeding lanes...










Then after dark switch over to a mouse and have at it. The only problem with that scenario is the fish didn't cooperate. I got many swipes and splashes but i never hooked a fish. I suppose i may increase my hook ups if i could learn to set the hook on the pull and not the splash. I'm not sure if i'll ever be that calm to pull it off. It scares the **** out of ya, my nuts end up in my throat everytime it happens. 
This section of stream became my nemisis....doesn't look like much but there are some big boys who show up at night.










I had more success (hooking at least) fish by dead drifting or swinging Hex patterns. I hooked some very healthy fish but i never landed one. I got broke off twice and four popped the hook. I suppose it wasn't meant to be (if you buy into that kinda crap) I'll have another shot in August so we'll see what happens.










The Ausable on the other hand was much nicer to me. I got there just before dark and a nice fish made quite a racket near the bank. I worked him for awhile but couldn't get any interest. As it slowly got darker he came further out from the bank into a feeding lane. He started to feed a little more frequently. My first thought was to go big and get his attention but got no looks on anything i tried. I went the opposite direction and tied on a #14 hemmingway caddis, ginked down the wings to make it spent and he took it...










I took a couple more later in the eveing on iso's, nothing bigger than him but close. I moused after that, got a few swipes and called it a night about 1am.


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## brookid (Aug 25, 2004)

*DOG DAYS*










When i could i snuck away mid day to sample some of the local streams. It only happened a couple times but i tried to make the most of it. One of the trips i headed to a familiar spot....a very pretty piece of water.









...who doesn't like stumps, it just begs for a beetle (or terrestrial of your choice)

The other day i tried a new place. One of those dotted lines on the Gazateer. This two was a nice stretch.










I waded up stream aways and came to a section with a series of old beaver dams. Just up stream from that the stream changed to a slow meander through a meadow. It was getting time to head back but i wanted to see what was up around the corner (isn't that always the case).
I peered around the bend and saw the clump of trees....










I laid a hopper into the shaded area at the base of the tree and this guy slammed it...it was just a deep gulp, i love that sound. He's not huge by any means but a pretty good fish for 2pm and a good one to end the day on...










*MY LITTLE STEAM*










This is the first time in quite a few years that i din't fish it...persay. I put in quite a few hours continuing my psuedo stream restoration, labor of love or nut breaker...take your pick. It was tough. The days i chose to head over where a stifling 90 degrees. i could think of better things to be doing than sweating my nuts off with a chainsaw dropping trees and dragging them into the stream. I took some shots but grabbed the wrong disposable so they presently reside on my nieces camera. I'll try again in August. The previous work looks pretty good (relatively speaking) some holes have been created and are scowering out the stream bed...i'm
actually seeing gravel again in places. I threw a line around a little on one visit, hes not much but its a start...perhaps the first settler in the new neigborhood....










Now the bad news, those *ucking quad idiots are at it again. The balls of these folks! I went upstream to check on things. The DNR had placed huge boulders in the trail to block the path and all these idiots did was get a chainsaw and cut a new path around the boulder...unbelievable!!! This is state land...basically giving the middle finger to everyone invloved. I was just *ucking furious when i saw it...when i day dream, i see myself stringing up wire randomly across the trail...its nice to dream.










So thats about it...i'm back up in Mid August for another week. I have a score to settle with a certain streatch of water....


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Thanks for the great report w/ pics.

I'm also one of those who want to see what's around the next bend in the river and over the years it has paid off with some real soakers and by that I mean trout not a dunking.


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## lookin for the gills (Jan 21, 2003)

Thanks for sharing the pics and story:coolgleam


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

Great report and pics as always! (Except for my arachnophobic tendencies)

I am looking forward to your August Trip already!


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Great post and pics.


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## sir mendalot (Jun 12, 2003)

WONDERFUL report and pics. Conjurs some great memories as I have put in some time on this river system. (Did you see the cougar per Rusty's post:0?). Looking forward to my annual late summer pilgrimage in a couple weeks.


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## joefsu (Jan 9, 2005)

Awesome report and some beautiful pics. Sounds like a great trip! 

Thanks for sharing,

Joe


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## GVSUKUSH (Mar 9, 2004)

WOW! As always, great pics!


This is now the background on my computer


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## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

Great report as always!!!!! Thanks so much. I've been jonesing (sp?) I been stuck at home for the last few weeks working on the home to get ready to sell. 

Will be heading up for a week in the U.P. and upper Wisconsin in about 3 weeks. Until then I'll have to just look at posts to see trout


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## STEINFISHSKI (Jan 30, 2001)

Beautiful! Thanks for bringing us along.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

GVSUKUSH said:


> WOW! As always, great pics!
> 
> 
> This is now the background on my computer


.......Only until the beach cams back on line! :lol: :yikes: 

Great report and pics Brookid! Thanks for sharing!


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## Shupac (Apr 17, 2005)

Great trip. The tricos are a riot, aren't they? I hope to reconfirm that impression later this week.


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## weekendredneck (Feb 16, 2002)

I always look foward to reading and seeing brookid's reports. Great pics!


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