# Ausable(Mio)/Rifle report



## SuperSarah (Sep 25, 2003)

I just dug out my little spinners yesterday to try my luck with the spinning rod! great minds think alike, eh? :lol:


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## Troutlord1 (Jun 6, 2007)

Spinners or Flies, either way the fishing should be great with the cool down and a little rain we had. I wish I was back up there!!!:sad:


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## Silverexpress (Sep 6, 2006)

SuperSarah said:


> I was up there yesterday (wednesday 9/23) in the afternoon, but didn't fish.
> 
> The water level wasn't super high, but it was moving right along. I didn't feel it was too high to wade (I would have!) The bottom is still pretty silty til about Loudon's.


 
Hello Supersarah,

What/Where is Loudon's?


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## SuperSarah (Sep 25, 2003)

It's the first "landing" or set of stairs, down from Mio. There's a little overlook place and stairs that go down to the water. 

It's about 3miles down from M-33 on the road to McKinley. 

I believe there is a sign for it on the river. 

I know it because the drive is very close to the driveway to the property where I fish. 

It's also a common stop for party barges, and the locals like to come out and gawk at the river traffic from there.

Update: 

I went out fishing tonight, and unfortunately, the river is up, again. Almost to the point of being foamy. *sigh*

They were rising, and striking, but no takers, just big splashes.:lol: 

I had the best results with an olive caddis.


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## Silverexpress (Sep 6, 2006)

Thanks Supersarah,

I'm only familiar with the more popular access point's for fly fishing. Anyhow, it's looking like a phenomenal closeout weekend for this season on the Trophy Waters.

Cold, rainy, and high water. What more could you ask for. It's big trout weather.

Heading up tomorrow, I may stop at Comins for bit. Maybe I'll seeyou there. Tight lines!


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## Silverexpress (Sep 6, 2006)

As expected the water was running high all throughout the system. I waded Comin's Flat, and where the water was usually ankle deep, it was now knee deep, and knee deep was now waist deep. So be careful!

The high water pretty much dampened all insect hatches, but I did find risers further down stream. I stumbled upon a field of bubble lines at around 6:30 pm Saturday. It went for about 200 yds, and varied to about 20 ft wide from shore at a few points. The water was ankle deep going out about 15 ft in some areas, and then it drop considerabley by midstream. I could not believe my eyes, when I saw fish in broad daylight tucked behind rocks feeding in this water.

I started off with my 4 wt 7' on Saturday tossing a 12 ft leader and a brown/brown caddis size 14 tied on. I landed a few, but was not satisfied. The wind picked up, and I spent a lot of time un-raveling wind knots. The advantage of the 7' is stealth. It's low in the water, and I can literally get fish to feed right beside me by keeping my motion as near to the water as possbile. With three ours of sleep I was pretty much spent come sun down, so I headed back to the motel.

9:30 am Sunday, I hit the water. Started at the midpoint of the bubble run and made my way upstream. A couple of light cahills were poping out here and there, but there were no risers. I decided to work my way up dry fly fishing with the 7' 4 wt. I casted right along the seam that was formed between the slow water and the faster midstream current. The dry fly was a size 16 light cahil. One fish hit, and it was heavy, this one ran the drag on my reel as it sped upstream into deeper water. Eventually, it made it's way down stream, and as I reeled in excess line the fish broke off. 

I finally made it to my backpack I layed down on the bank ahead of me. Decided to switch to my 9 ft 6wt, lined her up, and tied on Borger's dead drift nymph leader in a 10' length, and at the business end I tied on a caddis larvae in green/black. Walked along the bank back downstream to where I got in, and started casting dead drift upstream. Likewise, I'd shoot for the seam, and sometimes a little off to the deep end. The thing about fly fishing is that there are a lot of methods and techniques. This year has a been a boon on dry flies for me, and I've pretty much lost the feel for nymphing. I felt awkward and unconnected. Nada. 

Once I got to my backpack I swapped out the Borger leader for a streamer leader, and tied on a black bunny leach. Threw that up mid-stream, feeding it line as it drifted down and across, and with a twitch here and there. I worked my way downstream this time making five or six cast and then taking a step down. Nada.

Got back on the bank and walked back to my backpack to take a break. The air was cool, and the wind was picking up. With the sun gleening down at me, I started to feel sleepy so I laid back and took a nap. Woke up 20 minutes later, still feeling sleepy, but the thought of trout got my blood going again.

Nothing beats a cold can of Diet Pepsi these days, although I highly don't recommend any caffienated drinks while in waders. Beer is a good substitute, but not when you gotta cast a fly rod.

So packed up the 6 wt, and decided to pull out the 8' 6". Not as stealthy as the 7' but it can shoot line like it was laser guided. I'll go for the distance since nothing was rising. This time I walked further downstream to where the bubble field ended - right above a another line of riffles. 

Quiet I wasn't since I had to walk down a steep sandy hill that led right up to the water. Splash! Oh well. The water was very shallow here - about ankle deep, with rocks the size of basketballs here and there. The sun was behind my back, and the glare at waist level kept me from seeing into the water 15 ft in front of me. That's right, I was on my knees leaning forward as low as I could go. I waited. 

Within 5 minutes, I had a fish that rose about a rods length directly to my left. Then another one about 3 rod lengths in front. They were feeding on trico's. It's 2 pm. I changed my fly to a trico emerger, and a few minutes later quickly landed the fish in front of me. It was your average plump 12 in. Brown. This went on for the next hour without me moving an inch upstream. I missed a handful of risers that would mash at the tiny size 20 imitation. Once the hatch ended I switched to a size 16 adams. Why not?

Caught fish on that too, and so I decided to go up in size, and tied on a Borcher's size 14 (my reasoning is that iso's where probably still hatching here and there in this section of the river - and the fish were in an opportunistic mood). Sure enough, they went for it, and the takes were violent!

The most memorable take was a fish that was 2 rod length's from where I was. He was up against the bank in that ankle deep water - completely camouflaged in the silt covered rocks. My Borcher came floating 2 ft to his left, and I was startled by the eruption of a perfect swirl, then a silver flash streaked across like a torpedo, and that fly disappeared in an instant. My rod went down, and the line was pulled off my pinched fingers with force. That brown headed straight across midstream! I landed a nice 16" brown after it was said and done. 

From where I got in, I had almost a dozen browns and a few rainbows attack that Borchers. By about 5 pm two young guys showed up to camp out on the river. I told them about the fishing, and how to fish the area, and at that point the rain clouds started rolling in, and I called it quits for the season. 

I lucked out this year, making it almost every weekend Up North. Next year will probably be a different story. I learned a lot more about the Trophy waters, and got to know Josh, Stosch, and Tom - the guys leading the survey on the trophy waters. It was fun, got to help out some people, and pass on a few trick flies and leaders I tied.

Next year the focus will be on the Magic mile.....


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## Hullyscott (Sep 17, 2009)

Gonna camp at the Rec area, brave the cold,and hopefully have a nice time fishing the Rifle for probably the last time this year. Might even rent a canoe and do a float down the Au Sable wednesday morning. Does the stretch of the Rifle that flows through the Rec area close after the 30th?

Wish me luck

Hully


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Hullyscott said:


> Gonna camp at the Rec area, brave the cold,and hopefully have a nice time fishing the Rifle for probably the last time this year. Might even rent a canoe and do a float down the Au Sable wednesday morning. Does the stretch of the Rifle that flows through the Rec area close after the 30th?
> 
> Wish me luck
> 
> Hully


The Rifle in the rec area closes tomorrow. I am pretty sure the only open water is below Sage Lake Rd after that.


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## Hullyscott (Sep 17, 2009)

This will be a quick post to this thread. Got to the Rifle river State rec late tuesday night and moved BIG trout until it got to dark to see. Landed a 19" and the most beautiful 15" trout I've ever caught. Wednesday morning floated the Au Sable from Mio to Cummins Flats and finally landed one of those monster trophy browns- 27" and at least 6lbs!!!! All released. I will post pix later. What an amazing close of the season!!!

Hully


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