Late last month T.F.M. friend Spencer Ballard got a pass from the wife and headed up north for a couple days of hucking streamers on one of his favorite Michigan rivers.
By the looks of it he did alright.
Spencer wrote... "With three kids age five and under, getting out and fishing for trout has become difficult at best. I had an opportunity to escape for a weekend and chase some trout while staying at Gates Au Sable Lodge in Grayling, Michigan. This is a worthy destination, regardless of how far you are traveling. Trout Unlimited was founded on the banks of the Au Sable River. The difference between the trout fishing in Michigan, and trout fishing out west, is that you normally have to work twice as hard in Michigan. The fishing can be spectacular at times and fall is one of the best times to hit the rivers here, especially if you enjoy streamer fishing. I am a streamer addict, and it seemed fitting that the my second trip to the area this year should happen in late October. Fishing far above any passage that can allow salmon or steelhead to enter helps ensure that we have some solitude on the water (I didn't see a single angler the entire weekend). I am willing to face the facts, streamer fishing with big heavy articulated streamers and sinking lines isn't necessarily the strong suit of glass. I can still comfortably throw a lead eyed Conrad's Sculpin thirty feet with my Steffen 5/6 weight and that is all that is needed when fishing the area I was in. The rod performed well and I ended up with two German brown trout over twenty inches and one gorgeous brookie. The temperature when we hit the water in the morning was well below freezing but these fish warmed me up a bit."
By the looks of it he did alright.
Spencer wrote... "With three kids age five and under, getting out and fishing for trout has become difficult at best. I had an opportunity to escape for a weekend and chase some trout while staying at Gates Au Sable Lodge in Grayling, Michigan. This is a worthy destination, regardless of how far you are traveling. Trout Unlimited was founded on the banks of the Au Sable River. The difference between the trout fishing in Michigan, and trout fishing out west, is that you normally have to work twice as hard in Michigan. The fishing can be spectacular at times and fall is one of the best times to hit the rivers here, especially if you enjoy streamer fishing. I am a streamer addict, and it seemed fitting that the my second trip to the area this year should happen in late October. Fishing far above any passage that can allow salmon or steelhead to enter helps ensure that we have some solitude on the water (I didn't see a single angler the entire weekend). I am willing to face the facts, streamer fishing with big heavy articulated streamers and sinking lines isn't necessarily the strong suit of glass. I can still comfortably throw a lead eyed Conrad's Sculpin thirty feet with my Steffen 5/6 weight and that is all that is needed when fishing the area I was in. The rod performed well and I ended up with two German brown trout over twenty inches and one gorgeous brookie. The temperature when we hit the water in the morning was well below freezing but these fish warmed me up a bit."
In short, it's tough to beat Michigan in the fall.
2 comments:
Wow, that's a really great brown. Big meaty streamers are a blast.
Good going Spencer. Glad to hear someone is getting out.
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