Too Hot!!!! - Time to tie!

Time: -
Type: -
Lengths: -
Amount: -
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: -
Location: -
Weather: HOT!!!!

Comments: Just too hot to fish. Tying up a selection of hopper and beetle patterns for the annual August trip!!

The Bones are tough!

Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Type: Golden Bonefish / Green Sunfish
Lengths: 12" - 14"
Amount: 2
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: Cotton Seed / Beetle / AuSable Wulff
Location: Hurshtown Resv.
Weather: Hot / Sunny

Comments: The Bones are busy doing something, but it's not feeding! I was able to tempt a couple of smaller fish to take an AuSable Wulff, but the big guys weren't interested.

The Golden Bones are On!

Time: 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Type: Golden Bonefish / Green Sunfish
Lengths: 3" - 14"
Amount: 30+
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: Cotton Seed / Beetle
Location: Hurshtown Resv.
Weather: Cool / Cloudy

Comments: The Bones are starting to congregate! Faith had her fly rod out and really had a blast catching the Sunfish. Mike, Roo and I are concentrating on the Bones. Further tweaks to the Cotton Seed are required, but we're catching a few.

Faith and the Sunfish

Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Type: Green Sunfish
Lengths: 3" - 6"
Amount: 14
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: Beetle
Location: Hurshtown Resv.
Weather: Cool / Cloudy

Comments: Faith went after the Sunfish tonight. For a 9 year old, she's pretty good with a fly rod! 14 fish caught, and many more just missed.

June 2005 - Day 6

Time: 5:00pm - 1:00am (Indiana Time)
Type: Brown
Lengths: 11"
Amount: 1
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: Robert's Yellow Drake #12
Brown Drake #12
Location: South Branch Au Sable
Weather: Hot and Once again STORMY

Comments: We went back to Upper High Banks. We got there early so we could explore and see what other holes were around. We found what looked to be a fantastic stretch and settled in for the night. The Drake hatch was VERY light. We had a massive Sulphur spinner fall and a few Golden Stones on the water. Fishing was very slow.

Before I tell you what else happened, I need to point out the fact that my friend Mike caught his first 10" plus brown! He not only caught it, but he did it in the dark!

That's where the fun stopped and the Hillbillies started. About two hours after we had settled on the spot to fish, a group of "fishermen" showed up with beer and women. The guys told us that we were in "their spot". I explained that we had been in the spot waiting for the evening hatch, and we intended to stay in that spot. We did, but they did their best to ruin a good night. All through the day light hours cigarette butts and other garbage floated past us. Once darkness hit, they began to sneak through the woods in an attempt to scare us. We've been in the woods for too many years (almost 40 now) to let a bunch of billies scare us. All in all, they did what they hoped to do and that was ruin a good night. Fortunately I was at the head of our group, and I was the one dealing with them. My sons and my friend didn't have to deal with them. Just something to think about when you are on the water and meet someone else. Be kind and let them have the spot if they are there first.

June 2005 - Day 5

Time: 4:00pm - 1:00
Type: Brook / Brown
Lengths: 6" - 15"
Amount: 10
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: Brown Drake Nymph #10
Iso Nymph
Roberts Yellow Drake #12 ***
Brown Drake #12
Location: South Branch Au Sable
Weather: Hot and Stormy

Comments: Our first trip to the South Branch!!!

While dodoging several severe thunderstorms, we explored many of the access points in the Mason Tract (See this link for more info on the drilling). Hail and downed trees couldn't keep us from exploring this gem in Northern Michigan.

We visited the Fishermen's Chapel for the first time. It's really buried in the woods, but well worth the trip. Just a nice place to relax.

Found a site near Upper High Banks that looked promising. We had to share the site with one of the biggest beavers I've ever seen, but he seemed to be in a good mode. During the early part of the day the fishing was slow with a few small trout taking our nymph. Once evening hit, the Drakes were on and the big boys came out to play! Though we didn't land any of the really big fish, a 15" brown is a nice fish any day! I filled my waders when I tripped over a rock while landing this beauty. Wow, was that a blast! We'll be back!

June 2005 - Day 4

Time: 3:00pm - 11:00pm (Indiana Time)
Type: Brookie / Brown
Lengths: 6" - 10"
Amount: 8
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: Teeny BH #10 / Zug Bug #12 / Green Rock Worm #10 / Sulphur #16
Location: Manistee - U.S. (Two Track)
Weather: Sunny and HOT

Comments: Another one of my favorite places to fish. Again the numbers were OK, but the size was down. We dodged storms all afternoon. Andrew caught a beautiful Brookie!

The sulphurs came off in the evening and provided a fun time fishing for smaller trout.

June 2005 - Day 3

Time: 3:00pm - 11:30pm (Indiana Time)
Type: Brookie / Brown
Lengths: 6" - 10"
Amount: 9
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: Brown Drake Wet #12 / Borcher's #14 / Sulphur Spinner #16
Location: AuSable - U.S. (Holy Waters - Guide's Rest)
Weather: Windy and Cooler

Comments: What else do you need to you say when you're on the Holy Waters! I love this place!!!! The wading can't be any easier, and fish everwhere. This is the spot that I first caught a trout in the 20" range.

The fishing was good, but the fish were on the small side. I missed just as many as I landed! Late in the evening, we were hoping for a Brown Drake hatch, but instead got a Sulphur spinner fall. A lot of fish feeding, but even more bugs on the water!

Still, I'm on the Holy Waters, and I love it!!!!!

June 2005 - Day 2

Time: 3:00pm - 10:30pm (Indiana Time)
Type: Brookie / Brown
Lengths: 6" - 9"
Amount: 2
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: Borcher's #14 / Ginger Streamer
Location: Manistee - U.S. (DC218)
Weather: Sunny and Hot / Clouds and Wind late.

Comments: No hatch to speak of. Caught a real nice brookie on one of my favorite stretches of water.

We found Roger's Landing and Yellowtrees Landing. Wow, talk about the middle of nothing!

June 2005 - Day 1

Time: 6:00pm - 10:30pm
Type: Brookie / Brown
Lengths: 6" - 10"
Amount: 3
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
Fly: Borcher's #14
Location: Manistee - U.S.
Weather: Sunny and Warm

Comments: A very small hatch of March Browns from 9:30pm - 9:45pm. A handful of Sulphurs. A few small fish rising. I doesn't matter, because were here!!!!

I caught a 21" Brown by hand! The fish was slowly swimming through the shallows when I grabbed it's tail. The fish was obviously hurt, and I soon found a large puncture in it's side. Later I found out that it was mostly speared by a Heron.

Annual June Fishing Trip!!!

Time: -
Type: Trout!!!
Lengths: -
Amount: -
Setup: St. Croix Legend Ultra 8.5ft / 5wt
St. Croix Pro Graphite 7.5 / 4wt
Fly: -
Location: "Holy Lands" (Manistee/Au Sable/Boardman)
Weather:

Comments: Off to the Holy Lands of Fly Fishing! 8 Days of fishing my favorite rivers that I grew fishing!