Just returned home late last night from another trip to the Au Sable. I can't complain at all about the way this year has started off, I've already spent about 20 days in my waders so far already this year and it's barely mid May so it's been a good start to 2009. This trip I was joined by Todd(AlG) and Bob (OSD). Tood and I started off the first couple days and were joined by Bob later in the trip. Before I go into the rest of the trip I have to tell about something very cool that happened the 2nd day of the trip. Todd and I were fishing drys in Mio and I picked out a small riser right up next to the bank to try to fool. On the first drift with a Hendrickson pattern the small rainbow sucked in the fly and I set the hook. Soon as I set the hook he started twisting in the current and I saw a HUGE yellow/golden flash right where the bow I was playing on my line was and my little 4wt doubled over as I felt a big wight on the end of the rod. I stepped up onto the bank and peered down to see the little 7" rainbow hanging out crossways in the mouth of a 22"-24" hook jawed brown the way a dog would hang onto a bone. Todd was about 75ft downstream of me so I yelled for him to wade down to see this because I knew he wouldn't believe me if he didn't see it for himself.

The monster brown held onto the little bow for a good 2 mins and Todd was able to get down to me to see for himself and was just as amazed as I was. I tried to keep pressure on the fish without applying too much pressure to make him drop the little bow, and it seemed to be working. I had the big brown up to the surface and only about 2ft away from the net as Todd dipped it down to net the fish. Then he opened his mouth and let the little bow go and slowly slide out into the depth as I stood there heartbroken. Oddly enough the little bow was still aliove so I unhooked him and let him go on his way figuring he had already had a bad enough day as it was.

The rest of the trout fishing was as to be expected. It's hard to fish big streamers wading so we did the best we could and managed a ton of smaller 10-11" fish and had some fun with them on dries.





Even though it's starting to get late in the run for steelhead I had heard before we left from a very reliable source that the heavy rains on the trout opener had brought a fresh push of fish into the system, so I packed my 7wt switch rod and that turned out to be a wise choice.

There were a good number of fresh steel in the river and with the warmer water they were full of fight and out of the water more than they were in it when you hooked one. I managed to hook into about 7 fish over 2 days of steelheading and landed a few good one.









Now it's time to rest up and build a few more rods before I leave for the next trip back to the Au Sable in two weeks. Tough life, but someone has to do it :wasnt me:

Yes it was fun
There is one thing Steve and I agree




We need a drift Boat


This is a tough wade with leaking waders



Who is that guy over on the other side of the river?
Could that be Steve (Stevedrifter)

Bob

Tell us about the bathroom facilities at Steves place?????????

He didn't have the pump on the well working so we needed to carry the water from the creek to flush the toilet.
"No big deal"

Except Tuesday morning I awoke to find that the water jug was empty, and I had a torpedo locked and loaded ready for discharge.
Needless to say I made a Cannon Ball Run, and drove to the nearest public facilities for the morning constitutional

Nice looking fish and sounds like a nice trip. Our stream season opens Saturday. Hope to fing a stream that is not blowen out.
Have one in mind.
Brian

Great report Steve.
Cool story about that hungry Brown!
Can't wait to get up there for myself