Brown Trout of a lifetime

Well, I caught my first daytime hex trout over two feet long this past weekend. It was a pretty good story. It starts on Saturday, when I drove to a nearby access to check out what was going on. As I was standing at the launch, I see fellow guide and friend Ron Racozy with two clients fishing for what looks to be a large trout. Then I spot the bugs. Hex duns were all over the water. Mind you, daytime Hex hatches are rare, especially on the Au Sable.

As I looked up, I saw one of Ron's clients hook into the fish. After a fair amount of commotion, the fish is netted and Ron yells down to me that it is a "25 or 26 incher." I saw the fish, I saw the duns, and I realized it was time to gear up. However, that day was not to be the day I landed the big one.

Sunday morning brought the same conditions as Saturday, and I knew I had to get on the water. Armed with my boat this time, I paddled upstream until my muscles gave out. I sat and waited. When the Hex began to appear around 8 o'clock, I knew I was in for a good day. When the fish began to rise, I realized I was in for a really good day. I picked one fish out that sounded bigger than the rest, and worked him. After a solid half hour of casting over him, he took an emerger pattern that has done well for me in the past. After a short battle, I landed the brute, took some pictures, and let him go. Pictures to come soon, as yours truly stupidly left his camera at the cabin.

That was not the only big fish encounter of the weekend. I personally landed another that was around 21" and my client Larry landed the fattest 23" Brown Trout I have ever seen. Streamer fishing and daytime dry fly fishing was also very good in spots. With the high water on the Au Sable, the fish are really packing on the pounds.

Have a good time out there, and BE SAFE!

Battles Won and Lost

The past few days have really been something. Big fish, in battles won and lost, are by far the most memorable moments in my fishing and guiding experience. The past few nights offered rather mixed fishing, but several chances at large trout have made them memorable. Last night, we had very good brown drake fishing, with several nice fish and one whopper in the net. We had chances at several other nice Brown Trout too.

I have been doing some fishing on my own as well. Mostly I have been fishing to a single trout. It is a nice trout, probably somewhere in the range of 18-20 inches. More important, however, is where he is located. He is basically rising in the middle of a logjam. To get to him, it requires a tough cast, and the fish would certainly test me in a hand to fin battle. I will get him eventually.

This time of year, watch out for the madness that results from the big bugs of June. Puffy red eyes, hallucinations, sleep deprivation, and babbling stories of big fish battles won and lost are all signs of the madness. Enjoy the next month of fishing folks, and remember, GET YOUR SLEEP!