A World Class River - The Au Sable

The Au Sable River, a world-class river, is now teeming with life as the dry fly season has officially begun. This is a time of anticipation and excitement as the trout season has kicked off, and many are embarking on their annual trout camps. It's a joy to witness the continuation of a tradition that has spanned decades. 

It’s time to cash in some of that (PTO) personal time off and head to the river. The Hendrickson hatch generally lasts for a couple of weeks, with the peak activity around late afternoon and into the early evening. You can expect Hendrickson’s hatches and good spinner falls during the evenings. However, this can vary depending on weather conditions. Cooler temperatures can push the hatchback a bit. During the Hendrickson hatch, you'll see trout rising to the surface to feed on the hatching and emerging mayflies. These mayflies are relatively large (size 12 or 14) compared to other hatches, so you might see some surprisingly large fish feeding this time of year.  It has been a great start to the Henny’s as reports have come in from the river that anglers have hooked and released fish over the 24” mark. Wow! That is what we are talking about. 

Hendrickson nymphs and emergers in sizes 12-14 are your best bet, but you may see some Blue blue-winged olives hatching, too, so don’t forget to have those in your fly box. Make sure you have size 18-20 BWOs.  Try a tandem rig with a Hendrickson dun and emerger fished together. Trout will often feed along the seams and edges of the current, where the hatching mayflies are drifting. Getting a fish to take your fly may take a few casts, so be patient and don’t get discouraged. 

We encourage you to get out and enjoy Northern Michigan. It’s a beautiful time of the year!