Ghosts II

At my dinnertime planning session on Saturday night I decided that exploring the North Branch of the AuSable made sense, followed by working down the South Branch in the later afternoon (and toward home).

The North Branch has a long and storied history. Perhaps no spot is as famous as Fuller's North Branch Outing Club. Founded in 1916 by a lumberman who realized his business was declining, NBOC was a favorite spot for noted outdoorsmen like Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone (did those guys ever WORK? Seems like they're well-known in about a dozen locations...), and the Dodge brothers.

The most striking thing about the North Branch was its similarity to the UP. More so than any river I've been on in the Lower, this area looks very much like Schoolcraft and Delta counties in the central UP. And the river structure is much like those rivers -- shallow, lots of gravel, the occasional swampy patch, and moderate current.

I followed the river north from Lovells and found a quiet spot. Ten minutes in - BANG, nice little brook trout. As the sun warmed things up, the bugs started to come out and the fish started to get interested. After a couple of hours, I decided to continue my exploration.

After a few stops to investigate other spots, I switched to the east side of the South Branch (I'd fished the west side the night before). My TU guidebook called out Daisy Meadows as one of the pretties spots on the river -- and they weren't wrong. Though a bit tricky to find, and probably best reached by 4WD vehicle, it's worth the effort. Fished dries here for a bit, then switched over to strip streamers. Oddly, the most scenic spot on my trek didn't produce any fish! Ah,well -- it was also mid-day with bright sunshine.

Closed out my day by returning to the Mason Tract segment on the west side of the river. Again, solid. Nice sulphur hatch in progress and got two nice little trout, along with several missed strikes. This time I waded a good bit down the river - as I discovered when hiking back up the trail! Wind was a little active, so glad I had my 6 wt. Scott, rather than the lighter 3 wt. I'd considered.

All in all a great trip. Though I still prefer the PM, I now better understand the allure of the AuSable. I will definitely be back!

-Sean-