Ghosts

Spent some time on the AuSable river this weekend. I've fished the Holy Waters section a couple of times and never really got it. Easy wade and lots of fish, but too many riding lawnmowers and loud stereos in the stretch I've done. Had some unexpected free time, so decided to head up.

I've found Andy and the guys at Old AuSable Fly Shop in Grayling very knowledgeable and helpful, so that was the first stop. They suggested I have a look at the South Branch and the Mason Tract. After a stop to check-in at Fay's Motel (too cold to camp) for a very nice $53 room, it was off to the river.

The Mason Tract is a 4,493 acre section that includes 11 miles of the South Branch. A 9.2 mile path wends through the property, along with two-track roads. When auto executive George Mason donated it, he required that no logging, drilling, development, or camping be allowed. A true wilderness area.

Beautiful surroundings, lots of nice trout water, and easy to access. Pull off the two track at one of the parking clear cuts, bushwack to the river (mmmm, cedar swamps, yummy...) fish downriver, then walk back up the path. Really nice accessibility. Fishing was solid for small brook and rainbow trout. Got a couple beautiful, if small fish and several more takes.

I picked up the Trout Unlimited guide to the AuSable. While these are pricey, they support the local TU chapter and are written and edited by locals who fish the river regularly. I found it an invaluable guide for accessing the river and planning my trek. Which is exactly what I did over a burger and beers later at Spike's Keg-O-Nails - best burger I've had in MI, and if you're lucky you can score a seat at the left end of the bar with a big picture window overlooking the river!

Reports of adventures will continue this week (pictures, too!)...

-Sean-

Beauty, Grace & Power

I've always been intrigued with Skagit/Spey style fishing for steelhead. Now that I've tried it, I'm even more so. Beautiful. Elegant. And, now that I've thrown a Skagit - POWERFUL! This preview of the Simms flick Skagit Master says so much...




Enjoy! I am!

-Sean-

Under the Stars

This week I've had the camping bug. Eager to get out and sleep under the stars (well, almost -- tent and all...). Nothing quite like cooking over a campfire, then enjoying it's tranquility afterwards. Then crawling into a comfy sleeping bag for a great night's sleep!

And, this season will feature an upgrade - R.I.P. $12 tent. Looking forward to the added confidence a decent tent brings. Especially the idea that if it rains, I might actually stay dry!

Camping puts me right on top of the action. Like the picture at left. This was taken at a campsite at the mouth of the Two Hearted River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A fifteen-foot walk put me on the beach of Lake Superior. A few moments drive to the Reed and Green Bridge for solid trout fishing. And the North Country Trail for mountain biking was at the top of the hill!

That night I grilled a steak, asparagus, and potatoes for one of the best meals ever! I love campfire cooking. Sure it's a challenge to manage the heat, but I'm up for it!

-Sean-

Can't Leave Well Enough Alone

It seems I'm always tweaking some piece of outdoor gear for better performance, or to adapt it to my needs or style. Latest victim is the Centerpin fly rig. Smooth running, low-friction bearings are at the heart of a good centerpin reel. And, I figured that better bearings deliver better performance in other rolling applications - bicycles, skateboards, Rollerblades - so why not my 'pin?

Enter Boca Bearings. I found them through a discussion forum on Steelheadsite on pinning. Turns out these guys specialize in a wide range of high-performance bearings for fishing reels, RC cars, and more. Pretty cool! Found my reel in their model list and quickly a set of their high-performance ceramic Orange Seal bearings are on their way!

Spent some time on the pin on a recent trip. I've found yet another great tool for fishing steelhead. If you need to efficiently cover a LOT of water with long straights, it's a great method. As an added bonus, it's EASY! Once you figure out the mechanics of casting and providing drag during fights, it's very low impact. On my recent trip I was fishing with mostly chuck-n-duck guys who looked over longingly as I delivered 100' and longer drifts!

The coolest part may be the fight. There's NO drag on a pin reel. It's all you, palming the reel to slow a charging fish. Eventually I found it was best to leave the rod under my left arm, and provide drag with my right hand by reaching across.

Sure, there's some debate over whether pins are "real" fly fishing. But the reality is that other than the main line, my rig is VERY similar to what I used to Indicator fish with a floating line. And I'd argue that centerpin float fishing is more fly fishing than chuck-n-duck! Plus, I have to add, it's a BUNCH more fun!

One caveat - I had a knowledgeable 'pin fisherman show me the ropes. This would be a tough model to teach yourself, I think. If you're interesting, find someone who's done this before and learn from them.

Can't wait to get the new bearings in the reel for next Fall! Should be a blast on big water like the Manistee, Muskegon, or Manistique!

-Sean-

One & Done

Seeing tons of singlespeed bikes around town this spring. Mostly of the road variety. Interesting to see such growth in what is - admittedly - a niche. This weekend while I was talking to friends about my s/s mountain bike, the familiar "WTF?" looks began to emerge on their faces.

"So, it only has one gear? Why?"

I love my single. It's simple, rugged, reliable,and requires minimal fuss. No derailleurs to tweak or tune. No suspension. And way less thinking and strategy -- want to go faster? Pedal faster. Simple as that.

But deep down inside, I know the real reason. As a kid, I spent HOURS exploring a wide variety of trails on my BMX bike(s). From sunup to sundown most every day was spent doing something on the bike. When I'd outgrown standard 20" wheel BMX bikes, I made the move up to "cruisers" with 26" wheels.

My SE single-speed mountain bike is the evolved, grown-up version of these bikes. I even owned a couple of SE race bikes back in the day. I think perhaps that connection to my childhood, coupled with the elemental nature of the bike, are what make me so love riding this unusual bike.

-Sean-

The Tug is the Drug

I fish for steelhead because the fight is like crack for me. From that first tug of a solid hook-up with a fresh fish, there's nothing so electrifying. Sure, Kings are HUGE and trout are fun to outsmart. But a fresh chromer? C'mon -- nothing like it!

Must give props to Jon Ray on a significant element of my improved success not just hooking up, but actually landing these fun fish. He taught me a ton about how to fight a steelhead, but most of all to take a deep breath and adjust to the groove of the fish after a hook-up. That's helped me tremendously in avoiding "vapor lock" that causes me to make stupid mistakes that result in lost fish. Plus, you spend all day trying for that elusive hook-up. Why rush it! Lock that rod but into your forearm, put some bend in that rod, let the fish run when he wants it, and enjoy the moment. For a few fleeting minutes, you're directly connected to nature through some 8-weight tippet!

Last night I was taking down the steelhead rigs and stowing rods in tubes. Kinda' sad -- that season's over. Time to switch to smallmouth on the Huron, and trout in the Northern rivers. I am looking forward to fishing drys as well as stripping streamers. But it's never like the Chrome Rush! Can't wait for Fall!

-Sean-

Learn to Earn

Just back from PM/UP spring trip -- awesome few days with great locations, solid fishing, and fun companions! Can't ask for much more in a fishing excursion.

I was talking to my Uncle the other night about some fishing things and we stumbled onto the element of learning. I realized that this is perhaps my favorite part of fly fishing -- no matter how much I know, there's something more to learn.

But...

As I reflect on last year's version of this trip, my knowledge has grown SO much in so many areas. From reading water, rigging, styles of fishing, even wading skills. And it really empowers me with confidence that makes these trips so much more rewarding.

On this trip, I got exposure to three new styles:

1. Super-secret drift that I can't speak of; sworn to secrecy by two guides who taught me. But it ROCKS for covering a lot of water.
2. Switch/spey casting - picked up my new 8-wt. TFO Deer Creek Switch on the way out of town. Way-cool spey guy and fill-in guide for our trip Jed Litwiller was kind enough to lend me a reel spooled up with 450 grain Rio Skagit line. HOLY CRAP! With very minimal effort I was quickly belting out ripping long and accurate casts. This is indicator fishing taken to its next level. Can't wait to get some spooled up on the Momentum 5 reel!
3. Stripping streamers - got to try out my new rig on the float out on the PM; and scored a nice brown with it! So cool to see the fish roll and chase down the streamer! Even tried it on the Indian River in the UP. Something BIG hit on it at one point, but wasn't able to land it. Thanks to all the guys who played a roll in getting me to check out this style of fishing.

So, lots more tricks in my arsenal -- resulting in lots more hook-ups, solid fights, and fish landed! More on this trip to follow later this week.

-Sean-