Finnaly gonna happen

[Steve C]

It's been a very rough year for me. As many of you know I lost my Sister unexpectedly at only 51 yrs old in May, then I had planned to take some time to myself on a 10 day fishing trip in June because being alone in the wood and on the river has always been a very healing things for my soul. But as luck would have it when time for that trip came the rain pretty much ruined it by dumping buckets on Michigan raising the rivers to an unfishable level for weeks so I had to postpone it.

That actually ended up working out to be a good thing though now. A week from today I'll be starting the trip and as things worked out I'm so caught up with my business work and other things that I can afford to take a much longer trip. Going to be spending about 20 days alone on the river doing nothing but fly fishing for trout and enjoying myself. Won't change what happened with my Sister, but I've always found being alone on a river is the most healing thing for me so I really need this and finally looking forward to something positive for the first time all year. Staying at a little country motel right at the river that has wifi so I'll probably be able to post some pics during the trip.

Only downside is I'll now be gone during the Bonsai show here in Michigan on the 11th and I always enjoy seeing Mike & Vance there but fishing takes priority so gotta do what ya gotta do! lol

 

[JudyB]

Wow that is a good long time. You may never come back LOL...
Glad you are investing this time in yourself.

 

[Dav4]

Wow that is a good long time. You may never come back LOL...
Glad you are investing this time in yourself.

Yeah, if I ever take 20 days in a row off from work, I'm either retired, in a hospital, or dead! Very jealous of the ability to do that, and hope that your time on the river is as cathartic as you need it to be... enjoy!

 

[Steve C]

Yeah that's the perk of being your own boss While I don't make anywhere near what I use to make when I was a welder working for someone else, running my custom fly rod business does give me the ability to do things that are more valuable to me than lots of money. Finding the older I get the more things like doing this mean to me.

 

[LanceMac10]

20 days away from my trees just isn't happening!!!

I don't mind some solitude, either. Too much noise from human-kind these day's. Especially since most everyone has a cameraphone/bullhorn attached to their face!

Enjoy your trip and hopefully you land some trophies...

 

[Steve C]

Yeah my Nephew always has tree watering and aquarium feeding duty while I am gone on trips I'm sure he just loves it lol

 

[Steve C]

One wake up and I'm gone!

Hope to have some update pics from the river starting tomorrow evening.

 

[barrosinc]

Good luck! Enjoy

 

[Steve C]

Home sweet home on the Au Sable for the next 18 days. Just got here and unpacked. 2+ weeks all alone on the river. How can it get any better? A care package of chocolate covered homemade brownies by my wonderful Niece sure made it better Gonna hit the river either this evening or early in the morning. Should have daily updates of pics hopefully.

 

[Steve C]

Evening was cut short by a heavy downpour that blew in pretty fast, but still had a really enjoyable day on the river. Nothing big to net today but some small trout and bass. Lost a pretty nice rainbow right at the net, had a largemouth almost to net as well which is rare for this section of river. Got checked out by a big doe that came up behind me and enjoying lots of wildlife. Back at the motel now chowing down good food and relaxing. Plan on heading to the river at daybreak tomorrow morning.

 

[Steve C]

Fishing was a bit tough today, with the temps I only fished early morning and then later in the evening to avoid the high water temps mid day. Good news is the heat is supposed to break after tomorrow and then the highs are only low to mid 70's so that should help the fishing after tomorrow. Did manage a decent rainbow early this morning and some smallmouth this evening. Even with a bit slow fishing how can you not call it a good day when you are surrounded by such beauty all around you.

 

[Steve C]

Fishing today would have to improve to even be considered slow. Spent this evening dodging rain that came out of nowhere. Even with the slow fishing and rain there's still no place I'd rather be . And on the plus side, I made a new buddy named Buster.

 

[Steve C]

Well I must have walked over 5 miles today. I dunno whats more sore my sciatic nerve from walking, or my bad rotator cuff from casting non stop for 6 hrs. Sucks gettin old. Was hoping to find a big smallmouth in Mio pond but they must not have got the memo. All I got were some little guys. Fishing has been rough the past two days but its much cooler tonight so water temps should drop hopefully and make things a bit better soon in the trout water. Even with the touch fishing I can't complain. The peace & solitude is just fantastic and I'm really enjoying myself in my favorite place in the world, the Au Sable. Time to ice the shoulder and get some rest to do it all over again tomorrow

 

[Steve C]

While I didn't get anything "big" today/this evening, I did get a nice variety of fish. Managed some walleye, bass and rock bass tonight on the spey rod. One of the rock bass was actually pretty big for an ol' rocky top. Didn't measure him but I'd say he had to go a solid 10" or better. Tomorrow will be drunk tuber day here (Saturday+summer= people I avoid on the river) so probably will sleep in late, hang out and watch a movie while tying some flies, and then hit the river around 6pm after all the tubes & canoers have already went down stream. Supposed to be dipping down to 49f for a low here tonight so hopefully the trout water is under 70f tomorrow evening so I can go back after trout again.

 

[Steve C]

A very enjoyable and beautiful evening on the Au Sable tonight. A nice walleye on the fly rod is always a bonus treat. Hooked into this one right before the sun started to go down. But I think the biggest treat was what a saw this afternoon. At one point I happen to glance down and not even 6ft off to my right in less than 2 ft of water was one of the Au Sable's giants. It was a brown so big I thought at first it had to be a redhorse sucker, but it was clear as day that it was a big monster male brown trout. Easily was 24" long and had to be a good 4" wide. Was way to close to even try to put a fly in front of it so I just watched it for a full 2 minutes till it finally slowly slid out into the darker water.

 

[Steve C]

Some good topwater action for smallmouth this evening.

 

[Steve C]

The smallmouth did not cooperate at all today. 7hrs of casting streamers without a single bass. On the other hand, a big fat redhorse on the spey rod sure puts up quite a good fight.

 

[Carol 83]

The smallmouth did not cooperate at all today. 7hrs of casting streamers without a single bass. On the other hand, a big fat redhorse on the spey rod sure puts up quite a good fight.

Glad you're having a good time, after all you've been through.

 

[Steve C]

I had a feeling the drop in water temp was going to change the fishing for the best, and boy did it ever. Had the best evening/night of the trip. It was an absolutely beautiful evening on the river.

Temp was perfect with just a bit of coolness in the air, and not another person in sight all evening. Fished from 4pm-9pm catching numerous 15"-16" walleye and fat smallmouth on small/medium sized streamers. Then after dark I tied on a big 7" long articulated rainbow trout imitation streamer I tie and had a really nice big fat walleye of about 24" just slam the streamer like a freight train. By far the biggest walleye I have landed on the fly rod.

 

[Steve C]

Another beautiful night on the Au Sable tonight fishing under a full moon. Nice plump rainbow trout earlier in the day then another nice sized walleye hammered the streamer right after dark. Couple of redhorse really put a bend in the spey rod. One of them was a total monster, thing was as long as my arm and had to be close to 10lbs. Never seen a redhorse come out of the water as many times as he did during the fight. Had to beach him because he wouldn't fit in my trout net. They are a fish that is so ugly they are kind'a neat lol