Labor Day Weekend TR...w/pics.

[brookid]

This is a report lifted from another site that is not Michigan specific...so please bare with some of the obvious descriptions and details...


I took friday off and was looking forward to an extended weekend. My girlfriend couldn't make it. She has her own business and holidays keep her running. I also spoke with my dad before i left. Labor day is usually the weekend i help him start to shut the cottage down. He did some remodeling this year and as a result, wanted to keep it open for another month or two. Well, suppose i have some time on my hands...guess i'll go fishing... :wink:

I made grayling in the early evening. I swang by the fly shop to pick up a few things then headed to a buddies cabin on the river. This is the same place i did some of my hex fishing earlier in the year. We had a couple beers, fired up the grill and waited till dark. My buddy couldn't stick around to fish but gave me his blessing to fish the loop and crash at the cabin if i was out late.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1350.JPG

Its a never ending pursuit and there is always something to learn.

I geared up and hit the water right at dark. There is a little ledge right about mid river that you can walk along and work the structure on the outside bend.

I did the loop, worked it pretty good and had one fish swipe at my fly. I was surpised and dissapointed. Well, since i was now below the bend i rerigged and decided to fish it back through upstream throwing a hex. I've done this with pretty good success on the smaller streams near the cabin. That didn't work either...all was quiet. So now i'm standing back were i started. I re-rigged again, this time with an HLS...but this time with the hackled version. I thought it might ride lower in the water and maybe push a bigger wake. I worked my way downstream again, got about half way and still nothing. What the hell?...i know these fish get worked but come on. So, i ignore the structure and start working the inside bend...guess where the fish were?. It was like night and day.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1348.JPG

I only hooked two fish, including the one above, but i had plenty of interest. I stayed in the water till about midnight, had a night cap and crashed in the cabin. It was a nice start to the weekend.

Saturday morning i got up and continued on to the cabin. I was looking forward to this day. I reconnected with a friend that i grew up fishing with. I hadn't seen him in about 22 years until he stopped by the cottage the day we were leaving the last time i was up there. We chatted for awhile and made plans to meet up today. This is the same guy i fished my little creek with about every day in the summer growing up. I guess for old time sake we stopped by the creek for a quick fish. I think we first fished it at ages 7 & 10 and here were again at 39 & 42. It was nice to reconnect.
We had alot of laughs and fooled a few brookies along the way.

Later in the afternoon we drove over to fish another great brook trout stream in the area. This is another one of those places i don't fish very often, and for no other reason that to many options. I don't think i've been there in two years.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1361.JPG

My buddy has actually been fishing it quite often over the years but oddly enough he's never fished the area of it i do. This is really pretty water.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1355.JPG

The stream changes characteristics often in this short beat. It can be brush chocked.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1357.JPG

Then meander through a meadow...

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1360.JPG

and open up along a ridge before it ducks back in the woods...

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1352.JPG

Its filled with eager brook trout.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1363.JPG

We fished till sunset and headed back to the truck. I took one last glance at the stream as we stood on the ridge. It was a great day with an old friend. I hope it doesn't take us another 22 years...

[brookid]

Sunday i got up and decided to take a look at stretch of water i hadn't fished before. This is the same river i gushed over in my last report in August. I was hoping with the cooler weather maybe some of the trout had moved back out, or perhaps the big trout that inhabit it (rumor has it) might be a little more active.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1368.JPG

This place has everything you could ask for in a trout river...except trout and constant water temps.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1369.JPG

I threw streamers for the better part of 3 hours and never moved a fish. I'm gonna keep at it, i'm determined to catch a trout out of this water.
Since i was in the area i stopped by one of the tribs of river to look at a section i wanted to night fish. I've always thought it would be a great spot the problem is bushwacking out at night. There isn't exactly a cut trail to follow. I hiked back up in there, bank walked and took some mental notes.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/586/medium/IMG_09861.JPG

It doesn't look like much but its deep, kinda slow, has a ton of structure and doesn't pose a ton of casting issues. I finished up and headed back to the cottage to wait till the evening.

I came back a little earlier than normal in hopes of finding a better way out of the woods for later that evening. I was basically screwed. It was either wade out or take my chances in the woods.

I got to my spot just before dark, sat on the far bank and watched the creek. The plan was to split the section in half. Fish the top half upstream throwing the usual hex or salmon fly, then re-rig and swing mice type stuff downstream to my take out.

Things really started to fall into place when both upstream and down i was hearing some pretty good feeders. I locked onto one fish just upstream of me that was really active. I love that feeling and the anticipation of throwing something over their head...maybe he takes it? maybe he doesn't.
I waited till just about dark and made my first cast...nothing. Second cast, nothing. Stripped out some line, third cast a little further upstream...bingo!

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1375.JPG

I continued to work my way upstream and picked up another 3 or 4 fish in that same size range. I made it up as far as i wanted to go, turned around re-rigged and sat for a bit to let the water calm down.

I slowly began to work my way back downstream throwing casts toward each bank and letting it swing down in front of me, throwing a few strips in along the way. It was ridiculous. It really was.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1384.JPG

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1385.JPG

I never caught that many fish, and that many nice fish in such a small stretch of water...relative to this creek. I mean it ain't the Ausable.
I stuck many fish in the mid to upper teens...just an unbelievable night.

I had very few "drive bys". These fish were out looking and all committed to the fly...even the 8 inch fish. I guess right place, right time.

[brookid]

Monday i started heading my way out of town and the plan was to fish a few spots along the way. I made a pit stop and swang by a friends place. He talked me into taking a look at the upper head waters of the creek he lives on. I had never been, and it was on the way. I told him about the night before and he said i may want to lower my expectations for this one.
I followed him through some pretty rough terrain but eventually we came to a place to park the trucks, followed by a short bushwack and i got my first look at the headwaters.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1391.JPG

He gave me the low down and said the challenge today wouldn't be catching big fish, though that would be nice, the challenge would be getting your fly over the fish because the further we moved stream...the skinnier it would get.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1403.JPG

Man, it was really pretty water.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1400.JPG

He was right, it didn't take to far upstream and you had problems on all sides. We used light rods and short leaders but it was great fun.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1393.JPG

Here he is, doing his best Joe Humprys with a bow and arrow cast to a little pool behind the log. The fish indeed were quite small, ranging in size from this...

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1396.JPG

to this...with a few brook trout in the mix

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1373.JPG

It was an outstanding day. I can honestly say i had as much fun fishing this place, catching small fish than i did the night before. It was a different kind of challenge, with much different rewards.
I continued for home but couldn't resist one last stop at the Ausable. I had to drive right by one of my favorite access points, so why not?

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1411.JPG

I only fished for about an hour, didn't catch alot but it didn't matter. I had the river to myself.

http://www.uppermidwestflyfishing.com/photos/data/595/medium/IMG_1406.JPG

I watched the sun disappear over the trees and waded out.

[WILDCATWICK]

Great Report! Glad to hear the fishing was great! I opted for the U.P. insead and did fine as well.

Those pictures are great as usual. I noticed a few things I don't think I've seen before.

The one picture had the mouse with the rubber legs. I'm pretty sure I've seen some different mice with legs just not quite like that. Where did you get that one from?

The bow and arrow cast, that you show, he is holding the leader not the fly. I don't think I've seen it done that way. I use it often in the U.P. and in the smokies. Can really make a difference at times. I have alwaysed held the fly. I'll have to play around with holding the leader and see what difference that makes.

There is one picture that does look really familiar (your favorite acess site):lol:
Maybe I'll see you there again!

Hard to beleive but I'm already tying for early season in Wisconsin.....let's make a point to get together for it.:)

[Shupac]

Super trip!

Excuse a dumb question, but what's an HLS?

[brookid]

WCW,

I use the general term "Moucing" but the smaller creek night browns were on a gurgler.

Ya, that access is the place...;)

Definately get up to Wisco next season. I haven't been up there since end of April (i think) hopefully i'll get in a day or two before the end of the season.

Shupac, HLS...Houghton Lake Special. There is a deer haired version and a hackled version. Gates has both....

[HATCHBOMB]

The HLS is the hackled head version. The name for the spun deer hair head version is the HLB--Houghton Lake Blaster.

[WILDCATWICK]

WCW,

I use the general term "Moucing" but the smaller creek night browns were on a gurgler.

Ya, that access is the place...;)

Definately get up to Wisco next season. I haven't been up there since end of April (i think) hopefully i'll get in a day or two before the end of the season.

Shupac, HLS...Houghton Lake Special. There is a deer haired version and a hackled version. Gates has both....

We were thinking about heading up a couple of times too before the end of the season but we're not familiar with how the rivers are this time of year there. Last time the wife went by her self this time last year and she didn't think it was that great because of the in stream vegitation.

Any suggestions for this time of year fishing southern and central Wisconsin? Feel free to P.M. We just don't want to do the 6 + hour drives for a few weeks.....then it's on to hunting for a few weeks. Except for the first weekend in Oct. We will be in Madison for the Beerfest!!!:evil: Are there any rivers open then?

[Gone Fishing]

Any time I see one of your posts, I click on it with enthusiastic anticipation. You haven’t failed me yet! Great trip and great pictures once again! Thanks Brookid. :)

[brookid]

We're actually heading up this weekend to the Fennimore area. The word i got is the floods have really changed the creeks. They are all scoured and for the most part free of vegitation...the banks as well. Many have new channels, bends, pools ect. Its almost like re-learning them...so it should be interesting to visit some of the usual haunts and see whats up.

We'll also probably be at the West Fork the 22/23 and camping at the sportsmans club.

Keep an eye on this site...he does a pretty good job of updates on the fishing. He opened this year, great guy and a Michigan boy....Rochester i believe. I ran into him a couple times last year and we fished a few days...knows his shite.

http://www.driftlessangler.com/

I think you may be out of luck in October around the Madison area...

Were camping both weekends so if you can make it....

[lytemup]

Holy Moses, either you have a short thumb or that fish (2nd picture) is well over 20"...nice catch!

[DanP]

Great Post and Photos. Are you still using the Canon camera? Love the close ups.

[brookid]

Yup...i'll ride that pony till i dunk it...again

[Steve]

Brookid, you always have some of the best reports with the best photography. I always look forward to your posts.

[kingfisher2]

Thanks again for another supurb report BK! It's amazing the way you attack each section of the river differently and win. Pretty cool to hook up with a friend from that long ago and wet a line...

Marc