Ausable(Mio)/Rifle report

[Troutlord1]

Went up to fish the Ausable and Rifle this past weekend. Got up around 8:30 pm Saturday but didnt fish but going into Mio Pizza stop I ran into Silverexpress on the way in (great guy).Sunday after watching football I hit the Ausable around 5 pm at a few spots.Got 2 stocker bows on B.W.O's. Olives were popping and around 7 pm a small and brief White Fly Hatch went off. Lost 1 on a white fly. Monday I hit Comins around
10 am and just a few olives were popping but I managed 2 stocker browns on rubber legged patterns.Water is low but that will change
with the dam release upcoming but it should fish good til then.Left Comins around noon and hit the Rifle River rec area around 1 pm and managed 7 fish,brooks and browns but nothing over 10" but they were slamming my new flying ant pattern hard. Some olives were coming off
there as well and a few caddis.That area should fish good until it gets cold. Overall,great trip,was good to finally get up north and run into a
M.S. memeber.

[Ralph Smith]

Sounds like a nice time:) Been quite awhile since I've been trouting, the Rifle is my favorite river. Should be some big boys swimming up there before long.

[Silverexpress]

Hey! Nice meeting you too. Pizza's awesome at the MIO pizza shop, huh. I gain about a 1 1/2 pounds everytime I walk out of that place. Lol.

Did pretty well on the White Mayflies, but had a very frustating start due to the parachute flies I purchased back at a Canoe livery in Mio. The patterns where tied with stiff mono for the long tails. They acted like HOOK GUARDS! Everytime a fish attacked the pattern it literally sprung back out. I was baffled!

Finally, the bulb lit up, and I took out my clippers and snipped off a good portion of the tails. That did it. Hookups improved, and it got dark quick.

[Troutlord1]

I didnt get a pizza,I got a sub but the sub was awesome!!It was nice meeting you,too bad I/We didnt have more time and maybe could have
fished a bit!!

[Direwolf]

Headed that way on Thursday, any salmon in the Rifle yet?


Thanks for any info and feel free to PM anything you don't want public.

[Troutlord1]

I was up in the rec area on the Rifle,didnt see any salmon.Lots of eager brookies and browns though:D

[Silverexpress]

I didnt get a pizza,I got a sub but the sub was awesome!!It was nice meeting you,too bad I/We didnt have more time and maybe could have
fished a bit!!

Anytime, Troutlord1. Just let me know! I got to admit I get competitive at times. So don't hesitate to tell me to take a chill pill now and then. :lol:

[Troutlord1]

Anytime, Troutlord1. Just let me know! I got to admit I get competitive at times. So don't hesitate to tell me to take a chill pill now and then. :lol:

I am the same way,probably worse:lol: Speaking of being competitive,when I got to Comins on Monday,2 guys from Ohio pulled in
and as I was getting in the river by the meadows they got in just above.My mindset kicked in "oh I have to catch a fish before they do"!!:lol: I got to the point were I said to myself,"I aint leaving until I outfish them" well long story short I got 2 and they saw me get 1 and I heard 1 of them say "well that guy got 1" and the other guy said "yeah I saw that" and I wanted to shout "no I got 2 " :lol:

side note its funny the stockers at Comins were more picky and finicky than the wild trout on the Rifle!

[DRHUNTER]

Did you guys happen to notice/hear if they have started letting the water down in the Mio Pond backwaters? I have a place on the north shore between Camp 10 and Rainbow Park. Rumor was they were starting to lower it this week. Thanks.

[Silverexpress]

I posted this on another thread....

Because of the drawdown to make repairs to the dam, the streambed below is now covered with silt, and this pretty much shutdown the fishing in that area (from my experience). I did manage to catch 3 browns before I moved on (on a 4wt/12 ft leader/36in 6x tippet/Adams sz 18 dead drifted in the shallows 2-3 ft of water). No bugs where coming off there (all were probably smothered to death)...too bad since it's such a nice accessible stretch of water. I wonder how it will be next spring???

Later Sunday I made it past Mckinley, and the fishing really picked up. White flies, midges, BWO's...etc....had a blast till it got dark enough that I had to use the flashlight to find the trail back to my car.

So from what I saw it looks like they started this past weekend. Those rocks are usually shiny and slippery with algae and noticeable bugs crawling all over them. When I got there Sunday, they were smothered with silt. Oh, this was just below the canoe launch.

I'm speculating that further downstream most of that silt will hopefully settle before Comin Flats. Then you'll have nothing but high water which is good for drawing out the trophy fish.

[DRHUNTER]

Thanks Silverexpress. I'm heading up this weekend to check it out. ago. We've had a place on the pond for over 57 years. Hate it when they do this drawdown as the fishing where we are drops off for several years afterward. Take care.

[Troutlord1]

Heres a few random pics from trip.No fish pics for 2 reasons...
1 had some memory card issues with camera and 2 11 fish for the trip
but nothing over 12" so why bother :lol:

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/troutlord/mio6.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/troutlord/Mio8.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/troutlord/mio5.jpg

[Boardman Brookies]

I know that place the first pics is and I will be there this weekend for a few hours.

[Troutlord1]

I know that place the first pics is and I will be there this weekend for a few hours.

Your gonna have a good time, the fishing was great. Take some ant patterns (caught all my fish on ants) some B.W.O's and some White Flies!

[Boardman Brookies]

Your gonna have a good time, the fishing was great. Take some ant patterns (caught all my fish on ants) some B.W.O's and some White Flies!

Thanks for the tip! I will let you know how we do. I plan on fishing mainly up stream 200-300 yards from there in the "creek" that flows in. I love it there!

[Rex]

Any more reports on the river conditions below Mio after the dam draw down? Heading up for a couple of hours in the morning. Thanks in advance for the reply.

[Silverexpress]

As of 9/24/09, looking at the USGS data, the water coming out of the dam is at 1050 cfs (cubic feet per second). Gauge height is at 3.20 ft.

I was there last Sunday, and it was...

roughly 680-700 cfs, and at a height of 2.65 ft.


http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mi/nwis/uv?04136500

I don't know if these are wadable numbers, I'd have to see the water.

[SuperSarah]

I was up there yesterday (wednesday 9/23) in the afternoon, but didn't fish.

The water level wasn't super high, but it was moving right along. I didn't feel it was too high to wade (I would have!) The bottom is still pretty silty til about Loudon's.

Even though it rained tuesday night/Wednesday morning, the water was very clear.

I saw a few little Browns feeding that weren't spooky. It was actually pretty fun to just watch them feed.

I think I'm going to head over to the Rifle and try the flying ant pattern on the Brookies. It sounds like a lot of fun!

There were quite a few anglers out there, especially at Comins Flat.

Good Luck!

[Troutlord1]

You need my secret flying ant pattern with the secret sparkle underwing :lol::) still lots of ants around so you should get into the brookies pretty good with them!!Plus take some Blue Winged Olive patterns those should be going good too!!

[Boardman Brookies]

I was in the rec area last weekend and didn't have much luck with flies. I grabbed the UL and tossed some small spinners and had better luck. This was the nicest I caught in one of the smaller creeks. I saw him hanging out behind a beaver pond.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e137/lad420/gamble1.jpg

[SuperSarah]

I just dug out my little spinners yesterday to try my luck with the spinning rod! great minds think alike, eh? :lol:

[Troutlord1]

Spinners or Flies, either way the fishing should be great with the cool down and a little rain we had. I wish I was back up there!!!:sad:

[Silverexpress]

I was up there yesterday (wednesday 9/23) in the afternoon, but didn't fish.

The water level wasn't super high, but it was moving right along. I didn't feel it was too high to wade (I would have!) The bottom is still pretty silty til about Loudon's.


Hello Supersarah,

What/Where is Loudon's?

[SuperSarah]

It's the first "landing" or set of stairs, down from Mio. There's a little overlook place and stairs that go down to the water.

It's about 3miles down from M-33 on the road to McKinley.

I believe there is a sign for it on the river.

I know it because the drive is very close to the driveway to the property where I fish.

It's also a common stop for party barges, and the locals like to come out and gawk at the river traffic from there.

Update:

I went out fishing tonight, and unfortunately, the river is up, again. Almost to the point of being foamy. *sigh*

They were rising, and striking, but no takers, just big splashes.:lol:

I had the best results with an olive caddis.

[Silverexpress]

Thanks Supersarah,

I'm only familiar with the more popular access point's for fly fishing. Anyhow, it's looking like a phenomenal closeout weekend for this season on the Trophy Waters.

Cold, rainy, and high water. What more could you ask for. It's big trout weather.

Heading up tomorrow, I may stop at Comins for bit. Maybe I'll seeyou there. Tight lines!

[Silverexpress]

As expected the water was running high all throughout the system. I waded Comin's Flat, and where the water was usually ankle deep, it was now knee deep, and knee deep was now waist deep. So be careful!

The high water pretty much dampened all insect hatches, but I did find risers further down stream. I stumbled upon a field of bubble lines at around 6:30 pm Saturday. It went for about 200 yds, and varied to about 20 ft wide from shore at a few points. The water was ankle deep going out about 15 ft in some areas, and then it drop considerabley by midstream. I could not believe my eyes, when I saw fish in broad daylight tucked behind rocks feeding in this water.

I started off with my 4 wt 7' on Saturday tossing a 12 ft leader and a brown/brown caddis size 14 tied on. I landed a few, but was not satisfied. The wind picked up, and I spent a lot of time un-raveling wind knots. The advantage of the 7' is stealth. It's low in the water, and I can literally get fish to feed right beside me by keeping my motion as near to the water as possbile. With three ours of sleep I was pretty much spent come sun down, so I headed back to the motel.

9:30 am Sunday, I hit the water. Started at the midpoint of the bubble run and made my way upstream. A couple of light cahills were poping out here and there, but there were no risers. I decided to work my way up dry fly fishing with the 7' 4 wt. I casted right along the seam that was formed between the slow water and the faster midstream current. The dry fly was a size 16 light cahil. One fish hit, and it was heavy, this one ran the drag on my reel as it sped upstream into deeper water. Eventually, it made it's way down stream, and as I reeled in excess line the fish broke off.

I finally made it to my backpack I layed down on the bank ahead of me. Decided to switch to my 9 ft 6wt, lined her up, and tied on Borger's dead drift nymph leader in a 10' length, and at the business end I tied on a caddis larvae in green/black. Walked along the bank back downstream to where I got in, and started casting dead drift upstream. Likewise, I'd shoot for the seam, and sometimes a little off to the deep end. The thing about fly fishing is that there are a lot of methods and techniques. This year has a been a boon on dry flies for me, and I've pretty much lost the feel for nymphing. I felt awkward and unconnected. Nada.

Once I got to my backpack I swapped out the Borger leader for a streamer leader, and tied on a black bunny leach. Threw that up mid-stream, feeding it line as it drifted down and across, and with a twitch here and there. I worked my way downstream this time making five or six cast and then taking a step down. Nada.

Got back on the bank and walked back to my backpack to take a break. The air was cool, and the wind was picking up. With the sun gleening down at me, I started to feel sleepy so I laid back and took a nap. Woke up 20 minutes later, still feeling sleepy, but the thought of trout got my blood going again.

Nothing beats a cold can of Diet Pepsi these days, although I highly don't recommend any caffienated drinks while in waders. Beer is a good substitute, but not when you gotta cast a fly rod.

So packed up the 6 wt, and decided to pull out the 8' 6". Not as stealthy as the 7' but it can shoot line like it was laser guided. I'll go for the distance since nothing was rising. This time I walked further downstream to where the bubble field ended - right above a another line of riffles.

Quiet I wasn't since I had to walk down a steep sandy hill that led right up to the water. Splash! Oh well. The water was very shallow here - about ankle deep, with rocks the size of basketballs here and there. The sun was behind my back, and the glare at waist level kept me from seeing into the water 15 ft in front of me. That's right, I was on my knees leaning forward as low as I could go. I waited.

Within 5 minutes, I had a fish that rose about a rods length directly to my left. Then another one about 3 rod lengths in front. They were feeding on trico's. It's 2 pm. I changed my fly to a trico emerger, and a few minutes later quickly landed the fish in front of me. It was your average plump 12 in. Brown. This went on for the next hour without me moving an inch upstream. I missed a handful of risers that would mash at the tiny size 20 imitation. Once the hatch ended I switched to a size 16 adams. Why not?

Caught fish on that too, and so I decided to go up in size, and tied on a Borcher's size 14 (my reasoning is that iso's where probably still hatching here and there in this section of the river - and the fish were in an opportunistic mood). Sure enough, they went for it, and the takes were violent!

The most memorable take was a fish that was 2 rod length's from where I was. He was up against the bank in that ankle deep water - completely camouflaged in the silt covered rocks. My Borcher came floating 2 ft to his left, and I was startled by the eruption of a perfect swirl, then a silver flash streaked across like a torpedo, and that fly disappeared in an instant. My rod went down, and the line was pulled off my pinched fingers with force. That brown headed straight across midstream! I landed a nice 16" brown after it was said and done.

From where I got in, I had almost a dozen browns and a few rainbows attack that Borchers. By about 5 pm two young guys showed up to camp out on the river. I told them about the fishing, and how to fish the area, and at that point the rain clouds started rolling in, and I called it quits for the season.

I lucked out this year, making it almost every weekend Up North. Next year will probably be a different story. I learned a lot more about the Trophy waters, and got to know Josh, Stosch, and Tom - the guys leading the survey on the trophy waters. It was fun, got to help out some people, and pass on a few trick flies and leaders I tied.

Next year the focus will be on the Magic mile.....

[Hullyscott]

Gonna camp at the Rec area, brave the cold,and hopefully have a nice time fishing the Rifle for probably the last time this year. Might even rent a canoe and do a float down the Au Sable wednesday morning. Does the stretch of the Rifle that flows through the Rec area close after the 30th?

Wish me luck

Hully

[Boardman Brookies]

Gonna camp at the Rec area, brave the cold,and hopefully have a nice time fishing the Rifle for probably the last time this year. Might even rent a canoe and do a float down the Au Sable wednesday morning. Does the stretch of the Rifle that flows through the Rec area close after the 30th?

Wish me luck

Hully

The Rifle in the rec area closes tomorrow. I am pretty sure the only open water is below Sage Lake Rd after that.

[Hullyscott]

This will be a quick post to this thread. Got to the Rifle river State rec late tuesday night and moved BIG trout until it got to dark to see. Landed a 19" and the most beautiful 15" trout I've ever caught. Wednesday morning floated the Au Sable from Mio to Cummins Flats and finally landed one of those monster trophy browns- 27" and at least 6lbs!!!! All released. I will post pix later. What an amazing close of the season!!!

Hully :)