North Branch - Au Sable

[flychick]

Making our first trip there this weekend. Any advice and info on hatches for this area? Any good restaurants you could recommend? Thanks!

[chromium]

This should help you out with the hatch charts. The have a pretty good fly selection.

Gates Lodge (http://www.gateslodge.com/)

[PW]

Never fished the NB at this time of year, but it should be a decent time of the year to try it.

Restaurants? Well, Lovells isn't exactly known for fine dining, but the Riverside tavern there is worth a stop. Good, cold beer and a decent menu selection, unless you're interested in something lite. Sandwiches, pizza, maybe prime rib on weekends, assorted deep fried snacks. You get the idea.

Enjoy your trip.

[Kevin]

I have fished it in mid-July (couple years ago) and small hopper and cricket patterns worked okay.

[SALMONATOR]

From what I've gathered and/or experienced in that part of the state this year, you're gonna be up there for some prime fishing if you get back from dinner in time. Brown drakes are still around in areas, but I'd expect them to be on the down-swing in most places. Hex's have been starting in some places too if your up for some night fishing. Isonychias and grey drakes can fill your afternoon/evening hours as well as caddis, sulfurs, and yellow stoneflies. it's probably not too early to start trying hoppers or ants in certain areas either durring the daytime. Good luck!!

Al

[kroppe]

If you're in Grayling, Spike's Keg-o-Nails has great burgers.

[SALMONATOR]

I'll second that!! Spikes has the best burgers north of Zilwalkee (sp?) if not the Mason/Dixon line. If you're in Grayling you've got to check this place out.

Al

[unregistered5a]

Depending on where you might be fishing there you could hit some BWO, Caddis black stones, -even heard there's a few hendricksons around (very few). The Hexes are coming on and there are still some brown drakes. Better have your flyboxes well stocked! Check The Fly Factory's webpage (www.troutbums.com) before you go or Gates.
Besides Lovells you can drive over to Lewiston for lunch or dinner- there are some good places there. Good luck

[Woolybugger]

The Riverside has excellent pizza, nice right on the water.

There is a fly shop/bed and breakfast by the bridge that says Lovells bridge walk with some supplies. I fished Kellogg bridge which is very wadeable as of two days ago. I was fishing the main branch at night so I don't know what is hatching but I would expect yellow and gray drakes, BWOs, sulphers, possible hex. We did see some large fish.

If you want to hit the mainstream Hex just take Wakely bridge down (dirt road) to get to some good access sites.

As far as food goes the two track has a good burger.

[Jackster1]

Food? For good, no, make that GREAT burgers head east to Lewiston to Tally's or west to Grayling to Spikes as others have mentioned. Both are very tasty! For a special treat have a meal at Gates Au Sable Lodge. The food is absolutely great but the atmosphere can get a little stuffy. If that happens there is always the bench on the dock to chill on.
Darn I wish I was up there!