HEX Camp 2003

[northern_outdoorsman]

Well we just returned home from our 1st Annual Hex Camp 2003! Mickey and I arrived on last Tuesday and came home today. Mike Met us for Friday Through Sunday Night. We hit Hex Hatches all but one night and the action was too cool! I am HOOKED on HEX! Mickey was the Man as you will soon see by the pics! Way to go Mickey! Mike caught a few nice ones too! I had some bruiers on but did't get them in the net due to forgetting my headlamp about every night but 2 of the nights! Starting floats around 4pm, set up and wait for hex's and fishing them til 2am and then floating out...what an AWESOME time! I want to add this was an ALL FLY FISHING WEEK and I had a blast Fly Fishing and didn't do too shabby either!!!!!!! Thanks to Mickey and Mike for a great week! Now I will let the pics and captions tell the Story:

Hex Camp 2003!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/537/1624001_Hex_Camp_2003.jpg?6371

The Hex Camp "Fly Tying Station!"
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/537/1624002_Fly_Tying_Station.jpg?7748

Mickey Ready for Hex's!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/550/162401Mickey_Ready.jpg?2193

One of my many Small Brookies
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/525/162402me_small_brookie.jpg?912

A Colorful Brown caught on my flyrod
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/162403ame_brwn2.jpg?4362

[northern_outdoorsman]

Wiggler casing....a good sign!!!!!!!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/1624003_Wiggler_Shells.jpg?8213

The Spinner Fall !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/1624004Spinner_Fall.jpg?1713

Mickey's 1st Hex Brown.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/162404_Mickey_Brown1.jpg?8587

Mickeys 2nd Brown
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/162405_Mickey_Brown2.jpg?3868

Here is Mickeys 22 inch Rainbow caught during the Hex Hatch. You would think fishing a "Flies Only" Stretch of river that the fish would all be trained to pose for Photos...well this big guy missed that class...LMAO! Nice Fish Mickey!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/549/162407_Mickey_22_in_Rainbow.jpg?5916

Some Hex's on my Boat
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/162408Hex_on_Boat.jpg?4642

Mickey Thanking Mr. Hex for a great night!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/162406Mike_Pet_Hex.jpg?664

[northern_outdoorsman]

Here's a Deer at the Start of the evenings next float
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/522/162411deer2.jpg?7373

Waiting on the Hex Hatch
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/522/162412_Waiting_for_Hex_s.jpg?2578

Mickey with his 3rd nice Hex Brown!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/162409mickey_brown_3.jpg?9285

...and his 4th...NOTICE the white spots in the pic...them are Hex's Flying around!

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/162410_Mickey_Brown4.jpg?4634

Here is another nice Brown Mickey Caught...
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/162413Mickey_Brown_5.jpg?6814

Finally his 6th one...Man I wish I woulda landed one!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/162414_Mickeybrown6.jpg?468

[northern_outdoorsman]

Mickey Showing me how to tie his "Lifelike Hex"
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/162415_Mikes_Hex_Fly.jpg?2371

Your's Truly repeating his AWESOME Pattern!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/552/162416_Don_Hex_Fly.jpg?554

The Finished Product
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/552/162417_Finished_hex.jpg?4875

Here is the only night we didn't hit a good Hatch or Spinner Fall...Waiting it out with out Neighbor at camp and new friend Hank...hope he join's the site he is one awesome fisherman and Fly Tyer!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/162419a_Waiting.jpg?7878

Here's a 8 inch Brookie I caught while waiting.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/525/162419_Brookie.jpg?5290

At the end of this Float we were greeted by Ms. Snapping turltle laying her eggs!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/162420Snapping_Turtle.jpg?7125

Then there was this spider, man it was the size of the top of a beer can!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/1624Big_Spider.jpg?6490

Here's some Hex's on the Water...
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/1624hex_on_water.jpg?3181

That's Pretty much it on pics...MICKEY and MIKE Help me out on the details they are still kinda foggy for me...I will leave this with Don's Camping tip of the month....When Making Cherry Pies in a Hobo Pie Iron...Check on it every 2 minutes and don't walk away and forget about it...
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/1624Melted_Pie.jpg?9905

[jnpcook]

Looks like you guys had a great time up there. Nice pictures and nice story. Good job.

John

[SALMONATOR]

WOW!! Awsome Don!! Looks like it turned out just like I told you about!! Man, I cant wait. I'm out o' here on wednesday morning for the river. Feeling sick? Mickey stuck some pretty nice fish there. Every picture they just kept getting bigger. What the hell did tou guy's use for wings on that pattern? Looks great. Man, I'm ready to call in sick tomorrow and leave tonight. If I haull *****, I think I can make it in time!!

Al

[Steve]

Awesome job guys. Someday I am going to hit that hatch....

[Jackster1]

Good on ya, Don! Ain't it something? You wonder where all those big browns hang out all day. Keep the stories coming and the great pics too. It made my day to see someone nail the hatch, especially you, dude!
Next I want to see pics of you holding a mamu bass from the scum pond taken with a deer hair bug you tied!
Thanx!

[northern_outdoorsman]

I thought about ya Jackster...I was gonna go knocking on cabins and find ya since you said ya might be up there!

Ok...I will work on the Bass Fly...good challenge since I am stuck in the city on 12 hour work days for the next 10 days...

[stelmon]

Those are some awsome picture guys. I was thinking about looking you guys up for a little bombfire but it looks like you guys would not of even been around. See post "to many fish to count"

Great report

[gunrod]

When I first saw the fly in the vise I thought you caught a Hex and put it in the vise. I would love to see some step by steps on it.

Great trip fellas. I hope there are some hex still left in a couple of weeks when I get north.

[quest32a]

Great pics Don, sounds like you guys really had a blast. One of these days when i pick up a fly rod i may have to try it.

[Mike]

I've wanted to fish the hex hatch for the past few years. It's just never worked out. Last month when Don and I were up North we 'hatched' up a plan for this year. Thanks everyone that gave us some tips on planning this trip.

I had to wait until Friday to head up to camp. Got some of my stuff set up than waited out a downpour in the truck. Mike and Don left me a note letting me know where they were, so I grabbed my stuff and left for the access. Don gave me a suggestion on where to try, and since I had the place to myself, I gave it a shot. Wasn't long and the bugs were in the air and the fish were getting active. I missed this guy three times, but the next cast - fish on!
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/815HexBrown.jpg?2766
My first (and best) of the weekend. I think it's the biggest trout I've ever got on a dry fly too.

I first met our neighbor (Hank) Saturday morning. I was wearing a Sage hat that I picked up at BBT, and Hank just happened to be a big fan of Sage fly rods. How easy is it to make new friends when your fishing? We left to spot vehicles and got back to camp in time for a thunderstorm. Hank stopped by and showed us how to tie some of his favorite hex patterns. Thanks Hank! That guy can tie.

Unfortunately, it got pretty cold Saturday night and we didn't get much of a hatch. We sure had a fun float down river, laughing at each others silly jokes most of the way.:) Back at camp around one, perfect time to cook up chilli dogs and sit around the fire for awhile.

[Mike]

Sunday we decided to float a new section that we hadn't been on before. Finding the access points and getting vehicles spotted took a little longer than planned, so we got a late start. At 6pm I looked at my GPS and realized we weren't even a third of the way to the take out. I had to be at work at 8am Monday morning, so I decided to pass up some water and get closer to the end of the float. At 8pm after two hours of floating and only fishing a few spots, I still wasn't half way through the float. Trout were rising all around me, and it wasn't long before I was seeing hex in the air. At that point, I decided to keep fishing and pass on sleeping before work. About an hour later, mickey caught up to me and proceeded to catch this one:
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/523/815mickeyHex.jpg?1893
The spot was just full of browns like this. We decided to keep floating and listening for those big "slurps", and it wasn't long before mickey was into more fish. He got a little too far from his camera guy though, so no pictures. Three nice trout from that spot, and I missed one shortly after.

At 10:30 the hatch was over and the temperature was going down fast.

Did anyone else see the weird lights in the sky?
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/551/815XFiles.jpg?

It was like something out of The X-Files. :) ;) LOL

Finally made it to the take out at 12:30am Sunday morning. Got home at 4, just enough time to unpack and shower before work. Took lots of coffee to get me through both the work day and my accounting class after.

It just doesn't get any better than spending a weekend on the river with a few good friends.

Mike

[northern_outdoorsman]

LMAO! Them 3 lights are my two lights on my Dryfly Floatboat and my headlamp! Close encounters of the 3rd Kind...

Mike I see you survived yesterday...I am in the same boat as you...I got home thinking I was on afternoon shift TUESDAY and found out I was still on Nights and had to be in at 11pm last night...been up since 10am Monday and I am off to bed now...

Nice Brown Mike! Pretty colors! I knew that spot would have a good hatch!

[kingfisher2]

Great post guys! Mickey, I need a few of those flies for my canadian trip in 2 weeks. 7-8 pound whitefish on the surface...great action.... I usually find dead ones floating and add them to a bubble float rig, but they're hard to keep on the hook. Let me know if you can get me some and how much you need!

I spoke to your mother on Saturday and she said you guys were having the trip of your lives.....

Loved the stories and pics....and you can count me in on next year!

Marc

[northern_outdoorsman]

Marc I'll see what I can tie up for ya this week...

[mickey]

Man, my internet is screwy. Guys coming to fix tomorrow... :rolleyes:
What a week. Theres nothing like camping out, floating rivers, and laughing with good people. Not to mention nice trout slurping all around you. Taking showers at the truck stop, "tying hexes", and making hobo pies were just about as much fun as a guy could have. It was a troutbum life for this past week and it did me good.
We hit hatches and spinnerfalls and managed some decent fish. If only that rainbow would have held still 1 more second. Note to self: leave fish in net (in water) until the camera guy is ready. It gave a heck of a last effort and even though the fly was still in the jaws, I only had a 5X tippet. SNAP!
That fish was before the hatch got going (it was anxious) and it took a small drake as I hadnt switched to my hex rod yet. Was like a steelhead and I will forever remember that fish. My biggest on a dry. :)
Kingfisher,
I will see if I can get some flies together. Our neighbor Hank taught us some really cool patterns.
I have 6 more shots on my camera, then I need to learn how to scan and get them in here. (Don? :) ) I have a couple more pics that I hope turned out good.
Its fun when the big fish get dumb at night. :)

[WILDCATWICK]

That is awsome!!!! N.O. let me know what campground you stayed at. I took a drive around a couple of them thinking you might be there.

[WEEZER]

Hey, I'll be darned there is duch a thing as the HEx!! Haven't seen any of them this year!!! Well at least spinnerfalls.

Those Ausable or Manistee pics?

[Steely-Head]

Nice pics and fish guys!!!