Bob's Tips...

These tips are in no particular order. They are just tips and tricks that come to my mind as I fish, talk about fishing, tie flies, and sweep the shop. I'll keep them coming as I think of them. Happy fishing! Bob

Crippled Duns:
A fairly high percentage of mayflies emerge damaged from the nymphal shuck. Instead of the classic "sailboat" profile, these cripples lie on their side and present a very distinct appearance to feeding trout. The active trout sees a curved body and only one wing lying flat on the surface.

Very large trout often selectively feed on cripples. They know that the cripple cannot escape and there will be no wasted energy. If you have floated your favorite dun pattern, drag free, over a good fish without success, consider switching to a crippled pattern. Two of the clues to watch for in a trout’s feeding pattern are timing and location. If your fish is feeding sporadically allowing many duns to pass overhead unmolested, and moves a bit left and right, it's a good bet that it is selectively targeting cripples. Hendricksons and sulphurs seem to have an extremely high ratio of cripples to healthy duns.

We carry Hendrickson cripples in the shop, but if you prefer to tie your own it is pretty easy. Simply bend the hook (while in the vise) about 40 degrees to the right or left - not up or down. Tie your Hendrickson or sulphur as normal but attach only one wing and rotate it to the outside of the hook's curve so that it will lie flat on the water. Lastly, clip the hackle short on the bottom.

Sinking Leaders:
Nymphs and wet flies are extremely effective at fooling trout. Nymphing is often overlooked or bypassed as a preferred technique on the Trophy Water stretch of the Au Sable, but it is, day after day, the most reliable method for taking numbers of trout.

A new product is now available for anglers who would rather not cast split shot and/or strike indicators. Sinking, braided leaders by Air-Flo and Rio come in varying lengths and densities and allow normal casting strokes while still carrying the fly to the proper feeding depth. They are attached to your floating fly line via a loop connector and then attached to a proper tippet. I have found them very easy to cast and effective tools for both trout and steelhead. The 5 and 10 feet lengths in both "fast" and "super fast" sink rates are right for most of the best nymphing runs on the Trophy Water. When you want to switch back to dry flies, simple detach the loop connection, coil up the sinking leader, and attach a standard leader. These sinking leaders can be reused time after time and will probably last as long as your fly line.

Wild Flowers, Bugs & Fish:
Wild flowers can tell us alot about what is happening on a trout stream. They are on the same calendar as all wild things - including aquatic bugs and trout.

On the Au Sable River, the Marsh Marigolds signal the early hatches. When they are beginningt to bloom, dark Hendricksons are going. When the flowers are in full bloom, light Hendricksons, sulphurs and mahoganys are in gear.

Another good example is the Wild Iris. When it's shoots first show buds, Brown Drakes are on the water, and when the flowers bloom the Hex hatch is strong.

Big Stonefly Attractors:
We've all had the frustrating experience of seeing/hearing a good fish rise just once or twice. What did it eat? Our giant stonefly - the dorsata - hatches, mates and lays eggs at the same time brown drakes,
Isos, and Hex are on the water. They do not come (usually) in big numbers, but the bug is big and juicy and trout look for them.

The next time you hear/see a big fish rise heavily just once or twice, tie on a big, dark stonefly and skitter it near the riser. If you don't have a dry pattern, use a black Woolly Bugger. Slither it along the surface with a high rod angle.

Evening Tippets:
Many anglers use lighter than necessary tippets during evening spinner falls. Examples - A 6X tippet might be necessary for #18 olives during the day but 5X will work just fine as the light fades. Cahills and Iso's need 4X during the day but 3X is just right at dusk and beyond.

The stronger tippet helps land big fish quickly and prevents the dreaded "helicopter" effect - the spinning fly and horrible twisting of the tippet.

White Fly Wisdom:
In mid-Summer, anglers (and trout) become anxious for the white fly hatch to begin. Trout start looking for the nymphs a few days before we notice the adult bugs. I've had good luck with white fly nymphs and soft-hackle wets before the visible hatch appears. Fish a two fly rig in the riffles. You can cover your bet by using one white fly and a Prince or Iso. This years White Fly hach should start around August 12 if the current weather patterns hold. Start fishing the riffles around August 5th.

More White Fly Wisdom:
If you tie your own Ephoron (White Fly) flies, be sure the tails on the spinners are extremely long and try using thin, white foam for the body. The foam makes your fly float longer and will not "bleed through" as is the case with dubbed bodies. A productive technique for the luekon bugs - because the elapsed time between transition from dun emergence to spinner flight is so condensed, try fishing two dries at once. Connect a spinner to dun pattern with about 18 inches of tippet. Works great.

Late Summer Success:
During late summer trout are most active in high oxygen areas of the river. You will have your best luck in riffles and near springs and cold water feeder streams. Of these, the riffle water will produce the best results.

Fall Streamers:
Orange is a good streamer color in September and later. Orange Trick or Treats (the original color) and various sculpin patterns with orange highlights work wonders with aggressive pre-spawn browns and hungry rainbows.

Low Water:
Steelhead and lake-run browns will be finicky in low, clear water during the fall. Use smaller nymphs and eggs than you would in the spring. Size 14 nymphs are not too small. Try egg patterns in natural colors about 5mm in diameter.