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River Report - April 3, 2020
The Old Au Sable Fly Shop Fishing Report
I’ve been dragging my feet. It’s been hard to know what to say or what to advise—go outside stay inside. You know that everything has been changing every day. But, while we’re clearly not on any semblance of stable ground yet, I’m beginning to find a stride here in Northern Michigan.
I’d been tottering around the house for too long. And for me that means, as regular listeners know, spending tons of time organizing my everlasting, horrible mess of a garage. That time alone, gathering unfinished and potential projects onto shelves and into cubby holes, has afforded me time to evaluate just what in the hell was I thinking. When did I think I’d have time to it all.
I have everything I need to build bird houses and feeders, raised garden beds, dog houses, and wood sheds. There’s the river trapping gear, and the recurve and long bows I don’t shoot enough, and even everything a person needs to make wooden musky lures. And so, so much more. For crying out loud, just when was all of this going to happen?
Well, I guess it’s now or never.
Time is no longer an excuse.
So I made a list of projects on the back of a bill envelop that I’ll likely not pay anytime soon. I started writing in pretty big print but it got small quickly and ended up turning the corner at the bottom of the paper and wrapping up the side. Just like a little kid learning to spell.
If I get it all done, that’ll mean the pandemic is going to take longer than anyone expects. But don’t worry that’s not going to happen.
Poor Jack has to do it all with me. Kids got it tough; having to spend all that time with his Dad. Sure we break the work up with fishing trips and bike rides and walks in the woods looking at tracks and trying to guess what animals made which poop. So the projects are happening and a pile of time with my family is happening.
There’s a little bit of light.
Spring run-off on the river has peaked and everything is shaping up for an early dry fly season. That hasn’t happened in years. We should see hendricksons by mid-April.
We’ve already had tons of black stones and olives are imminent.
Watch the rules. You need a new fishing license as of April 1st. Tippy Dam closed. Guiding has been shut down by the DNR until at least April 13th. Recently, I’ve heard that DNR is enforcing private boating party rules. No more than one person per boat unless your share the same home address--$500 fine. As far as I know as of March 30th that was just a rumor, but things change fast and plenty of rumors are being realized.
There was a rumor circulating that Grayling Hospital was being used as a coronavirus hub. Turns out that one is true. Here’s a link to an article in the Crawford County Avalanche http://www.crawfordcountyavalanche.com/news/munson-healthcare-grayling-hospital-serving-east-region-inpatient-care-center-covid-19 .
We’re being very safe here and on super lock down. Not quite the need a shower and to wash my soft pants bad, but there will be no Cabin Fever Days just yet bad. We need to get a little further down the road with this thing. It’s common sense and plus you know, the law.
For now stay home and rake the lawn and get those projects done. Hopefully, we’ll be moving around a little more as the fish get rising.
Take extra care out there.
Andy
I’ve been dragging my feet. It’s been hard to know what to say or what to advise—go outside stay inside. You know that everything has been changing every day. But, while we’re clearly not on any semblance of stable ground yet, I’m beginning to find a stride here in Northern Michigan.
I’d been tottering around the house for too long. And for me that means, as regular listeners know, spending tons of time organizing my everlasting, horrible mess of a garage. That time alone, gathering unfinished and potential projects onto shelves and into cubby holes, has afforded me time to evaluate just what in the hell was I thinking. When did I think I’d have time to it all.
I have everything I need to build bird houses and feeders, raised garden beds, dog houses, and wood sheds. There’s the river trapping gear, and the recurve and long bows I don’t shoot enough, and even everything a person needs to make wooden musky lures. And so, so much more. For crying out loud, just when was all of this going to happen?
Well, I guess it’s now or never.
Time is no longer an excuse.
So I made a list of projects on the back of a bill envelop that I’ll likely not pay anytime soon. I started writing in pretty big print but it got small quickly and ended up turning the corner at the bottom of the paper and wrapping up the side. Just like a little kid learning to spell.
If I get it all done, that’ll mean the pandemic is going to take longer than anyone expects. But don’t worry that’s not going to happen.
Poor Jack has to do it all with me. Kids got it tough; having to spend all that time with his Dad. Sure we break the work up with fishing trips and bike rides and walks in the woods looking at tracks and trying to guess what animals made which poop. So the projects are happening and a pile of time with my family is happening.
There’s a little bit of light.
Spring run-off on the river has peaked and everything is shaping up for an early dry fly season. That hasn’t happened in years. We should see hendricksons by mid-April.
We’ve already had tons of black stones and olives are imminent.
Watch the rules. You need a new fishing license as of April 1st. Tippy Dam closed. Guiding has been shut down by the DNR until at least April 13th. Recently, I’ve heard that DNR is enforcing private boating party rules. No more than one person per boat unless your share the same home address--$500 fine. As far as I know as of March 30th that was just a rumor, but things change fast and plenty of rumors are being realized.
There was a rumor circulating that Grayling Hospital was being used as a coronavirus hub. Turns out that one is true. Here’s a link to an article in the Crawford County Avalanche http://www.crawfordcountyavalanche.com/news/munson-healthcare-grayling-hospital-serving-east-region-inpatient-care-center-covid-19 .
We’re being very safe here and on super lock down. Not quite the need a shower and to wash my soft pants bad, but there will be no Cabin Fever Days just yet bad. We need to get a little further down the road with this thing. It’s common sense and plus you know, the law.
For now stay home and rake the lawn and get those projects done. Hopefully, we’ll be moving around a little more as the fish get rising.
Take extra care out there.
Andy