Wow,,, what a wonderful report wonderfully written. Thanks for letting me share this great experience. Joyce
On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 9:57 AM, Eli Robillard <[email protected]> wrote: > Great report, looking forward to the next installment. I've heard good > things about that area but never had enough of an excuse to go, it's just a > bit far off track when heading cross-country. I have tried further north at > the Fox and Two-Hearted, more for an excuse to visit some Hemingway sites > than anything, but they're not what you'd call "destination water." > Michigan's beautiful space though, hope you get to post a few photos too. > > Cheers, > -Eli. > > -------- Original Message -------- > > From: "Christian E. Thalacker" <[email protected]> > > Sent: August-15-14 11:13 AM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Trip Report ... the Au Sable River - Day 1 > > > > The Au Sable Trip began Monday afternoon, after a two-day drive ... > gladly > > leaving behind the coal and diesel grit of Kentucky's largest inner city > > (ugh, can you say flash-backs to the Mayor Marion Barry-era in 1980s > DC?) > > ... to the Great Lakes State, Michigan. Having spent 51 weeks working > from > > home in Louisville, I was homing into the Mason Tract Wilderness for > some > > much needed Rejuvenation With Nature ... well out of anyone's, or > > anything's, "range". > > > > With me, a Hoshihara-sensei two-piece, two tip bamboo flyrod? Check. > Dark > > green Lamson reel with caramel Phoenix silk line & leader? Check. > > Well-traveled Filson flyfishing vest with more flies, tools, floatants, > > note-taking and water-coloring gear than necessary? Check. Check. Check. > > Dropped off at the Traverse City Michigan Airport, a fair-sized > waterfall > > streamed over stone and stained glass, announcing that we were finally > in > > the Cherry Capital of the World ... aka The Land of Milk, Honey, Fruit, > > Beautiful Brookies and ... possibility ... for the patient night-time > > angler, the opportunity for big Brown Trout. > > > > With the nice lady at the Budget rental car counter, I efficiently > > transacted plastic cards for keys and paper. Getting closer to the water > > and woods ... getting closer to the water and woods. A short walk out of > > the airport, past a few dozen cars, I was pleasantly surprised: a new > slate > > gray Beetle. Good karma to have an attractor-themed vehicle? Time will > tell > > whether the Biodiesel-mobile back home with the old-timer Desmo Atlantic > > salmon replacement hood emblem would be jealous upon my return. I tried > to > > start the vehicle. Key in. Key turned. Foot on brake as the nice lady > told > > me. Nothing. Hmmm. Gear in "Park". Tried again. And again. Turns out, > > "Herbie" required jealous stomping on the brake in mild frustration for > the > > engine to roar to life. A German thing? > > > > Captain, we have full power... what will our destination be? > > > > Traverse City is the Austin-Texas meets Fort Lauderdale of Western > > Michigan: funky, cool vibe still in the air with Michael Moore's 100+ > Film > > Festival at one end of town ... and here, three miles away, upscale > hotels > > on the beach plus trailer parks and themed fun across the tracks ... > what's > > your pleasure: Pirate Adventure, Mini Golf & more. > > > > Decisions, decisions: a meal in Traverse City, Michael Moore-watching or > > hit the road to Troutville? > > > > No time was lost. Siri was directed to lead me to Gates Au Sable Lodge > ... > > which she did. Good girl Siri. > > > > About an hour later, through forests and the sprawling towns of Kalkaska > > and Grayling, I crossed the Stephan Bridge and parked the car in the > gravel > > parking lot ... noticed a few couples laughing and grinning at picnic > tables > > on the grassy, stream-side lawn ... enjoying the slightly overcast, warm > > day. The Gates Au Sable Fly Shop is connected to its restaurant ... a > > bronze bell and a sliding window for take-out orders ... ice chest with > > locally made root-beer+ ... lots of trees, lots of fishing trucks, and > > store-front full of trout stickers and funky local sculpture. > > > > Hmmm ... I like this place. > > > > Inside the shop, several 30"-ish brown trout and 12"-ish brookie > trophies > > decorated the walls, a big portrait of Judge-Author John D. Voelker > (along > > with a great bumper sticker reflecting the Au Sable angling community's > > unbelievable travails with watershed fracking: "We Won't Fish in Your > Oil > > Fields, If You Don't Drill on our River") kept watch over the cash > > register, along with a treasure cave of gear: glass counters that I > could > > spend a lot more time drooling over: bench-made knives, stout reels, > > autographed books ... > > > > Lodge owner-operator Josh Greenberg greeted me like an old friend. I > > learned to appreciate that Josh is the author of "Rivers of Sand" - see > > link below, a presence of gravitas on the big screen -see link below, > and > > an insatiable source of local streams to fish - sorry, that information > > will remain unpublished ;-). If anyone can begin to fill Rusty > > Gates' enormous boots, Josh is doing a fine job. He gave me my room key, > > and let me know that my guide for the evening, Jordan was ready to go > when > > I was. > > > > Out in the parking, half a dozen cedar Au Sable river boats were on > > trailers, their attendant guides strapping things in ... pre-school > > teachers with trout PhDs for wanderers like me needing to reconnect with > > their inner kid. > > > > Would I need a larger rod? Hmmmm ... yes to throw a 6 inch deer-hair & > foam > > frog. After dumping what I didn't need into the hotel room, I hurried > back > > to the fly shop. > > > > The question was ... did Gates Fly Shop have something with ... soul? > > > > Short answer: yes, a vintage Paul Young. Out of my price range. But I > got > > to lovingly admire it. > > > > Shorter answer: a Seele glass rod, hand-made in a Pennsylvania garage by > > two of the best modern flycasters (Hardy Cup winners, anyone?) Michael > > Mauri and Mike McFarland, plus a Rio line and Abel reel. > > > > All set up, Jordan beckoned me into the old Toyota 4Runner ... watch > your > > head, don't hit the kayak roof rack ... and away we drove. Gravel gave > to > > asphalt then to dirt ... one of the beautiful things about the Au Sable > > river system ... it weaves sunlight and forest and water together ... > soon > > day-dreaming, I imagined Great-Grandfather Emmett here with his kids ... > a > > generation later, Grampie fishing the Whippoorwill Lodge section, up > from > > George Griffith's house on the hill ... then teaching my uncles and dad > to > > fish, before going out alone at night for big browns. They are all > wetting > > their lines in the great trout stream above. I kept thinking how much > > Hoshihara-sensei and Dr. Sato would appreciate fishing here, in this > life > > ... > > > > The 4Runner stopped, Jordan got his gear out and into the boat, and I > > followed. The weather was still warm, and the water cold. No waders and > > boots today ... the water felt baptismally good to me. Rinsing > symbolically > > my hands, I said a prayer to The Great Spirit, and stowed my jacket and > > gear. We were soon gliding down the river, the afternoon birds flitting > to > > and fro: kingfishers, eagles, cedar waxwings, ospreys, blue herons, geese > & > > their young ... while the river otters, musk-rats and mink looked at us > > curiously from shore and stream. > > > > Jordan anchored the boat, tied on a fair-sized dry fly that I had never > > seen before ... a Patriot, and recommended that I cast ... to various > deep > > pools, bank-side and ... slam, one fish after another came to the net > and > > quickly released ... brookie, brownie, brookie, brownie ... > > > > Darkness slowly descended, and Jordan switched to another fly I had > never > > seen before ... a Gurgler. We continued slowly drifting down the river > ... > > the occasional splash drew our attention ... > > > > Cast 12 o'clock ... 20 feet ... let the fly drift to him ... then say > "God > > Save The" and set the hook. > > > > Jordan's advice was dead right ... the trout slashed at my fly, but the > > adrenaline flowing, I felt the big fish ... but pulled the rod-tip up > too > > quickly, and didn't set the hook. > > > > Cast again, 15 feet ahead ... again, the big bruiser slashed at my fly > ... > > I waited what I thought was a second before trying to set the hook, but > > away the fish swam ... no doubt smiling. > > > > The rest of the night was like that: I am learning lessons. > > > > That night, drifting to sleep, I dreamt that I was a big brown trout. > Hope > > for me tomorrow? > > > > Christian Thalacker > > > > And remember ... Badgers don't fight fair ... that's why God made > > Dachshunds. > > > > PS: interesting links in no particular order ... > > 1. http://museum.msu.edu/s-program/mh_awards/awards/1988js.html > > 2. http://www.gatesflyshop.com/The-River-_p_555.html > > 3. http://www.amazon.com/Seasons-Au-Sable-Rusty-Gates/dp/1587264528 > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vfb-mail?hl=en VFB Mail is sponsored by Line's End Inc at http://www.linesend.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VFB Mail" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
