A resolution I made for this fishing season was to explore some new rivers. For about the last five or so years, I've fished almost exclusively on the Au Sable system. There are plenty of good reasons to keep going there, but I also have wondered what other rivers have to offer.
So, in keeping with that plan, I ventured Monday evening to the Boardman river just outside Traverse City. I got camp set up and finished dinner in time to be on the river by 9 PM. I simply guessed about what part of the river to fish, but as soon as I got the water I could see I had guessed well. The stretch before me was wide and slow, strewn with downed timber and bounded large bands of muck (mud beds are the habitat for the larvae of the Hex mayflies I was pursuing). Confirming my choice of water, several other fishermen appeared just behind me. Apparently, someone was convinced there would be a hex hatch here. And there was, sort of. At around ten after ten, a few hex spinners appeared in the air, and several fish began feeding along a logpile below me. None of them sounded really large, and I got a few short strikes, which, during the hex hatch, usually means you're dealing with fish too small to get the hook in its mouth. Eventually, I did land two smaller browns, both around 10". The feeding continued until about 11, but for the last half of it, I couldn't get a strike. A guy I met back at my vehicle who'd fished below me said he'd caught a 17" brown, but nothing else. Of course, he added, the fishing had been spectaclular last night.
Still, it wasn't a complete blanking, and I very impressed by the look of the water. No regrets about the choice of rivers, and much anticipation for the next day.
The next day got off to a poor start, though. As I began to make breakfast, I realized I'd left my coffee at home. However, I had been thinking of going to Traverse City to buy a few things and troll for some info at a fly shop, so I figured I might find a good coffee shop as I ran those errands. On the way in, though, I quickly confronted a crunch of traffic and chain stores. I had forgotten about this aspect of TC. It had been a long time since I'd come into it from the south, where most of the retail infestation is. Before I was halfway to downtown, I turned around, got a cup of gas station coffee, and bolted back to the peaceful environs of the upper Boardman, making do without gourmet Joe and fishing tips from the locals.
One of the reasons I had stayed away from the Boardman before was its proximity to TC. I drove back to camp Tuesday morning wishing I'd maintained my prejudice against it. But I calmed down quickly once I got into the woods again. Areas of state forest just beyond the city are no busier than many other recreational districts of Michigan--in fact, my riverfront campground was almost deserted while I was there. And the Boardman was less crowded for the Hex hatch than other waters I've fished. I suppose the area is busier on weekend, but most places are. Generally, I was impressed with the degree of wildness that remained on the edges of a fairly large town.
On Wednesday, in fact, it was the lack of amenities that would drive me to another stream. But between here and there lie several fish stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment