Hendricksons on the Au Sable

H1: A 17-inch rainbow "hene-eater"Prime time Hendrickson spinner fall in Michigan is generally an early-May event. Of course, like everything else in nature, it can vary by several days each year, but it’s pretty reliable. Actually, it’s the first major event that most early season dry fly aficionados look for. Text books will tell you not to look for much Hendrickson hatching activity until water temps hit the 50F mark in the afternoons.

The trouble with the Hendrickson hatch is that it also coincides with the first rush of streamer fishing activity in the spring. It must have something to do with that first 50 degree water temperature of the year. It really seems to rev-up trout metabolism. What to do? Sinking line, short leaders, ripping streamers and experiencing streamer-crushing attacks by hungry trout? Or, long leaders, light tippets, floating lines, drifting spinners to rising trout of equal appetite, and maybe even equal size? What to do, indeed!

This past May, I did both. Inviting a long time friend, Kevin Prediger, from Indian River to join me, I booked a float trip through the Au Sable Angler Fly Shop in Mio. Proprietor Bob Linsenman (co-author of “Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout” [amazon.com] ) put me into a boat with guide-extraordinaire, Mike Bachelder. We had timed the outing so that we could fish streamers early on, and then switch over to Hendrickson spinners as late afternoon turned to dusk. We’ll talk about streamers another time. For now, let’s focus in on the second part of the trip.

As Mike worked the boat downstream from Mio, he kept one eye turned H2: Intense hendrickson spinner fall on the Au Sable River downstream from Mio. Click photo.towards the heavens. “It looks like the spinners are early today.” He announced. “Let’s make the switch over to dry flies.”

Mike explained that normally we should expect spinner fall activity during the last 30 to 40 minutes prior to dark. Today, for whatever reason, the bugs were amassing above the river a full 45 minutes early. Kevin and I were in for 90 minutes of dry fly ecstasy.

As the swarm of flies eventually descended from the heavens, I was struck by the magnitude of biomass that Nature makes available for trout. Hendricksons were everywhere! Some were dipping to the surface to lay eggs, most seeming to fly randomly with no discernible logic. Then one, then two, would drop to the surface with an inaudible “splat”, not to rise again, wings caught in the surface film in the tell-tale shape of a crucifix . . . the classic “spent wing spinner”.

A few rise forms starting showing. Mike pointed toward the far seam, “That’s a small fish. Don’t bother with that one.”

As the spinner fall progressed, Mike’s intensity and the number of rising fish both increased. Mike would spot a larger fish rising, and jockey the drift boat into an optimum casting position. First we boated a couple fifteen-inch fish, then a seventeen. Then a Goliath became apparent, gulping down spinners with a rhythmical cadence.

H3: Kevin releases another beautiful rainbow to munch on more Au Sable River hendricksons.Kevin was in the queue for the Goliath. Three or four casts later, Kevin had a solid hook-up, and promptly broke him off. “That fish was easily in the low twenties,” Mike said, trying to use a tone that didn’t aggravate Kevin’s already bruised ego.

After a couple more fish in the mid teens, we spotted the unmistakable rise form of another behemoth. I was in line for this Goliath. But, as fate would have it, I was slow on the “lift”, and must have just caught him by the skin of his lip. After the first solid run, the hook pulled clear. Again, Mike had to choose his words carefully, “Too bad, Larry. That was one for the camera.”

It’s amazing how fast 90 minutes can fly by. Eventually, all good things . . . and excellent spinner falls . . . must come to an end. What a GREAT day on the river.

To learn more about float trips down the Au Sable River “Trophy Waters”, check out the web site at www.ausableangler.com.