Such a great month for fly fishing and chasing Smallmouth Bass, Big Brown Trout and King Salmon! We have had a cooler end of the summer around here and has been very good for fishing. Last night it was a late night of mousing for Brown Trout and river temp was 61 degrees which is just ideal. Big Browns were pretty fired up starting at 10pm with thick clouds and very dark conditions. Put a couple in the net and a few more good blowups. Come around midnight cloud cover was gone and out came a full moon – bite was gone. That mousing and conditions are everything!
For those looking for some good daytime action its all Smallmouth Bass! These Smallies are great daytime feeders and love our streamers – Murdich Minnows, Dungeons, Sparkle Minnow, Peanuts and Small Great Lakes Deceivers are all top producers. Come evening time its all topwater and poppers, gurglers, hoppers and dry flies are all top flies.
Mousing is all about conditions and goes into the first part of September. Sunny daytime conditions are ideal followed by a dark night. Currently we are in a full moon but darkness is coming and we will be hitting it hard the next couple weeks. Here is August moon calendar.
Been really productive summer for night fishing and the other key is places with lack of fishing pressure and cold water. The first half the summer was all dry fly fishing in the dark. Second half of summer with lack of big hatches it all mousing in the dark.
The lower Au Sable is also a awesome place for Smallmouth fishing this time of year and of late fishing has been very good!
Dark Hex are going strong now and great hatch for Smallmouth Bass! With cool down of late look for some good trout rising also now. Look for spinners to come out starting 8-9pm depend on air temp. The hotter it is the later they start. Hopefully White Fly hatch kicks in soon and another late summer hatch.
