Back from the AuSable River

Early Friday we finally decided to head north rather than south. The weather forecast was looking a bit better, and even if we went south we were headed for a rain event, so it was north up US 127 towards the AuSable River mouth of Lake Huron in northeast Michigan. The towns we focused on were Tawas, Oscoda/Au Sable, and north to Harrisville. All located at the various mouth branches of the river at Lake Huron.

The last time we were in this location(1984), we took Nick's dad and camped out at the river mouth in the small town of Au Sable....we slept in the van and spent almost the entire time fishing from the shore. We had planned on doing something like that this time around...just the 2 now old farts retracing our steps from a quarter century ago....as luck would have it, things were a little different this time around...Gabe, Nick's dad has been passed for a decade, and our backs and legs are not what they used to be. The parking area we stayed last time, is now $70,000 lots that trailers stuff themselves up against the river and lake. So we changed plans, just a little.

Forget sleeping in 40 degree temperatures with sleeping bags, in the back of a capped pick-up truck. We priced a small motel called the Aurora "Resort" on the Lake Huron shore, about 2 miles south of the river. For off season rates we talked them down to $30 a night with cable, sowhy would we rough it? We wouldn't, not this time for sure.

From Friday night thru Saturday afternoon, we rotated between the towns and locations along the lake and river...from Harrisville to the north, to the Foote Dam 7 miles east of Oscoda, down the river to town where we dropped a line back of a Halloween Costume store. The AuSable flows behind the store and through Oscoda, to the mouth at the town of Au Sable. The weather wasn't bad, temps in the 50s, with a little rain now and then. We ate at a small mom style restaurant, talked with the guy and his wife at the Marina and Gun Store about the coming election, as we purchased lures, bait, and locations to drop same. Bottom line was....The Steelheads were still far up the river, but Chinook were in the shallows for the taking, Brown Trout fishing was best down the road at the bay at Tawas City.

The motel provided our respite where we enjoyed a few cigars and a case or so of beer over the weekend.... We watched Ohio State lose to Penn State on Saturday night{Way to go Tressel, how's that switch to The Messiah of a Freshman QB working out?, not so good, is it?} ...loaded our coolers with our 10 Chinook on Sunday morning, and headed south...arriving home in the late afternoon. We then make steak, and fillets, out of our gains, and cleaned up the mess.

It will take me a day or 3 to recover from the latest trip.....but I plan on making a full recovery.

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>below the posted photos are described:

Photos-A stretch of the AuSable River in Michigan, about 5 miles from the mouth of the River on Lake Huron at the Town of Au Sable. Me with a couple of our 10 Chinook all between 9 and 12 pounds. The sign out front of our "Resort" on Lake Huron near Au Sable. Nick and me at the shore...probably pretty nice in July, windy and cold make it not ready for dipping in late October. The Foote Dam on the AuSable about 7 miles east of Oscoda, Michigan...this is where the "snaggers" try their luck, a poor way to fish.....but regular fisherman also try for Chinooks and Steelheads here, but only a few to be seen this past Saturday. Nick trying his luck at the Harrisville Harbor on Lake Huron. A 12 pounder getting ready to be iced for the trip home. Nick works on the Steak and Fillets. All bagged up and ready for the freezer. And the Sepia photo is the river as it winds it's way through the town of Oscoda towards Au Sable.