Brookhaven Brookie
TROUT SEASON IS OPEN!
I recently witnessed the planting of hundreds of Grayling into Brookhaven Lake in Clair County. The lake is privately owned and stocked with brookies and Grayling by owners Jeff and Mike Johnson. After the planting, we fished for an hour and I caught this 16 inch brookie and an 18 plus inch brookie.
This fishery is as good as any in Canada and it’s a two hour ride from Detroit.
Find out about this lake and how you can fish it as well as how you can get your church group or scout troop to fish it for free. With the Johnson’s it’s all about kids. Call Jeff at 313-510-0928.
FREE FLY FISHING CLASSES AT ORVIS!
Beginning the weekend of May 5th, Orvis of Royal Oak (248-542-5700) will host free fly fishing classes. Class size is limited and attendees must pre-register. All equipment is provided.
It’s Banquet Time!
A sure sign of spring is are banquet announcements by Trout Unlimited chapters throughout the state. Check the calender for dates and times and make it a point to attend at least one. These banquets are the financial life-line for most of the organizations that allows them to fund the worthwhile conservation projects we all benefit from.
The one drawback to these banquets is the exposure they give to “stuff” they raffle or auction off. Whether or not you win the raffle or auction, the seed is planted for acquiring “stuff”.
They are a great time spent with like minded folks who, like most of us who can’t wait until the last Saturday in April, find comfort in the company.
LAUGH A LITTLE:
A new column will appear on the blog page on this site beginning this week. The column will be dedicated to the shenanigans of the members of the Ostrich Society which consist of you and me and our dogs. The society is dedicated to the pursuit of trout, grouse and fine bird dogs by those of us who find ourselves dreaming of such things and experiencing these pleasures less than we’d like to. It is for the telling of stories of hunts with good friends and fine dogs and the taking of fish with a fly rod on flies tied by us and shared with one another. And it is the enjoyment we get when in the company of wet dogs, old salts and newcomers who hang on every word. It is for those who sometimes feel as though they go through life with their heads buried in the sand.
Without apology, we will tell it like it is, was and should be, and we’ll do it over two fingers of bourbon and a beer chaser. So come along and enjoy membership in the Ostrich Society where is told THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH….give or take a lie or two!
Visit the Ostrich Society’s deer camp, take a bunk and hunker down for the 2010 rifle deer season. CLICK ON “DEER CAMP – THE ARRIVAL” under recent posts.
Two Of The Best Kept Secrets In Northern Michigan!
If you are looking for a new place to set up camp for a few days or a couple of weeks before the daily grind pulls you back in, consider camping at one of Michigan’s hidden jewels; Antrim County’s Barnes Park on the beautiful shore of Lake Michigan near the village of Eastport is one of those jewels. Tucked amidst the pines along the sand bluffs of the sunset side of the state, Barnes Park is a clean, multi-usable campground that has facilities for tents and 5th wheels alike. The jewel is the long sand beach accessed by a stairway leading to Lake Michigan. Separated by 20 or so feet of typical Lake Michigan rocks, the sandbar beyond the rocks provides for family fun and an opportunity to escape the summer heat. This cold pristine waterfront campground is under used. It’s one of the best kept secrets of northern Michigan.
Another overlooked campground is Thurston Park in the Village of Central Lake also in Antrim County. Thurston Park sits on the northendof Intermediate Lake, one of the Chain-of-Lakes, and is within the village limits. With limited campsites for tents to large trailers, some campers manage to rent a site for the entire summer. Check out this quaint turn of the century town and discover for yourself why they call it “God’s Country.”
FISHING REPORT
Bugs are out and fish are cooperating. The Au Sable is producing good fish on everything depending on the day. Streamers, nymphs and emergers are working with the occasional dry fly pulling good fish from their cover.
Steelhead are waning but the action was as good as it has been for those of you who didn’t live through the “good old times.”
Hatches are ahead of schedule and Henny’s are on the water. So start tying and get ready for a great opening day.
See you on the water!
Other Sites of Interest
Michigan Fly Fishing Club (MFFC) www.mffc.org
Friends of the Jordan River Watershed www.friendsofthejordan.org
Pigeon River Country www.pigeonrivercountry.com
American Museum of Fly Fishing www.amff.com
Animated Knots by Grog www.animatedknots.com
Check out my column in these papers every Sunday in the sports section!
Macomb Daily News www.macombdaily.com
Royal Oak Daily Tribune www.dailytribune.com
Brookhaven Brookie
If you are looking for a new place to set up camp for a few days or a couple of weeks before the daily grind pulls you back in, consider camping at one of Michigan’s hidden jewels; Antrim County’s Barnes Park on the beautiful shore of Lake Michigan near the village of Eastport is one of those jewels. Tucked amidst the pines along the sand bluffs of the sunset side of the state, Barnes Park is a clean, multi-usable campground that has facilities for tents and 5th wheels alike. The jewel is the long sand beach accessed by a stairway leading to Lake Michigan. Separated by 20 or so feet of typical Lake Michigan rocks, the sandbar beyond the rocks provides for family fun and an opportunity to escape the summer heat. This cold pristine waterfront campground is under used. It’s one of the best kept secrets of northern Michigan. 
FISHING REPORT