FISHING WITH FRIENDS

There's nothing better than having good friends to fish with. Jim Shifflet's "Stone Cottage" is just upstream from LoBank. We share a passion for both fishing and bird dogs.

Jim has a German Shorthair and a new setter pup "Tess" out of CH. Taz and Greg Hilla's Miss Canada. She's 5 months old and I can't wait to see her get her first nose full of bird scent.

Jim and I floated this past week and had a great day. He says he rolled the biggest fish he's seen in the daytime on the North Branch. I saw the splash but the only fish I saw him land fit in the palm of his hand.

FORGET SEX WHEN THERE'S HEX

Forget sex when there's Hex. Thats what the sign says at Gates AuSable Lodge http://www.gateslodge.com/ and judging from the license plates from around the country in the parking lot, OB/GYN's can plan on taking next March off. Kiss her good night and hit the river.

Rumor has it that Perk & Dave Perkins of Orvis are here and every lodge and fishing club has their lights on. Its like the Olympics Opening Ceremony and the Super Bowl of fly fishing all wrapped up together.

The Hexegenia Lambata or Hex are here. At size 8, 10 & 12 its the largest of the mayflys in the AuSable system . Don't bother going out until just before dusk, find a log to sit on and wait. At dark the spinner fall will start and the whales begin to feed. Slurp, slurp, SLAM. Hold on for dear life as that 18-20 inch brown will give you all the excitement your 5 wt rod and heart can handle.

Hex are late this year. Its been cool and lots of rain. The South Branch is still running at 600-700 cfs when it ought to be 400 cfs. Wading is risky if you don't know where your at. The Main Stream is better but still not as clear as usual.

The North Branch doesn't get the Hex that the other two branches enjoy. Its shallower, mostly all gravel and for the most part doesn't have the sand and muck bottom the Hex thrive in. Here we have Brown Drakes size 12 & 14.

Tightlines!