aU sABLE TROPHY WATER LODGE!
relax, you found what you've been missing!
Sitting on 426' of the famed, Au Sable River, you can fish and frolic for hours out here. The water is shallow for the first 20' off the bank for the dogs and kids to enjoy getting wet safely. Deep enough for adults to bathe and swim a bit further out. Here is our pup, about in the middle of a 1000 square foot shelf of slower moving water, a great spot to sit with your feet in the water heckling the passersby. I'm in my padded chair on this particular evening, waiting to figure out what the fly hatch will be!
We are at the very end of all residential development, after us it's the Huron National Forest for the next 20 miles, ie., wilderness on both sides of the river, all the way to the Alcona Dam Pond! We also have all Federal land across the river from us too, no cabins or people to see.
Our stretch is known by two nicknames, The Trophy Water because it's a favorite of local trout fishing guides to easily navigate their clients in their riverboats to catch big, brown trout, many over 20"! It is easily wadable too, you can walk across as the deep spots in front are at best chest-high
Its also known as The Big Water because the river can get over 200' wide, but remains relatively shallow. The river is easily wadable, but even easier to canoe or kayak. I often kayak backwards with the paddle on my lap, trolling hardware with one hand, lifting beer with the other. the water runs about 2 mph., just watch out for logs & rocks occaisionally. Another popular past time is tubing.
Anyway you slice it, The Au Sable and The Trophy Water Lodge combine for a most memorable adventure on a great river right here in Michigan, truly a Water Wonderland! The lakes up here are good for fishing too, most have walleye, bass and pike.
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THINGS TO DO:
STAY PUT IS NUMBER ONE! WE ALWAYS SHOP IN MIO BEFORE WE COME HERE, THEN DON'T LEAVE.
PLENTY OF ROOM TO RUN AROUND WITH ALL THAT land, NOT TO MENTION THE WATER, IT'S SHALLOW AND FLAT FOR ABOUT 30' OUT. WE ARE AT THE HEAD OF A BIG, INSIDE BEND on a big shelf, great for kids and dogs.
we have bocci ball, jarts, horseshoes, firepits, boardgames, dvd library, record players, bird-watching, crawdads galore and even a couple frogs!
this is cabin #2 - it's included in the rental if extra guests are coming. There is an extra charge for guests but not for the accomodations.
it has two rooms, one bedroom in the back half with a king-size tempurpedic! There is an 86" wide Pottery Barn sofa bed in the front room, along with a flat-screen/dvd. perfect to lose the kids in here!
Now, let's talk about the fishing.....
i Caught this guy during the Brown Drake hatch this june. He was in my bathing spot about 15' beyond the sweeping cedar in the front yard!
it's mostly browns and rainbows in our stretch but i've gotten big smallmouths and eating-size walleyes too. you can easily see the feeding lanes in front so that's where i have the kids fish too. you stand in water less than 2' deep to fish.
just down stream it gets deeper too if you want to fish in unchartered water. we have big riffle areas just upstream the fishing regulations have this stretch open year-round but you are suppose to use flies and artificial lures only.
when i'm not flyfishing and matching the hatch, i use #5, 7 & 9 countdown trout imitating rapalas, #3 brown trout mepps aglia spinners and large black/yellow/gold panther martins on the far-side of the river a wee bit upstream is where i fish after sundown till midnight with mousing or rapalas, just go slow until you know the river.
