Urban Angler Charles K swings for glory in AK & MI

Got this letter from Charles, a freshman at Penn State, after his trip to Alaska and Michigan this summer:

"Hey whats up Rich!

Ive been meaning to shoot you an email and let you know how Alaska was but as soon as I got home Rachel and I took off up to Michigan and we just got home Wednesday.

Alaska was fun.  I was disappointed with the lack of 'fly' fishing opportunities along the famous waters of the Russian and Kenai rivers.  It seems like everyone owns a fly rod but no one wants to fly fish.  Disgusted with the thousands of people standing on the banks snagging passing fish, we hopped on a boat and were dropped off up the Susitna drainage. There I had great fun catching Jack Kings which were the only salmon I found that would actively pursue my fly.  I caught most fish on a large bunny fly called a Dalai Lama, however my biggest fish of the trip (or ever) was on a popsicle.  It was a huge king that I was lucky to bring in on the eight weight I got from you, along with the help of the local shop owner I bumped into on the river.  Im not sure how much it weighed because i didnt want to lift it out of the water without a king stamp but it was big enough that the anglers around me called it a "moose!"

I also found great rainbow fishing on a little piece of waterin Wassilla.  I caught a lot of good fish between thirteen and sixteen inches but unfortunately was eluded by the monsters you see in all the magazine pictures.  Anyways thanks for the rod and the casting lesson.  I watched Spey To Z a couple times and have begun to feel more comfortable casting my new Skagit rig.  I still have problems pulling the heavier flies out of the water with the sink tips but i guess its just because its not something I can go out and practice in the yard.

Then Rachel and I spent a few days in Michigan this past week.  We first drove into Oscoda, a small town on the edge of lake Huron where the Au Sable makes its final stride into the lake.  We took a six hour canoe trip from the dam above town all the way to the mouth of the river.  Despite the fact that it was hot and mid day we found lots of smallmouth willing to take our streamers.  Some really large smallies and walleye were visible but the water was too deep for me to get the fly down before being gobbled by smaller fish.

After that we headed to the Mackinaw city and explored the Upper Peninsula to look at waterfalls.  On our way home we stopped in Grayling to fish the holy water section of the Au Sable.  We booked a guide, Alex, through the Old Au Sable fly shop, who was great.  I told him I wanted Rachel to catch fish, and that I wanted a shot at a big brown.  Alex poled us through the windy river on his Au Sable Long Boat and made both of those happen.  We were out from three in the afternoon to past one in the morning (a little longer than planned).  The river treated us with great dry fly fishing with large orange caddis flies throughout the day and well past dark where we switched over to large, foam 'night' patterns.  The night time dry fly thing was a lot of fun once I got used to setting the hook to the slightest sound that could be a rise.  I can't wait to get up next year and try the Hex hatch.  When we switched to swinging night flies this is when the big fish started hitting.

I hooked three large trout within fifteen minutes and landed only the smallest of the three.  The biggest one put up a great fight and was even mistaken for a rainbow at first when it leaped out of the water.  Alex said he looked 17 or 18 inches but this was just by the brief glimpse he got with his headlamp.  I was very disappointed when it got away but I just feel motivated to fish more.  Regardless of missed fish, it was probably the most fun I have ever had in a day of fishing, catching rainbows, brookies and browns all in large numbers and decent size.  All in all Rachel and I had a great time and it was cool to see her start to get excited about fly fishing."

Charles, thanks for the heads up on the conditions and fishing experience, and we look forward to hanging a few of the photos up on the shop wall.