Things are finally warming up here in northern Michigan! A lot of the Au Sable system is high and stained due to Saturday's storm, but will hopefully be better this coming week as we await the sulphur hatch.  So far the North Branch has been fishing well, definitely an improvement from last year. We are looking forward to those big brown bugs showing up in the next few weeks and we will keep you posted on that. 

Right now on the North Branch we have been seeing the last of the light hennies with black caddis and stoneflies making up the bulk of the top water bugs at the moment. That being said fishing Borchers and swinging soft hackles has been very productive as well.  

We hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day and we hope to see you up here at NBOC soon! 

This time of year stirs a lot of senses in the fly fisherman. To me personally opening weekend is as much or more anticipated as Christmas morning was when I was a child. The last Saturday in April symbolizes so much more than just the day trout season officially opens. It is the conclusion of a long winters wait to get back onto the water. It is a vivid reminder that bugs are coming and that the trees will blossom and bloom along our banks which have looked like some sort of ghostly memory of the rivers we remember from last season. Its been said that to fish is to hope. Opening day of trout season is the fruition of the hoping for a new trout season all winter long. I cant wait to see what is in store for all of us on the water this season. 

It was wonderful to see familiar faces and make new friends here at NBOC during our annual opener events. Here are a few pictures from the weekend. Thanks to everyone who joined us for our 20th opener. We hope to see the rest of you in the weeks ahead!