MIO — About six years ago Bob Linsenman was closing the doors on his retail store. It was then that Bruce Graff, not wanting the area to lose the fly shop made a deal to buy the business. It was moved to its current location at the ‘AuSable Valley Inn’ in Mio.
The AuSable Angler has in the past few years, become a great resource for information about the happenings on the river. At least those happenings that are related to fishing.
Bruce holds a ‘streamer weekend’ twice each year, spring and fall. These started out as just a simple gathering of friends and like-minded people that just like to fish with streamers. These dedicated streamer fishers are affectionately known as ‘Streamer Junkies’.
For the uninitiated a streamer is a larger fly than you would normally associate with fly fishing. Most streamers range from two-eight inches. These are wet flies meaning that they sink, dry flies float upon the surface.
Streamers are meant to imitate many foods that fishes like to eat including crayfish, leeches, bait fish, hellgrammites and more.
They are also fished with an active retrieve which because the fly is moving can cause some explosive strikes.
Anyone may participate but you must use the yardstick received upon registering. All fish are catch and release and that’s why the yard stick. Just place your fish by the stick and take a picture. The yard sticks are marked special for each weekend, so you must use a new one. You cannot use one from a previous weekend.
The streamer weekends are Friday, Saturday and Sunday and you may fish any or all the days. You may wade, fish from a boat or any way you wish just so long as it is legal, and you are using streamers.
The steamer weekends are now being used to honor a person that has contributed to the lifestyle of fly fishing. The last weekend was in honor of Bob Linsenman, who has guided, wrote books and taught many the thrills of fishing.
There are some prizes given out but remember that there is no entry fee, so all prizes are donated. The way to thank those for the donations is to remember them when looking to make a purchase.
The first streamer weekends were capped off with a bar-b-que. That has now changed to a dinner, the only cost associated with this weekend of fun by the way. The Bob Linsenman weekend dinner was held at the Moose Lodge and was $25 dollars each.
The Bob Linsenman weekend had 40 fishermen and 60 attendees to the dinner.
First place went to Blake Morse with a 20.25 inch Brown Trout. Second place went to Scott Hullinger with a 19-incher and third place went to Shane Snyder Jr. with a 16-incher.
The next streamer weekend is set for April 13, 2018 – April 15, 2018 and will honor Jac Ford.
Want to learn streamer fishing? Or maybe you wish to attend the next weekend then visit Facebook and check out ‘The AuSable Angler’. Or better yet stop in and see Bruce at his store.
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