The Anglers of The Au Sable annual redd survey tackled the upper North Branch the first week of November. As a part of their effort to monitor the River, they locate and measure the spawning areas of brown trout. Volunteers included Angler members, North Branch property owners and even a couple of ANBAF Board members. Led and instructed by Gerry Lake and Terry Lyons, we learned how to tell which clean, “polished” rocks were real brown trout redds, not just where geese or muskrats had been feeding. Along the way were learned more about the River and the habits of trout. Once a redd was confirmed, it was precisely located by a GPS and measured—length, width and depth, all recorded, along w
This is the 6th year of trout habitat restoration projects planned and managed by Anglers of the Au Sable. The Au Sable North Branch Area Foundation has provided both financing and man-power to this project. Work during 2018 added approximately 120 structures to the Au Sable North Branch, below Lovells Bridge from the Burchi property just above Duncansons’, down to Dr. Gary Meade’s cottage. The six types of structures used are: Paralogs, bank log structures, triangular structures, drift jams at heads of islands and v structures. Each structure is placed in a predetermined and approved location with a specific purpose. A detailed map of planned structures and locations must be approved by the
It started in the spring, when guides reported far fewer fish being caught in the North Branch. Later in the spring and in the summer, numerous residents and visitors to the North Branch also reported catching fewer fish and seeing fewer fish feeding during hatches. The Foundation and other interested groups, including Anglers of the Au Sable, Michigan TU, DNR and DEQ have been meeting and investigating in an effort to determine the severity of the population decrease and any potential causes. We still do not know why this has occurred but the Michigan DNR has published a very good article on the topic. Access it HERE.
