2016 ~ Back by popular demand and rebranded ~ The Joan English Memorial Bass Outing on WAKELY LAKE and ??
– 
Grayling, MI
Can you hear that gulp and splash? It is the Michigan north woods calling all Flygirls to pack up their fly fishing gear, float tubes, canoes or kayaks and travel ̳Up North‘ for the annual Flygirls’ FLY FISHING FRENZY event on Grayling‘s Wakeley Lake. Fly fishing for giant bluegill, bass and pike in the early morning hours on Wakeley Lake will be on our schedule during the early morning. At the dusk and into the evening, the Hex spinner fall will give you a chance at catching a lunker Brown Trout. Five and six weight rods are suggested for this event.
Suggested flies for Wakeley include bluegill poppers, foam spiders, and woolly worms- bring an assortment of colors including yellow, green, white, black, and red. Flies can be purchased at the Old Au Sable Fly Shop or Gates Au Sable Lodge Fly Shop in Grayling.
Plan on meeting in the parking lot of Wakeley Lake at 5:45 a.m. Bring $8 cash for parking permit (they will check). It is about a quarter mile hike or even a bit longer back to the lake, so you need to carry all of yourgear in, including fishing license, float tube or kayak/paddle/anchor, flippers/waders, rod/reel, fly boxes,net, vest, polarized sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, extra snack, camera, and the kitchen sink. It is very helpful to have a kayak cart for carrying gear back to the lake. Wading and fishing from shore is not an option! Anything that can be dropped should be on a retractor (I‘m sure the bottom of the lake has a dozens of hemostats). There is a very nice vault toilet adjacent to the campsite on the lake.
We will meet in the parking lot at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, June 22nd. This lake fishes BEST in the early
hours, so after you catch those monster gills, you‘ll be thankful that you really did get up at 5 a.m. to go fishing.
Chris Reese (chris.reese43(at)gmail.com) and Deb Freele (freele(at)sympatico.ca) will be in the parking lot at 5:45 a.m. to help out and answer questions. Deb has an extra float tube if so
meone needs one, but you need to contact her in advance to reserve. Be sure to dress for the weather – the wind tends to pick up later in the morning, so dress appropriately.
There is a non-refundable $10 registration fee, which includes water and a snack. There will be an unorganized but suggested lunch gathering afterwards at Spikes Keg o‘ Nails in Grayling at 12:30 p.m.
If you plan to camp, many Flygirls stay at the Keystone campground on the main branch of the Au Sable, but there are other campgrounds along the river as well. Hotel lodging in Grayling tends to fill quickly at this
time of year, so it‘s a good idea to book early. Here‘s a link to get you started:
http://grayling-mi.com/whereto-sleep-eat-shop/lodging
Evening Hex fishing is on your own.
Make plans for evening fishing in advance or over lunch at Spikes and experience night fishing for a chance at catching a 20 inch brown trout.
Please contact Chris Reese at chris.reese43(at)gmail.com to register.
