GRAYLING (AP) -- Saturday marked the opening of trout season on waters in Michigan -- an unofficial holiday for many fly fishing enthusiasts.
It was also the first day of the walleye, northern pike and muskellunge on the Lower Peninsula inland waters, and the opening of the catch-and-immediate-release bass season on certain Michigan waters, the state Department of Natural Resources said.
Anglers cast their lines in tiny streams and winding rivers with hopes of snagging a big fish.
"It's probably the second-biggest outdoor day in Michigan, other than Nov. 15 (the start of firearms deer season)," Rusty Gates, owner of Gates Au Sable Lodge, told The Bay City Times.
Gates, whose lodge is on the banks of the Au Sable River, said his 17 rooms are booked by anglers taking part in the annual pilgrimage to Grayling, a headquarters for the sport.
That's because the cool waters flowing on the nearby Au Sable and Manistee rivers make for ideal trout habitat.
At the Grayling Restaurant downtown, Kristina Harris and the crew are getting extra food prepared for the rush of customers.
"We expect it to be busy -- it always has been for the trout opener," the waitress said.
Anglers come from all over Michigan and out of state to cast their imitation insects to trick a trout.
Part physics, part entomology, part arts and crafts, the sport uses "flies" hooks decorated with ribbon and feathers to resemble actual bugs to tempt prey. And to know what to tempt them with is a big part of the battle.
"We know they are fishermen because that's all they talk about. You know, all the lies," Harris joked.
Gates said the weekend is as much about camaraderie as it is about fishing. Those experienced in the sport of fly fishing know opening day can be fair or foul, depending on the weather and water conditions.
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