Day Plan | River & Ridge Outdoors

Recommended first-day tester plan

Begin at Burton’s Landing in daylight.

This plan is for someone new to fly fishing, returning after time away, unfamiliar with the Upper Au Sable, or rebuilding casting and rigging skills. Burton’s Landing State Forest Campground is 3.5 miles east of Grayling and provides an official carry-down access to the mainstream.

Purpose of the day

Practice the complete process. Give yourself a realistic chance to connect with a trout.

Success includes reaching the river prepared, choosing the correct box section, making a controlled presentation, recognizing a take, making one correct adjustment, improving a cast, or safely landing and releasing a trout.

Official access information See this map section

Evidence note: Official sources checked August 3, 2026. Michigan DNR's public record confirms Burton's Landing campground, its main-branch location, and carry-down river access. Select wading lines from current on-site depth, flow, visibility, footing, and access conditions; no single lane is represented as suitable for every visit. Seasonal starting-fly guidance is identified as source-backed RRO synthesis or RRO field observation.

Before leaving home

Prepare the day so the box can lead at the river.

Choose a daylight window with manageable weather.Calm or light wind is easiest for learning. Rain alone does not cancel the day; thunderstorms do.
Check the current river and official rules.For Burton’s Landing to Wakeley Bridge, the 2026 Michigan guide identifies artificial flies only, prohibits scented material, and sets zero trout possession, with a limited exception for children under 12. Official rules control.
Complete the short home practice.Cast to three lanes, rebuild a single-fly rig, pull-test the knots, and review take recognition and fish care.
Save the plan offline.Print this page or save it as a PDF. The physical box and printed cards remain the field guide when service is unavailable.

Official rule path for this reach

Burton’s Landing to South Wakeley Bridge Road

FO-200.25 provides the controlling legal description for this section. The official trout map helps identify the reach visually, and the current regulations page provides the active summary and update context. Current official rules and closures control.

Open FO-200.25 Legal Order (PDF)Open Official Trout Map Open Current Regulations Find Current Fisheries Orders

Check the river Review regulations

At the access

The first 15 minutes establish the day.

Use the posted public access.Park and enter only where signs permit. Do not cross private land or assume a visible path is public.
Check from shore before wading.Look at footing, depth, current, other users, weather, and your safest exit. A first day does not require difficult wading.
Measure and observe.Record temperature, level, clarity, current, surface texture, wind, insects, and trout activity. Watch long enough to see a repeated clue.
Let the clue choose the box section.Repeated rises point to Surface. Bulges or incomplete rises point to Film. Flashes below or no clear surface activity point to Subsurface.

First hour

Practice the field process in one manageable lane.

1. Position

Choose casting room and safe footing

Work near a riffle, run, or visible seam only where you can stand comfortably and make a short cast without forcing the wading or back cast.

2. Present

Follow the cue in the box

The decision card matched to the selected fly helps identify a likely feeding lane and starting presentation. Make three to five comparable attempts.

3. Evaluate

Keep what is working

If the lane, rig, or position looks correct, keep it. Use the method-specific adjustment path and change one useful variable at a time.

Starting rig: Begin with the single-fly rig identified by the selected Surface, Film, or Subsurface card. This keeps the first presentations castable and easy to evaluate. Add a multi-fly rig only after the basic cast and line control are comfortable and the specific box card calls for it.

Reset and finish well

Finish while the day is still productive.

After three to five comparable presentations, make one box-directed adjustment.
If the clue changes, observe again and reopen the correct box section.
Move only after the first lane has taught you something, and only to legal, verified access.
Pause for food, water, weather, fatigue, and a temperature recheck.
Leave the water for thunder or lightning; change the plan for unsafe access or conditions that could harm trout.
End with fish care, a clean site, and one saved lesson.

Keep the day

Record the result while it is still useful.

The offline-ready Field Notes tool records the general section, box choice, conditions, adjustment, lesson, and optional trout photo. If you wish, the same note can update Count Your Trout and create a private Trout Tale draft.

Open Field Notes Review take and hook-set training

Plan another day

Choose more water only when it supports your next skill.

Stay in the core

Burton’s Landing to Wakeley Bridge

Build familiarity with the same access corridor, compare conditions, and practice one new presentation at a time.

Open section guidance →

More independent

Wakeley Bridge to McMasters Bridge

Use when the core process is comfortable and you are ready for more independent access, regulation, and presentation decisions.

Open section guidance →

Broader planning

McMasters toward Mio

Use the section map to distinguish current official-source facts, source-backed planning guidance, and details that still require a current access, safety, or RRO field-confirmation check.

Open broader coverage →

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