Au Sable River

The Holy Water, the Hex hatch, and the birthplace of Trout Unlimited.

The Au Sable rises near Grayling, Michigan and runs east to Lake Huron. The mainstream from Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge — roughly 8.7 miles — is the 'Holy Water,' a year-round, flies-only, no-kill stretch that anchors the most storied trout fishery in the Midwest.

Trout Unlimited was founded on the banks of the Au Sable in 1959. The fishery's history of angler-led protection — the Holy Water rules, the riverboat tradition, the night-fishing Hex culture — is the story.