AuSable River Two Fly Shop Inc

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AuSable River Two Fly Shop Inc

Ausable River Two Fly Shop is a place for river knowledge, local insight, and the traditions of the Ausable.

Built around experience on the West Branch and beyond, it’s where anglers come to learn, share stories, and stay connected to the water. AuSable River Two Fly Shop located on the AuSable River in Wilmington, NY in the Adirondacks is a premiere fly shop serving the need of fisherman. Local fly patterns, river information, rods, reels, accessories, gadgets, clothing, good company.

09/01/2026

The good times continue with excellent fishing for brown trout on the West Branch Ausable River where ISO’s are dominant this time of year.

08/29/2026

August means cinnamon ant season on the Ausable.
Every new moon and full moon we get a short, one‑to‑two‑day window when these ants hit the water — and the trout absolutely notice. The second hatch just wrapped up, water temps were perfect, and the fishing turned on in a big way.

08/25/2026

Dirty Fly Line, Dirty Rod, Line Slap, and a Simple Casting Fix

I could not cast very well last night because my fly line was dirty. I cleaned the line, which many anglers neglect to do, and then I cleaned the rod. Surprisingly, the rod was even dirtier than the line, this happens when fishing in tannic water. Since I fish often, I must clean my equipment often.
One way to extend a cast and make casting more enjoyable is to turn the fly rod sideways. During a normal cast, when the guides face downward, line slap can occur. Line slap happens when the fly line strikes the rod blank, creating friction and reducing casting efficiency.
When the fly rod guides are turned off to the side, the line has less chance of contacting the rod. This reduces line slap, decreases friction, and can help maintain or even improve casting distance. As an angler, you can turn the rod sideways from the start of the cast and cast with the guides off to the side, or you can rotate the rod sideways near the end of the cast to extend distance when the line is especially dirty. I prefer keeping the rod sideways through the entire casting stroke because it makes hauling smoother and helps the line slip through the guides more easily.
The effect may not be very noticeable when both the line and rod are clean. However, as dirt builds up, casting performance can deteriorate. Anglers may naturally begin turning the rod sideways to compensate for the increased friction caused by a dirty line and rod. This can be an effective workaround for keeping casting distance.
If your goal is to gain distance and reduce line slap, turning the rod sideways is worth trying regardless of how clean your equipment is.

08/19/2026

The Slayer Split Tail Spinner
I kept this fly a secret for far too long. After nearly 30 years of fishing it, I can say without hesitation that it’s the most effective pattern I’ve ever used during mayfly spinner falls. If you want to see exactly how it’s tied, here’s the YouTube link — watching and re‑watching is the easiest way to learn: https://youtu.be/p8i4GdB_zSg
You can also watch it right here on Facebook.

08/14/2026

Outsmarted by an Osprey-
The weather had finally cooled enough for good fishing. My friend Les Wyman and his grandson Joey were on the West Branch Ausable River, and I met them at the Whiteface Mountain Ski Center stretch. Joey had hooked one fish during the trip but had not landed one, so this was his last chance before heading home. When I arrived, they had spent about an hour under the bridge, where summer trout were holding in 64.3-degree water. Les and I had been helping Joey, a beginner, with casting, reading water, and getting a natural drift.
When Joey stepped away from the pool, I moved in to show him the presentation the water required. After about ten casts, I hooked a 14-inch brown trout. I had missed the osprey perched in the tree above because I was focused on teaching. Joey had seen the bird beside his grandfather but did not think to warn me.
As I brought the trout close, I held the rod high over my left shoulder and reached down for the fish, only a foot or so in front of me. Suddenly, the osprey dove from behind, struck the rod, and drove it toward my head. It hit me hard, missed the trout, and splashed into the water. The fish spit out the fly and escaped while the bird briefly tangled in my rod and line before flying off. In the commotion, the fly buried itself in the knuckle of my right pinky.
At first, I thought something had fallen from the bridge. Then I realized it was the osprey. Fortunately, I escaped without serious injury. I could only imagine what one talon might have done to my arm.
In an instant, a slow morning on the river became a story none of us would forget.

08/11/2026

Striper Stories from Prince Edward Island

On a recent trip up to Prince Edward Island, I had the chance to talk with a real local angler, the kind who’s out there every tide and knows the shoreline and ocean fishing as a way of life. He was targeting striped bass using cut mackerel heads, set right in the surf at sunset.

We swapped stories while the sun dropped over the water, and it reminded me how fishing connects people everywhere.

https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/pe/pei-ipe. A sweet perk if you’re heading up — Parks Canada sites are free right now, camping’s discounted, and a bunch of ferry routes are running reduced fares through the end of the year. Makes the trip an easy win for U.S. folks popping over.

08/07/2026

Isonychia Season on the Ausable - Experience some of the season’s most exciting fishing on the West Branch Ausable during late summer and early fall, when the Isonychia hatch brings the river to life. Start by swinging Iso-style nymphs along the edges, then transition to a split-tail spinner at dusk for the best chance at memorable surface action. Now is the perfect time to get ready. https://youtu.be/6e2yARyOx-A?is=MXUQZSTihHyltC2f

07/20/2026

Fishing for the moment

A quick hit of what’s been happening on the West Branch Ausable. The recent stretch of good weather opened a perfect window for brown trout at dusk. I was fishing right before dark with a mayfly spinner pattern I call the Split Tail, and this solid brown was one of several that came to hand the other evening.

06/06/2026

Atlantic salmon smolt turn up on the West Branch once in a while. They come from the stocking work in Styles Brook, where the goal is to imprint them on the Ausable system so some eventually return from Lake Champlain. They’ll never get past the Chasm, but the idea is to build more salmon in the lake and keep them tied to this river. I picked this one up on a Mayfly spinner at dusk, and it jumped close to twenty times before I got it in — small fish, but a great fight.”

06/04/2026

West Branch Ausable – River Conditions

Air cooled off nicely after the 80‑degree heat. Flow held around 370 cfs and the river stayed steady. March Browns were the main mayfly moving, with Grannom caddis mixed in. Fished a split‑tail spinner and picked up a couple decent browns.

Solid conditions last night.

Address

1104 Springfield Road
Wilmington, NY
12997

Telephone

+15185241033

Website

https://ausablerivertwoflyshop.square.site/

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