Troutnut.com Fly Fishing for Trout Home
User Password
or register.

Troutnut Forum > Fly Fishing Discussion > Favorite mayfly hatch for trout?

WiflyfisherAugust 16th, 2007, 9:37 pm
Wisconsin

Posts: 251
I am curious what is your favorite mayfly hatch for trout and why? Is it because of the big trout you catch during that hatch, or is because of the density of the hatch, or something else?
John S.
http://www.WiFlyFisher.com
These advertisements will disappear if you register.
Replies:
Jmd123August 16th, 2007, 10:07 pm
Posts: 150Why, the Hexagenia limbata hatch! I learned how to fly fish during that hatch (Maple River in Cheboygan Co.), so it holds a special place in my heart.

Then again, I've had some terrific trout fishing during Light Cahill hatches on the Maple and the Rifle (Ogemaw Co.). One year early in my flyrodding experience I actually had MORE luck during that hatch than during the Hex. Also, I had my first 10-trout night on Light Cahills.

I also must admit that I'm rather fond of caddis hatches - they are reliable all summer long on the Rifle.

OK, that's THREE favorites! Don't ask me to choose my absolute favorite among them, I simply can't.

What's yours, John?

Jonathon
DryflyAugust 17th, 2007, 12:45 am
rochester mn

Posts: 26
My favorite is the Light Hendrickson hatch because it always brings fish to the surface. Fished the LH four times this year and everytime I've had sucess. also the weather is nice during LH hatches.
WiflyfisherAugust 17th, 2007, 7:45 am
Wisconsin

Posts: 251
For me, hands down... Brown Drake (E. simulans) hatch. I love that hatch! Big flies, lots of bugs, big fish and it occurs in the daylight hours. The only negative point to the Brown Drakes is it has a relatively short hatch period (meaning number of days).

My second would be any of the Emphemerellas... subvaria, invaria/rotunda and dorotheas.
John S.
http://www.WiFlyFisher.com
MartinlfAugust 17th, 2007, 10:32 am
Palmyra PA

Posts: 932
March Olives. Fewer folks brave the cold wet days when they are best, and it's the first Mayfly hatch of the year for me; I anticipate it all winter. But sulphurs and Tricos are also strong favorites. And when I can find Hendricksons, I love to fish that hatch. OK . . . how about all of them.
Louis

Is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly? A trout! that is more sharp-sighted than any hawk . . . and more watchful and timorous than your high-mettled merlin is bold!

--Izaak Walton The Compleat Angler
Shawnny3August 17th, 2007, 10:48 am
Pleasant Gap, PA

Posts: 573
Oooh, yeah, I love the olives, even when they're not hatching.

-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
RleePAugust 17th, 2007, 10:54 am
Posts: 67Early Paraleps..

It is the hatch I learned on many years ago. It's often the first meaningful mayfly hatch of the year on less alkaline streams without meaningful hatches of the early olives, it can require some precision to do well on, but not so much that it becomes more like brain surgery than fishing.

For me, there was nothing like it. Stunned little sailboats going round and round in an eddy and sipping fish.
SofthackleAugust 17th, 2007, 12:31 pm
Wellsville, NY

Posts: 155
Hi,
Mine is Ephemerella dorothea at the end of May. Usually the weather is perfect at that time of year. Water temps are good, and the trout are feeding well.

Mark
"I have the highest respect for the skilled wet-fly fisherman, as he has mastered an art of very great difficulty." Edward R. Hewitt

Flymphs, Soft-hackles and Spiders



WiflyfisherAugust 17th, 2007, 3:05 pm
Wisconsin

Posts: 251
March Olives


Louis, for the benefit of our aquatic entomologists who frequent these threads we have to be a little more scientific about this. What the heck are March Olives? :)
John S.
http://www.WiFlyFisher.com
SlateDrake9August 17th, 2007, 5:30 pm
Potter County, PA

Posts: 52
Contrary to my screen name, I have to go with the October brood of BWO's because of the weather conditions and solitude I usually have while fishing them throughout the state (I take vacation for much of October to travel and fish). The leaves are pretty, especially so on a drizzily 50 degree October day, the fish are pretty (especially brookies) and I know that the ice is coming.

My all time favorite single event hatch was many years ago when we had the gypsie moth problems throughout most of PA. I spent a week throwing moth patterns on the water and literally catching a trout almost every cast. I can't tell you how many flies I went through.

If heaven ain't that good, then I don't want to go.

I still prefer to drift a nymph or swing a wet though.
Fishing with bait is like swearing in church.
-- Slate Drake
WbranchAugust 27th, 2007, 6:17 am
Starlight PA

Posts: 242
Dorothea and Invaria on the WB of the Delaware. It is a tailwater and it gets significant emergences of both from early June to mid September. I'm also very fond of PMD's out West.
West Branch & main stem fly fisher for forty-two years.
SmallstreamAugust 27th, 2007, 7:40 am
State College, PA

Posts: 99
Im not much of a hatch matcher but the sulpher hatch on spring creek is pretty impressive, thousands of wild brown trout rising to dries is quite a sight to see
MartinlfAugust 27th, 2007, 5:29 pm
Palmyra PA

Posts: 932
John, sorry to have missed your query before, March Olives are baetids that typically hatch most heavily around here in spring creeks during the months of February through April. I didn't mean the "March" to be part of the bug's name, as in "March Brown"; I meant the whole phrase to mean, "Olives that hatch in March." Good question, though. And you thought I'd discovered a new species. :)
Louis

Is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly? A trout! that is more sharp-sighted than any hawk . . . and more watchful and timorous than your high-mettled merlin is bold!

--Izaak Walton The Compleat Angler
WiflyfisherAugust 27th, 2007, 7:54 pm
Wisconsin

Posts: 251
Here I thought you made entomology history!!! Ephemerella louisavia
John S.
http://www.WiFlyFisher.com
WestAugust 27th, 2007, 9:00 pm
Bayfield, Wisconsin

Posts: 34
I've just recently had my first real encounter with tricos. I know 12' (or longer) leaders, 7x, and sz.22 flies (not to mention very picky trout) aren't everybody's cup of tea, but I really dig that stuff! I'm sure many here will agree that seeing great numbers of trout rising to miniscule insects, and getting those trout to take your fly, is a truly satisfying experience. For me,the fish caught on the really little stuff are the one's that I remember the best.
West
LeviAugust 28th, 2007, 12:09 am
Posts: 5my favorite hatch would probably be the slate drakes because they hatch sporadically all day so you can fish the dry even when no bugs are hatching
JOHNWAugust 29th, 2007, 4:31 pm
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 167
Easy one here
Tricos in mid to late August. Some say it is the masochist in me but I love fishing tiny flies to trout that have been pounded to hell. It somehow ups the "satisfaction quotient"

Second place belongs solidly with baetis tricaudatis (i think that is the correct spelling). Again tough conditions. Have you ever tried to tie on a size 20 fly when you can't feel anything below your wrists!?

Third place is a draw between early blue quills and hendricksons/red quills. The draw with these hatches has more to do with how beautiful a well tied imitation of the catskill variety is. Probably my favorite pattern to tie, even with the peculiarities of stripped peacock eyes or quill bodies.
JW
Angler by Genetics
MartinlfAugust 30th, 2007, 2:48 pm
Palmyra PA

Posts: 932
After olives, Tricos are my favorite too JW. School has me pretty busy right now, but I'll email or PM you in a few weeks to see if we can finally try that bamboo rod.
Louis

Is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly? A trout! that is more sharp-sighted than any hawk . . . and more watchful and timorous than your high-mettled merlin is bold!

--Izaak Walton The Compleat Angler
JADAugust 30th, 2007, 4:10 pm
Butler--- Western Pa

Posts: 157


Bamboo, Did hear that J W likes Bamboo :)

My favorite is what I think is called pretty fishing.Midge or anything small. I like to work on a pod of working fish.

JaD
All the romance of trout fishing exists in the mind of the angler and is in no way shared by the fish."

JOHNWAugust 30th, 2007, 4:56 pm
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 167
JAD,
While not a connisuer of the grass rod I do have a soft spot for them and I know a Leonard from a Granger from a Payne.
JW
Angler by Genetics
Most Recent Posts
Re: Caddis
In Fly Tying by Jack_k
Re: Ephemerella dorothea nymphs
In General Discussion by Konchu
Re: Overton's Wonder Wax or sub?
In Fly Tying by Leakywaders
Re: Long-time reader, never-time poster? Start here!
In General Discussion by Trtklr
Re: new fly rod
In General Discussion by Trtklr
Re: Heptageniidae ID request
In the Identify This! Board by GONZO
irradecant blue damselfly
In Argia Damselfly Nymph by Mwmeci
Re: Dragonflys Grindstone Lake Wisconsin
In the Identify This! Board by Wiflyfisher
Re: Finding Dobsonfly adults
In the Insect Family Corydalidae by Shawnny3
Re: Fascinating periodical cicada specimen
In the Photography Board by Shawnny3
Re: Grindstone Lake Wisconsin mayfly hatch
In the Identify This! Board by Dave_K
Re: Extreme Match the Hatch
In Fly Tying by GONZO
Re: grasshopper colors
In General Discussion by GONZO
Re: Probably Agnetina capitata
In Agnetina capitata Stonefly Nymph by MattyL
Re: Damselfly nymph Grindstone Lake Wisconsin
In the Identify This! Board by GONZO