Tropical Storm Andrea is bringing lots of water to our region. The short term will certainly inhibit fishing on our larger streams especially but it is a great shot in the arm for long term prospects. It's hard to recall that back in April, we were looking at a significant rain deficit. As it looks now, we should have consistent fishing for the remainder of June and possibly into July as well. Sulphurs are still hatching on area rivers but Light Cahills are really more abundant right now. Isonychia are also hatching in decent numbers as well. Look for a smorgesbord of hatches in the upcoming evenings. In addition to the Isonychia and Light Cahills, look for Grey Fox, Pink Cahills (Epeorus vitreus), Golden and Yellow Drake along with Blue Winged Olive spinners.  We are also seeing good Cinnamon (Spotted Sedge) Caddis, Olive Caddis and Baetis. It is also the time that terrestrials such as ants and beetles will begin to be more common as well. 

Hatches will begin subsurface anytime after 11am. Use tandem rigs consisting of a Prince, Pheasant Tail, March Brown or Hare's Ear Nymph #12-14 trailed by an emerger such as a March Brown #12, or a Grey RS2 for both the Blue Quill and Baetis. Sulphur Emergers #12-18 are deadly a bit later in the afternoon. An olive or tan caddis pupa or Bird's Nest #14-18 will imitate the Olive Sedge and prolific the Spotted Sedge caddis.Trail the flies about 20-24 inches apart. These combinations are deadly this time of year.   

Bubba as been caught and released by Vincent Pena. Nice job Vincent! 

Oh and did we mention our new Online Store? If you haven't seen it, please drop by! 

General Hatches, Fly Recommendations and Tips: 

During the day: Fish tandem rigs to improve your nymphing success. Trail a RS2 #16-20, Tan Caddis Sparkle Pupa #16-18, Pheasant Tail behind a Pheasant Tail, Hare's Ear or Prince Nymph size 12-16. Other good choices include the Hare's Ear Soft Hackle or Tan or Olive Bird's Nest or any of the soft hackle Partridge and Yellow, Orange or Olive size 14-16. about 18-22 inches apart and hold on! Use enough weight to keep the flies just off the bottom drifting slowly. Drag free drifts are a must now. Keep as little fly line on the water as possible and pay attention! Strikes may be subtle. If using a strike indicator, place it one and a half to twice the depth of the water you are fishing from the first fly. Any additional weight should be about six to eight inches from the first fly.   Streamers: Muddler Minnows, Woolly Buggers, Grey Ghost, Black Nose Dace, and Zonkers if the water is off color. Work them slowly!

• Hare’s Ear nymph standard and beadhead #12-18. Try the Olive Hare's Ear #16-18 as a Baetis nymph too.

• March Brown Nymph #10-12 Fish these above and below rapids where hatches will concentrate.

• RS2 #16-22 Grey, Brown or BWO

• Sparkle Pupa or Bird's Nest for caddis emerger

• Pheasant Tail nymph (Flashback, Beadhead, standard) size 12-20 

• Rainbow Warrior #18 Another great midge larva pattern

• Prince Nymph/ Zug Bug (Beadhead, Poxy Back, Standard) 

• Scuds and Sow bugs: Grey or Tan, # 14-18

• Caddis Larva: Olive, Green or Chartreuse is a must right now #14-18.

• Midge Larva: Disco midges in Green, Red, or Black size 18-22

• Woolly Buggers: Black, Olive and Brown #10-14 Conehead Muddler Minnows work too.

Note: I use larger nymphs and bead-heads when the water is higher and less weight when water drops. On the South Branch, use the heavier flies when the stream flow exceeds about 175-185 cfs. 

Current Local Hatch Chart

Updated 6/07/2013

Note: Some hatches overlap time periods

MORNING (6am-9am)
 Fish nymphs like the Prince, Caddis Larva, Rainbow Warriors, Copper John, Hare's Ear and Pheasant Tail Flashback. 

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ALL DAY 10am-5pm

 

RS2 in Grey, Brown (especially on the Pequest) or BWO #16-22 seems to work everywhere as it matches any number of small midge and mayfly emergers (Baetis)

Iron Blue Quill Baetis tricaudatus Blue Quill, Adams #18-20

Iron Blue Dun Leptophlebia johnsoni Adams or Blue Quill #14-16 

Pale Speckled Winged Olive Callibaetis ferrugineous BWO #16-18

American Iron Blue Quill Paraleptophlebia mollis Blue Quill #16-18

Green Sedge Rhyacophila lobifera, etc Olive Elk Hair caddis #14-16, Henryville Special #14-16

Spotted Sedge Hydropsyche spp Tan Elk Hair Caddis #16-18

 

1pm-6pm

Sulphur Ephemerella invaria Sulphur #12-14

Slate Drake Isonychia bicolor Isonychia Dun or Parachute #10-14

L

Try March Brown Emergers size 12 in rocky runs. Pheasant Tails size 12-18 are a great imitation for the Sulphur nymph. Sulphur Emergers size 12-14 should be consistent producers anytime after noon. For best action, I like waiting to fish these until later in the afternoon. Larger Sulphurs

 

 

Grey, Cream or black midges maybe on the surface size 18-26 Use a Griffith's Gnat, Rusty Spinner, BWO, Blue Dun or Adams Parachute #16-20.

 

LATE AFTERNOON-EVENING 6pm-dusk

Evening dry fly fishing is picking up. 

Pale Evening Dun Ephemerella dorothea Sulphur, Light Cahill #16-18 

ight Cahill Stenacron ithaca, interpunctatum Light Cahill #14

Grey Fox Maccaffertium vicarium Grey Fox #14

Pink Cahill Epeorus vitreus Sulphur #14

Golden Drake Anthopotamous distinctus Golden Drake Parachute #10

Yellow Drake Ephemera varia Sulphur #10-12

 

 

 

 

Early in the evening you may see some March Browns or you can stick to tan caddis or small Adams.  Towards dusk you may want to try to switch a smaller Sulphur Emerger size 16-18. The main attraction during this period will be the Sulphur and Light Cahill hatches and that can start anytime before or after 5pm and continue through dusk. Also look for large red Spinners over riffles. These are March Brown or Isonychia Spinners Use a Rusty Spinner #12. In fact many of the smaller mayflies can be well imitated by a Rusty Spinner #16-18

 

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