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HATCHES FOR THE SOUTH BRANCH AND LOCAL TROUT STREAMS
  July 27th-August 4th, 2010 

Updated: July 29th, 2010

It is finally starting to cool down. Good weather for the weekend should have streams nice and cool.  Smallmouth Bass in area rivers continues to be pretty good. Largemouth action in ponds good at dawn and dusk.

 

The following hatches are here: 

 

Summer Sulphurs (Vitreus, punctatus, fragilis, hebe) Spotted Sedge (Tan Caddis), Light Cahills (pictured below), Trico, Blue Winged Olives, Golden Drakes (formerly Potomanthus now Anthopotamus) Yellow Drakes (Ephemera varia) & Isonychia (Slate Drake), Golden Stone and Yellow Sally Stoneflies

 

                                             

The Gorge is open and you can access either side but can only drive in from the Califon side, however the Trestle Lot is open. Summertime fishing can be very good BUT only when it the water is below 68 degrees. We have to continue to advise against trout fishing on the major rivers due to the unusually prolonged heat wave. The trout simply can't get enough dissolved oxygen to recover from being caught because the water temperatures are over 70 degrees for too great a time during any 24 hour period. Surveys indicate good numbers of fish holding over but they are sitting on or near for the cooler springs and tributary inflows and are thus very vulnerable. It is not sporting to catch them now. Leave them alone-period no exceptions. If they are left alone then they will be fine once the weather breaks.

Fishing should hopefully rebound now as water temps are below 68 degrees. Avoid the hotter parts of the day but fish early or late. Tricos, Blue Winged Olives and Spotted Sedge are hatching in the morning.  Isonychia (Slate Drakes) are hatching  sporadically later in the day after 5pm. Plenty of Caddis too. Light Cahills and Summer Sulphurs  continue to hatch in decent numbers now at dusk but will hatch earlier on cooler, less humid days.  Use Light Cahill or Sulphur Emergers and then Light Cahills or Sulphurs when they are on the water in sizes 14-18.   Don't forget terrestrials: Beetles, Ants and Hoppers are all catching fish.

 

New! Details on July Hatches

 

General Hatches, Fly Recommendations and Tips: 

During the morning: Trail a Tan or Olive Sparkle Pupa #16-18, Grey or BWO RS2 #16-20,  Pheasant Tail #16-20, Olive Flash Back Hare's Ear #16-18 behind a Prince #12-14, Iso Nymph #12, Pheasant Tail #14-16 or Cream Hare's Ear #12-16 about 18-22 inches apart and hold on! A gentle lifting motion can entice a fish to strike the trailing fly (the famous Leisering lift).  Use enough weight to keep the flies just off the bottom drifting slowly. Streamers: Muddler Minnows, Woolly Buggers, Grey Ghost, Black Nose Dace, and Zonkers if the water is off color.

  • Hare’s Ear nymph standard and beadhead #14-18. Use these to match the Cahill and Summer Sulphur nymphs Try the Olive #16-18 as a Baetis nymph too.

  • RS2 #16-22 Grey or BWO Blue Duns are hatching now!

  • Pheasant Tail nymph (Flashback, Beadhead, standard) size 14-20 The mayflies are hatching well in the morning and evening.

  • Light Cahill CDC Emerger # 14-16 Fish these emergers behind (about 18-20 inches) a nymph for some great action now as lots of the current hatches are cream to pale yellow.

  • Rainbow Warrior #18 Another great midge larva pattern

  • Prince Nymph/ Zug Bug (Beadhead, Poxy Back, Standard) Use this nymph now, the Slate Drakes (Isonychia) are hatching in numbers!

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

  • Caddis Larva: Green or Chartreuse is a must right now #16-18.

  • Tan or Olive Caddis Sparkle Pupa or Hare's Ear Soft Hackle a great bet for emerging caddis. Size 16 is best!

  • 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. 

 

Local Hatch Chart

Note: Some hatches overlap time periods

MORNING (6am-12 noon)
 Fish nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, Hare's Ear and Pheasant Tail Flashback.

Blue Winged Olive  Drunella lata BWO #16-18, RS2 BWO #16-18

American Iron Blue Quill Paraleptophlebia mollis Blue Quill #16-20 RS2 Grey #16-20

Trico Tricorythodes Trico Spinner #20-24

Cinnamon Caddis Hydropsyche Tan Caddis #14-16 Tan Sparkle Pupa #14-18

ALL DAY 10am-4pm

 

 

RS2 Grey, Brown (Especially on the Pequest) or BWO #18-22 seems to work everywhere as it matches any number of small mayfly emergers especially on warmer days. Brown and Black Stoneflies in sizes 6-18 will work all winter.

 

Cream Caddis Psilotreta species Tan Elk Hair Caddis #14

Tan or Cinnamon Caddis Hydropsyche Tan Elk Hair Caddis #14-18

Green Caddis Rhyacophila lobifera Henryville Special #16-18

Isonychia (Slate Drake) Isonychia bicolor are hatching now. Use a #14 Adams or Iso Parachute #12.

 

AFTERNOON 2pm-6pm

Grey, Cream or black midges maybe on the surface size 18-26 Use a Griffith's Gnat or small BWO, Blue Dun or Adams Parachute or Midge.

Little Iron Blue Quill Baetis cingulatus, levitans & tricaudatus Adams, Blue Quill, BWO #18-22

Little Yellow Sally Isoperla bilineata Yellow Sally #14-16

LATE AFTERNOON-EVENING 6pm-dusk

Light Cahill Stenonema interpunctatum, ithaca, etc. Light Cahill: Catskill, Parachute, Sparkle Dun, Cream Variant #14-16

Cream Cahill Maccaffertium modestum Light Cahill #14-16

Grey Winged Yellow Quill Epeorus vitreus Sulphur #12-14

Pale Evening Quill Epeorus punctatus Sulphur  #14-16

Little Grey Fox Epeorus fragilis Sulphur #14-16

Little Evening Yellow Leucrocuta (formerly Heptagenia) hebe Sulphur Comparadun #18, Sulphur CDC Emerger #18

Little Slatewinged Olive Quill Pseudocleon dubium Adams Midge #22

Golden Drake Anthopotamus distinctus & ruffous Golden Drake #12, Potomanthus Nymph #12

Large Sulphur Stenonema rubrum Sulphur #12-14

Yellow Drake Ephemera varia Golden Drake, Sulphur Parachute or Potomanthus #12

Yellow Sally Isoperla bilineata Yellow Stimulator #14-16

Golden Stonefly Isoperla species, etc. Yellow Stimulator #10-12

Great Olive Drake Hexagenia/ Litobrancha rigida Grizzly Wulf #10

Lead Winged Drake Hexagenia/ Litobrancha atrocaudata Adams Wulf #10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mayfly hatches will be concentrated during periods of relatively low humidity and cooler temperatures. Morning and evening are the most productive. Terrestrials such as cinnamon or black ants, caterpillars,  beetles and hoppers become important food sources for the fish. Fish will be feeding on BWO spinners (Rusty Spinner #16-22), Isonychia and Light Cahills in the late afternoon and again at dusk and beyond. After 7pm look for Cahills and the big Drakes (Yellow, Golden etc.). Try a Rusty Spinner #18-20 for the BWO spinner fall and a big #10-12 Rusty Spinner for the Isonychia. The key is not to quit too early. Night fishing is good right now. -JH

 

 

 

 

 

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