Hatches and Strategies

One of the greatest attractions to fly fishing can also present one of the biggest barriers.It’s the bugs.The aquatic insects that make up the bulk of a trout’s food base are intriguing, but they’re also somewhat mysteriousThe advanced angler explores the nuances of these bugs. Some insects are good swimmers and emerge fast, so a presentation outside of a pure dead-drifted nymph might be the trigger that turns trout on. Likewise, understanding the life cycle of a mayfly helps us realize why seeking out and imitating the spinner stage is one of the best dry fly opportunities on the river.These are the kinds of things to know about trout bugs. This is why we follow the hatches. We pay attention and try to meet the trout on their own terms -- give them more of what they’re eating right now.Understanding everything we can about these bugs and how trout respond to them is a big piece of the puzzle that we’re trying to solve out there. And sometimes, it’s the keystone. Because at certain times, the bug life of a river is the central player in a trout’s daily life.In this episode, I’m joined by my fishing friends, Trevor Smith, Bill Dell, Austin Dando, Josh Darling and  Matt Grobe.We Cover the FollowingListener question about the sustainability of catch and releaseA walk-through of the major hatches throughout our seasonDifferences from east to west and moreHow mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and midges differ in their availability to troutWhy spinner falls are such a great opportunityHow the hatches affect our strategy from top to bottomResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | You Don't Have to Match the HatchREAD: Troutbitten | The George Harvey Leader DesignREAD: Troutbitten | Are We Taking the Safety of Trout Too Far?READ: Troutbitten | In Defense of Catching and Counting Fish — Why numbers in the Net MatterVisit:Troutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/