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 mysterious

The 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 Following

• Listener question about the sustainability of catch and release
• A walk-through of the major hatches throughout our season
• Differences from east to west and more
• How mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and midges differ in their availability to trout
• Why spinner falls are such a great opportunity
• How the hatches affect our strategy from top to bottom

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | You Don't Have to Match the Hatch
READ: Troutbitten | The George Harvey Leader Design
READ: Troutbitten | Are We Taking the Safety of Trout Too Far?
READ: Troutbitten | In Defense of Catching and Counting Fish — Why numbers in the Net Matter

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