What was that hatch? -Finicky Browns.

[jlibs]

-Any thoughts on what the hatch could have been for this time of the year with such tiny tiny bugs?

With the slightly cooler weather and the overcast sky yesterday late in the day, I went exploring on the Housy for more deep holes in shade where trout could have refuge during the hot summer. I was fortunate to find a few areas on a long stretch where I watched several trout in the 14-17" range feed constantly. I was pleased to see trout because the week prior I was on a different section on the Housy that typically holds trout this time of year and all I saw were smallies and just two browns after some serious hunting on my part.

They sipped smoothly and also slammed the surface coming completely out of the water very aggressively for about 2.5 hours in an area of about 300 yds long. I’m sure they were trout with a few smallies mixed in, but mostly trout. I did more watching than fishing. As for bugs around, I saw bugs on the water surface and they were coming off the water that just looked like mini fuzz particles. My 28's were giants in comparison. The water was littered with tiny insects.

When I did fish, I did fool a Brown on a standard nymph with strike indicator and a couple on top with a small and darker shaded caddis imitation, but I was refused more than took. Strangely, I wasn't frustrated. Although with the right plan, it could have easily been a double digit trout outing rather than a hat trick. All flies were barbless and I reel em' in quick with a super-fast release for a safe return to the kids "free swim".

JLIBS

[Mark Patenaude]

The sips were obviously trout eating the duns and the trout that launched were after the emergers that were making their way to the surface or suspended just below it.

There is a fly common in SW Wisconsin that we call a Puff Midge. They average between a #28 and a #32 and on their bodies they have what looks like a white powder making their bodies look like a cotton ball. Could they be on the Housy too?

[FishinCane]

Could have been tricos. They are hatching this time of year. Were the bugs hatching or falling. Falling would indicate spinners and they would have a translucent to white wing. Trout would be sipping these.

[jlibs]

What do the trico's look like and what are some patterns for them? I know guys and some BCFF members that are fishing the Trico hatch on the Battenkill now.

I did think the aggressive feeding with the fish coming out of the water were from emergers. The bugs were hatching and not falling from trees. As a result, I tied on several variations of tiny tiny wets and nymphs that I swung and that I fished in the film with no serious looks (I could see the trout well in the clear water).

The bugs were mainly, as you mention, little tiny tiny cotton balls.

[Mark Patenaude]

Well they definitely weren't Tricos. Sounds like the Puff Midge.

They are an Eastern (East of the Mississippi) bug.

Here is a link to an article from Flyfisherman.com on Tricos. Check out the picture of the Spinner fall at the top. You would have to fish with you teeth clenched during a fall like that one.

www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/ffmtricos/

*******

Here are some patterns. You won't find too many variations on the standard recipe. There are alot of sites showing the pattern but this one illustrates Spent Spinner, Parachute and Standard Spinner which you could also use as a Dun imitation.

www.flyfishingconnection.com/articles/current/134/Fly+Fishing+Late+Season+Hatches-Part+1/

[AgMD]

A few weeks back I has fishing the Hoosic just before dark. In the flat water nothing was happening, but in the fast water there was total mayhem. This was serious fast lumpy water w/ small standing waves. Trout were leaping and slashing the surface. I could see some insects, wicked small and dark, moving quickly just above the surface. Anything small #18 or smaller fished wet, down and across did the job. Caught lots, lost some, had a ball. I went back 2 days later, armed w/ a handful of small dark nymphs -- nothing. No bugs, no fish, nothing. Go figure.
AgMD

[Mark Patenaude]

AgMD:

I'm assuming that the lumpy water was at the tail out of the flatter water. Trout will typically stage at the head of a run or pool for the early hatches (BWOs and some Caddis)then move to the deeper sections during the day for the later Caddis, Sulfur, Cahill hatches and drop back once more to the tailout for the evening Spinner fall and stage lower to be able to pick off the bugs as they float from the riffles at the head where most will drop their eggs and then float through the softer water to the tailout.

Remember the rise patterns:

Splasy rises: typically the much smaller fish will rise like this but the average size trout will splash and breach the water chasing emergers on their way to the surface, usually in large numbers.

Blugy rises: where the water bluges and you don't see the fish or you see only the fishes dorsal or the tail only, they are eating the emergers suspended just below the surface transitioning into the duns.

Standard rise pattern: the soft concentric rings that appear on the surface are trout sipping duns, cripples and spinners.

What you saw was an sizeable emergence of what ever bug was coming off at the time. Trout will stage in large numbers in very specific areas because as I said they "know" when the bugs will show. Its conditioned behavior and to a degree, instinctive.

It is also tough to bank on the fact that if you saw them on a particular evening that the bugs will return at the same time on a given day. There are too many variables, such as water and air temp, precipitation, etc... If we could set our watches by the hatch timing, it wouldn't be as much fun in my opinion.

What you should try is going back there and swinging some streamers through the deeper water. The bigger Browns are noctural predators and most, but not all, will out looking for a sizeable meal and not Spinners and won't venture too far from their day time prime holding lies to chase something down to eat.

[Mark Patenaude]

jlibs:

Had to call on a friend of mine who has a Masters Degree in Entomology to further research the "puff midges". Based on the information at hand he believes that they are most likely a one of the species of the Orthothoclaiinae family of midges. Genus and species identification requires microscopic examination of the mandibular plates and abdominal segments (genitalia) to affix a specific ID.

[jlibs]

I was out on the Housy at O'Dark early today and landed and had on several browns of nice size that fought really hard for this time of the year.

A few caddis size 20. Some of the Puff Midges that I am aware of now and Trico's Trico's Trico's. The smallest black nymphs imaginable would do the trick. Within 30 minutes, fish changed eating interest from nymhs to emergers nymphs back to emergers several times and they let me know by the way they smashed the water on top or just nibbled softly on the fly on the bottom. There were even loads of egg layers on top at the same time bugs were flying out of the water. -Lots happening at once, then the hatch would move down stream at different water depths, temps and where the sun was or wasn;t beating down.

Thanks to those that shared such helpful and interesting info to my original post. This is what makes the club work and it's the best way to learn and get better!!!

JLIBS

[Mark Patenaude]

Josh:

Your "trout sense" has been spot on lately.

Glad to hear you had an awesome time. Periods like the one you experienced are few and far between. Enjoy them when you can get them.

Mark

[jlibs]

I forgot to mention that there were also several BWO's in many stages in clearly 2 different sizes. 22's or so and 14's or so.

[Mark Patenaude]

Stop it Josh, you're killing me!...

[flyfishgb]

Just did a night with my bro on the housy and wow I must say I have never seen so much at once, Small BWO's, Large Mahogany Duns (Size 8-14) Some were huge, started seeing what looked like goddard caddis' flying around at about 7:45. Also there were small stoneflies hatching MAN was I stumped...

There were definitly alot of bugs....

I didn't catch but my bro got two on a size 16 mosquito fished dry then swung wet.

Josh I'll be fishing there again tomorrow the TMA off 183.... Might hit up Lee as i got skunked hard tonight...