Bug buffet

Big Isos like this are on the menu locally,
duns like this one and spinners

Sometimes as I stand in the stream as the sun sets it boggles my mind to see how many different flies are coming off  the water.  I stand there trying to sift through all this and figure out what to tie on and the trout have already decided what's for dinner.  Right now the streams are providing the trout with a buffet every evening.

Besides the caddis hatch that happens every evening like clockwork, the may flies are abundant in numbers and variety. Isos began to appear about a week or so ago along with some some small BWOs.   In the last two evenings I have seen the arrival of March Browns, Green Drakes (duns and coffin flies), Sulfers.  None in substantial numbers, but here none the less.  This evening the Green Drakes appeared, briefly.  I tied on a #12 comparadun and landed 3 browns just like that, and just like that it was over.  This is not a stream with any major areas of silt bottoms, but tomorrow evening will see me on a local stream that HAS major stretches of sit/sand and Green Drakes.

Nice 14" brown this evening on a #14 March Brown sparkle dun

Trout like this one are standard for here

This evening was also the first major appearance of March Browns locally.  the trout were on to them most of the evening.  I used a #14 March Brown sparkle dun and did very well, landing probably 8 -10 fish on the pattern, 3 nice browns, including one 14" fatty.




It's funny how trout will key in on different flies from one night to the next.  Two days ago I fished a creek and crushed them on x-caddis.  Last evening I fished it again and not even a sniff in the caddis, however, a #14 parachute Adams got their attention. 
There were plenty of caddis hatching in the riffs but a change in the silhouette got the job done. 

Solid hook up with a parachute Adams

Water levels here in central New York have been dropping steadily and I noticed this evening that the temperture of the water felt warmer that it has.  This will push the hatch activity into a continuous cycle and every evening should be full of options for the fly fisherman.  The trout will always know what's for dinner, you and I will just have to figure it out.

Tight lines.

May, a busy month

The month of May in New York state is a busy month for the sportsman who likes to hunt and fish.  State wide the trout season has been open since the first of April and for the fly fisherman things are settling into the normal hatch cycles on area streams and rivers.  May 1st was the spring turkey opener, which this year was a soaker and May 5th was the state wide walleye and northern pike opener.

Nice 16" brown that sipped in a #16 BWO sparkle dun

For the trout fisherman who throws flies it has been very good fishing.  The trout are for the most part tuned into the mayfly and caddis hatches and bait fishing is becoming less productive.  For the local streams around home, they are mostly empty of anglers.  I have had some great evenings lately, landing probably 35 -40 trout in the last two evenings alone.  We have a mix of bugs on the water with the recent arrival of the Iso, the kind you tie on a #10 or #12 hook, the big spring Isos.  Most trout I have hooked are preferring 2 flies, one is the BWO #16 sparkle dun which is a comparadun with an antron (poly) tail.  This is a very productive pattern here on local streams and I have had excellent success with this pattern out west in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana .  The second pattern, and the most productive fly I think I have ever use is an x-caddis.  This is a hair wing caddis pattern with an antron or poly tail.  The tail is about the same length as the fly body and looks like a caddis trailing it's nymph skin.  I use this in a brown size #14 and it doesn't seem to matter what color caddis is hatching, this fly catched fish. I have tied this fly in tan and it works well too.

The stockers are fattening up!

Some of the trout are hold overs but most are stocked from this year.  Their diet is making them fat and their colors are turning more 'traditional' brown trout looking, beautiful fish.  Most are very robust and fiesty which is a lot of fun.

For the turkey hunters this season so far has been a 50/50 mix of wet and dry mornings.  They (the gobblers) have been vocal at first light but quiet from then on, hard to get them to gobble later in the morning.  They still come to the call, just have to stay alert.

Walleye fishing has been good with the focus on Oneida Lake and Oswego Harbor.  Trolling stick bait is working well as is trolling worm harnesses.  Haven't heard much from the northern pike anglers although I'd like to head up to Lakeview Marsh off Route 3 north of Sandy Pond, I've always had fun on the northern there.

Hope you're enjoying the spring but don't ingore the 'honey-do' list, too long.

Tight lines.