Flatbrook Report 4/21/20

[FlatbrookCrown]

Mid 50's day with a decent warm kick a couple hours before sunrise provided a nice mayfly hatch. Of course, the decent weather brought out the best of the yellow boots.

I started with a 16 caddis larva trailed by an 18 zebra midge off the back. Fish took both, but only for a short while. Fish began hitting the surface, leading to the switch from wet to dries. An 18 BWO did the trick, producing a number of fish.

As the sun set, the action died down accordingly.

I ran passed a few of the good spots today and noticed a few fishers who didn't seem to be having any luck. I will try tomorrow (23rd) and Saturday.

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[Rusty Spinner]

Mid 50's day with a decent warm kick a couple hours before sunrise provided a nice mayfly hatch. Of course, the decent weather brought out the best of the yellow boots.

I started with a 16 caddis larva trailed by an 18 zebra midge off the back. Fish took both, but only for a short while. Fish began hitting the surface, leading to the switch from wet to dries. An 18 BWO did the trick, producing a number of fish.

As the sun set, the action died down accordingly.

I ran passed a few of the good spots today and noticed a few fishers who didn't seem to be having any luck. I will try tomorrow (23rd) and Saturday.

Sounds like a nice day on the river. I keep seeing anglers posting here and elsewhere that struggle with our mayfly hatches, both in identifying which bugs they are seeing and how to best approach fishing that hatch. This is meant to help, not to criticize. Knowing that mayflies are pouring off our rivers on warm days right now and knowing trout prefer them to chasing caddis to the surface or to eating tiny midges which they are forced to eat all winter, I would begin with a pheasant tail nymph and switch to an emerger as they begin slashing under the surface film before switching over to a dun pattern and ending with a rusty spinner. You likely would have pounded them all throughout the hatch. The caddis with midge trailer is a tried and true two fly system, but once mayflies hatch, they want larger food that doesn't move as fast as caddis do. The Flatbrook is likely seeing March Browns hatching right now, so a size 12 for NJ is what you need for that hatch. Size 10 if in the Catskills.

[FlatbrookCrown]

Wow-- I can't tell you how helpful that comment is. Thank you! I'm always fishing wet flies... I just recently made the effort to follow hatches. You're totally right in saying March Browns, my google search landed me on the exact photos of what I am seeing. I'll try the pt nymphs and the other flies as well.

You rock!