How far behind?

[Iso]

So, how many weeks behind are we right now? Last year I had fish rising to little black stones in the first week of April and blue quills by the second or third week in April. My experience is that things don't start to pop until the forsythias bloom and the water stays above 50 degrees overnight.

What do we think? Are we a couple weeks behind? More?

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I think we're back to right on time, not late. We've grown accustomed to early hatches over the last several years, and that is not normal. But I do agree that our LBS hatch has been later than I recall even a decade or more ago. I'm perfectly OK with the colder winter as maybe our Hendricksons will hatch en mass this year and not be scattered lightly over several weeks. Mayflies for the most part need to hatch heavily to overcome their many predators. I noted the Hendricksons hatched sporadically in March - May two years ago and last year's hatch sucked as a result. It might take another year or more to bring that hatch back. Same for our sulphurs (Dorotheas and Invarias).

 

[trico mike]

The olives seem to be behind. Usually by Valentine's day the hatch becomes consistent with plenty of risers. They are now just starting. Things can change in a hurry if we get a warmup.

 

[Trout Nazi]

You guys are over-thinking this whole thing, relying too much on schedules. There is no normal with nature, whatever will happen, will happen when it happens. Improvise, adapt, overcome. Thats what makes this fun.

 

[lightenup]

We may have an algae hatch on the SBR very soon....:crap:

 

[flyI4]

Well put it this way, several rivers will likely still have some ice on them on Opening Day in NYS. I have never seen that in 15+ years fishing up there and I go up every opening day as a tradition. That said, I've seen a hot week of 70's change things quickly, especially if there is low water, so its tough to predict how far behind hatch wise we will actually be. I think 3rd week of April is always a safe bet to have some mayfly action regardless of the conditions though.

 

[FIN-ITE 34]

We may have an algae hatch on the SBR very soon....:crap:

Would have made a nice bomb to blow up a few of those dams that impede our local rivers. Maybe we can start a propaganda campaign that makes the terrorists think those dams are very important to our infrastructure and they will get rid of them for us.

 

[Future Fanatic]

We may have an algae hatch on the SBR very soon....:crap:

See what you can do to get DC to put "Fertilizer Free Jersey" in the header of the site's homepage...
Algae is ugly...

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Doesn't look like much, if any, fertilizer reached the river so we dodged a bullet yesterday. Details are still few, but everything being discussed doesn't make this the problem it first appeared to be.

 

[Future Fanatic]

...everything being discussed doesn't make this the problem it first appeared to be.

Sounds VERY familiar...

On a side note, I've YET to see one Little Black Stone this year...
A month "late" in MY book.

 

[JeffK]

I think they may be a week or two late, but can catch up fast. The olives are trying to start, but haven't been consistent in my experience. I have seen a few LBS for a while, but I have not seen bunches of them in the streamside bushes. Some bugs are out in NJ and the Lehigh Valley, but they are trickling off very slow. Fishing has been up and down for me as well. The window is narrow; too cold and they shut down, too warm and the snow melts and they shut down. Not so many days when all the fates align and the fishing is good.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Looks like the general weather trend by late next week is a significant warm up and we may see our first 70 degree day(s). But they often get today's weather wrong each morning, so I wouldn't hang my hat on it just yet. Still, they seem to be able to predict general heating and cooling trends a week or more out. Sure would be nice to melt the snow and see some 60 or 70 degree days to get the bugs to pop.

 

[WVULax22]

I saw some LBS last weekend, but not a huge amount, just a few here and there.

10-day weather forecast for my neck of the woods is saying between 40-55 with some showers.

 

[lightenup]

The use of fertilizer to make your lawn green is very vain....In the use of farming..I understand..
Hey DC..howsabout puttin' "Fertilizer Free NJ" in the heading?!?!?