Where Trout Feed During Hatches
Where do the trout feed during aquatic insect hatches? For example, where do
midges hatch and the trout feed on them?
Answer: In the slow moving water such as eddies, calm pockets and the slow
moving water of pools.
Where do most mayflies hatch?
Answer: Even the clingers that live in the fast water runs and riffles move to the
slow moving water of calmer pockets and shallow water that is near banks and
behind boulders to hatch. Just about all the crawlers and swimmers move to slow
to moderately moving water to hatch.
Where do the spinners fall?
Answer: Usually in the riffles and runs where they hatched but they are eaten by
trout in eddies, calm pockets and the slow water at the heads of pools where
they collect.
Where do the stoneflies hatch?
Answer: They move out of their fast water habitat into slower, shallower water to
hatch on the banks and rocks.
Where do the caddisflies hatch?
Answer: They just about always move to the slow to moderately flowing water for
their pupae to emerge.
In other words, about everything that hatches does so in moderate to calm water.
Often this slower moving water is very close to fast water. Often the calmer water
is in pockets distributed throughout the stream within the fast water of the stream.
Sometimes it is the ends of long runs where the water slows down. If the newly
hatched insect stays on the water and doesn’t fly away quickly it will most likely
be caught up in the fast currents. It depends on the species hatching.
Some never get caught in the fast water. Examples are stonefly nymphs that all
crawl out of the water in calmer areas. Slate Drake mayflies that crawl out of the
stream in calm water to hatch. Blue Quill and Mahogany Dun mayflies almost
always hatch in calm pockets along the banks and usually never get caught up
in fast currents before they fly away. Many species of Blue-winged Olives, Little
Blue-winged Olives, Small Eastern Blue-winged Olives and Eastern Blue-winged
Olives are able to depart the water from calmer sections or moderately moving
water before getting caught up in fast water.
Some mayflies do usually get caught up in fast water before they are able to
depart the water. Quill Gordons and March Browns hatch in calm pockets within
the fast water areas of the stream but often get caught in the fast currents prior
to departing the water. However, the facts are that most hatching aquatic
insects and egg layers do not usually get caught up in the fast currents.
When trout feed in the slow to moderately flowing sections of the streams; or
eddies, pools, the ends of runs and riffles and calm pockets that are within the
fast flowing freestone streams, they can examine the fly much closer. Given that
opportunity, if the fly is not very imitative of the natural insect and if it is
not presented in such a manner as to behave like the natural insect, the
trout will usually reject the fly.
As I just touched on, the problem isn’t just a matter of how well the imitation looks
like the real thing. The way in which it is presented may be an even bigger
problem. You have probably heard over and over that the presentation of the fly
is more important than the fly itself. That is a very correct statement but it doesn’
t mean that the fly is not important. It just means that a perfect imitation is not
effective unless it is presented to the trout in the same manner they view the real
thing. The fly must drift and act like the real thing without the trout being able to
become alerted or alarmed by a tippet, fly line or leader attached to it. Again,
that is fairly easy to accomplish in fast moving water but again, that is not always
where the trout are feeding. The presentation and the appearance of the fly
become even more critical in slow or moderately moving water.
When anglers concentrate only on the fast water of riffles and runs they are
making a big mistake
Where do the trout feed during aquatic insect hatches? For example, where do
midges hatch and the trout feed on them?
Answer: In the slow moving water such as eddies, calm pockets and the slow
moving water of pools.
Where do most mayflies hatch?
Answer: Even the clingers that live in the fast water runs and riffles move to the
slow moving water of calmer pockets and shallow water that is near banks and
behind boulders to hatch. Just about all the crawlers and swimmers move to slow
to moderately moving water to hatch.
Where do the spinners fall?
Answer: Usually in the riffles and runs where they hatched but they are eaten by
trout in eddies, calm pockets and the slow water at the heads of pools where
they collect.
Where do the stoneflies hatch?
Answer: They move out of their fast water habitat into slower, shallower water to
hatch on the banks and rocks.
Where do the caddisflies hatch?
Answer: They just about always move to the slow to moderately flowing water for
their pupae to emerge.
In other words, about everything that hatches does so in moderate to calm water.
Often this slower moving water is very close to fast water. Often the calmer water
is in pockets distributed throughout the stream within the fast water of the stream.
Sometimes it is the ends of long runs where the water slows down. If the newly
hatched insect stays on the water and doesn’t fly away quickly it will most likely
be caught up in the fast currents. It depends on the species hatching.
Some never get caught in the fast water. Examples are stonefly nymphs that all
crawl out of the water in calmer areas. Slate Drake mayflies that crawl out of the
stream in calm water to hatch. Blue Quill and Mahogany Dun mayflies almost
always hatch in calm pockets along the banks and usually never get caught up
in fast currents before they fly away. Many species of Blue-winged Olives, Little
Blue-winged Olives, Small Eastern Blue-winged Olives and Eastern Blue-winged
Olives are able to depart the water from calmer sections or moderately moving
water before getting caught up in fast water.
Some mayflies do usually get caught up in fast water before they are able to
depart the water. Quill Gordons and March Browns hatch in calm pockets within
the fast water areas of the stream but often get caught in the fast currents prior
to departing the water. However, the facts are that most hatching aquatic
insects and egg layers do not usually get caught up in the fast currents.
When trout feed in the slow to moderately flowing sections of the streams; or
eddies, pools, the ends of runs and riffles and calm pockets that are within the
fast flowing freestone streams, they can examine the fly much closer. Given that
opportunity, if the fly is not very imitative of the natural insect and if it is
not presented in such a manner as to behave like the natural insect, the
trout will usually reject the fly.
As I just touched on, the problem isn’t just a matter of how well the imitation looks
like the real thing. The way in which it is presented may be an even bigger
problem. You have probably heard over and over that the presentation of the fly
is more important than the fly itself. That is a very correct statement but it doesn’
t mean that the fly is not important. It just means that a perfect imitation is not
effective unless it is presented to the trout in the same manner they view the real
thing. The fly must drift and act like the real thing without the trout being able to
become alerted or alarmed by a tippet, fly line or leader attached to it. Again,
that is fairly easy to accomplish in fast moving water but again, that is not always
where the trout are feeding. The presentation and the appearance of the fly
become even more critical in slow or moderately moving water.
When anglers concentrate only on the fast water of riffles and runs they are
making a big mistake
Copyright 2009 James Marsh
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