“The Seasonal Special”

From season to season insect forecasting is always a crap shoot. Every season certain insects can appear in prolific numbers or may not appear at all. Masked hatches, flooding, temperature, barometric pressure, and wind all play an important role in the comings and goings of insects. This accounts for not only water born insects but terrestrials alike. So the question that begs an answer is can we count on the same fly season after season to produce consistent results? The answer is a definite no.

The cycles of mother nature are very fickle. As an example during the fishing season of 2012 Japanese beetles were prolific around our rivers. I even had to spray insecticide on my dwarf maple trees to kill off the beetles. I live less than a mile from the nearest trout stream. Because there were so many beetles in 2012 the fish zeroed in on them. Doug Swisher explains this phenomenon as the “pounds per meat law”. The most plentiful and attainable insects are at the top of the trout’s menu. I used a Japanese Beetle pattern for the better half of the fishing season of 2012 with incredibly consistent results. Coincidentally this season of 2013 (regional to my location) there were literally no Japanese Beetles to be found. The same beetle pattern produced a few results but nothing out of the ordinary as in 2012. So the old stand by meat and potato flys may work but they may not be that “sweet spot pattern” season after season. The season of 2013 I managed to find the fly that worked consistently for my home river and it was a size #20 quilled Blue Wing Olive. I always have that one fly that is the “seasonal special”. I suppose this is why fly fishing is such an engaging sport, Mother Nature keeps you on your toes season after season. Complacency and hard and fast rules about fly selection is a sure way to get frustrated and defeated. Keep your eyes open and keep discovering season after season.
~Clint Bova

Slow Water Caddis Emerger

The Caddis emerger is a very important part of the trouts diet. During this life stage the Caddis is especially vulnerable to the elements and is easy prey thus making it very attractive to these very energy conscious fish. The insect is just about ready to break free of its nymphal shuck and the count down for its launch sequence begins with a few wiggles. I have always been looking for a great surface fly that mimics these little beauties. For a few years now I have gotten a lot of use of this little emerger pattern that tends to out fish most of my other emerger patterns even when there is no discernible hatch. This is a great pattern for super finicky Brown trout. I have fooled many fish with this pattern and with the right combination of materials it is a pattern that stays floating even in fast water for a long time. With the use of TMC's Aero Wing material (extended shuck) the fly is a great floater. The fibers are not only fine but hollow keeping the fly float...

CB's Japanese Beetles

above photo: Provided by Debbi T. Walker an Ohio Photographer. Debbi is a talented outdoor photographer who loves to take pictures of insects, animals, and landscapes and often shoots photography around the Mad River and Cedar Bog. In the heat of the summer many fish hunker down during the day and will pass up the occasional Caddis, midge, or ant floating overhead. Often fish conserve energy for a larger more nourishing food item. During the summer months fish want to conserve energy and exert themselves only for the most significant meal. This is called the “Pounds Per Meat Law” again the least amount of energy is expelled for the most nourishment possible. This should be the mid-summer mantra for both fishers and fish! Large ants are another food item that fish will come off of the bottom for during the midday sun and heat. Japanese Beetles are one of those items on the surface menu that will spark a fishes interest when nothing ...

The Four Season Emerger

Fellow fly fishers ask me all the time what kind of “staple” emerger pattern I use so I decided to share my “Four Season Emerger” pattern. The following is a simple emerger pattern that I use season after season. This fly is very durable, very convincing, and the TMC 212Y hook is a perfect canvas for this style fly. The Four Season Emerger Thread: Veevus 14/0 Hook: TMC 212Y 14-22 Wing: CDC natural or desired tint Body: Dyed Peacock quill Dubbing: (Thorax) Beaver Belly w/guard hairs Legs: Knotted dyed Pheasant tail (double knotted) Varnish: SH Hard as Nails You can tie this up as a midge, mayfly, or even caddis imitation depending on your proportions and material selections. First create a body on a TMC 212Y sizes #14-22 by winding a stripped and dyed peacock quill. Varnish with 2 coats of SH Hard as Nails. After your bodies have dried tie in some knotted pheasant tail. Notice the two knotted strands, two legs on both sides of the hook. Dub over your thr...

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