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3. bugs are early?

Looks like most of the stream insects in my area (So. Indiana) are about 3-4 weeks ahead of their usual timing this year. What are others seeing?

Hmm. don't like the sound of that. A hot summer may be on the way!

Mark

Probably warm & dry

Out here we're experiencing a little colder Spring than usual, though that can change on a dime. Timing should be pretty normal (whatever that means). Our Winter was very dry, so high water won't be an issue. Hoping to fish hatches we rarely get a chance to see because of run-off.

We are a good 3-4 weeks early in Wisconsin, even a little ahead of 2010 right now.

I haven't been on any streams other than the lower Au Sable lately, but I found a tick crawling on me the other day and northern leopard frogs are already calling! Also, found a blossom of round-leaved liverleaf (Hepatica americana) and coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) is already blooming too...

Jonathon

Seems like we're a good 2-3 weeks ahead of average hatch times here in West MI. Weird weather, 80's in mid-March then mostly mild temps since- winter just segued into 'summer'. I hope things slow down, it'd be nice to have a normal season before water temps get too warm for trout...although that opens things up for Smallmouth.

The Roguerat

I Peter 5:7 'Cast your cares upon Him...'

Thanks for all the responses so far. It will be interesting to track this through the rest of this year, and then into next season, to see what effects, if any, occur. Many species here seem to be getting back on track after a spell of cool weather. Somehow, the ship often finds a way to rights itself.

Brookyman -


An unusual weather event (like unseasonable hot or cold spells, floods, drought) can effect populations, sometimes dramatically. I wouldn't worry about genetic changes, but the possibility of decimated populations is on the table I guess. As Konchu said, nature's boat has a way of righting itself so we'll see what happens.

As Konchu notes, bugs seem to be resetting some places here in the East. Hendricksons are still hatching on some streams, stringing that hatch out into its typical time frame. Sulphurs started early, and some other hatches, but with some cool weather we may see these hatches string out as well. It will be interesting to see when the Tricos start this year.

Well we are at least 3 weeks ahead here in PA. Things were a little scary the end of March and most of April as far as flows go, but now we've had a bunch of good soaking rains that have raised the levels and cooled things off a bit. It is interesting though that we had an extreme year as far as rain events go last year which gave the fish a break, but I'm not sure about the bugs, some of the freestoners had a lot of water in them which did not cause the usual reduction in available habitat But some had some scouring. I sampled one stream in April 2011 post flooding and the macro community was pretty mich obliterated. Granted it wasnt great to begin with. It will be interesting to see what happens there. Nonetheless this is an interesting year so far. Green Drakes have already started in some places.

The Tricos were going yesterday, and had been for awhile, in east central Illinois. Ephemera simulans also was out in droves; the nymphal shucks were forming impressive flotsam drifts where I was. The tricos were close to going in southern MI on the day before.

Now that's something! I'll have to check around here, though it's hard to imagine they could be out this soon. I wonder if you had an even warmer and drier winter than we did here in PA.

Many of our wild flowers are very early. My wife claims 3 weeks by memory, but I have no records. This is supposed to be such a dry year that a buddy and I are going to keep tabs on snowfields and glaciers, expecting some to melt far enough back to expose ground that hasn't been exposed in .... thousands of years.

Some glaciers have very old insects trapped in the ice.

My understanding from a very interesting article by an entomologist in Fly fisherman Mag a few years ago now is that aquatic bugs emerge as per the water temp ave. from the time the eggs were laid, and not a magical temp. that is reached as the water warms up. You can have a warm Winter, early emergence, and then a colder, wet Summer.

Absolutely right, Sayfu. That is largely the explanation for why hatches can come off in cooler temps and earlier some years and in others not show yet even though water temps and time of season are seemingly perfect on a given day. Pretty difficult to monitor and hence predict though, especially with other variables like sunlight, water chemistry, and food availability needing to be factored in. Timing with local flora seems to be the most reliable and certainly the easiest. Doesn't always work, but it's still generally useful. For example, when the almonds start to blossom here it's time to be on a tailwater for the Skwala Stones and the March Browns that soon follow, like right now!:)

Boys, here's hoping the bugs are early THIS year! I'm burned out on winter, we haven't had any decent snow for skiing, the ice is about 2 feet thick (NO fun with a hand auger!) and I haven't caught much anyway, and I've had a nasty head cold for the past week. ENOUGH already!

Last year early brown stones and even some Hennies and Red Quills were coming off by the middle of April, and I even had a few hits on them (missed them all)...gonna have to set up the vise here in a few weeks...

Jonathon

Was out on my steel water last week and saw some stones out.

Was told March is supposed to be colder than normal and April and May warmer than normal.

Here in N. Idaho we are looking at the first normal year we've had in recent memory. (Yes, I realize the irony of that statement.) As I write this there is some fantastic pre spring runoff streamer/double nymph fishing going on that I can't partake of on the account of work. Grrrrrrr! Not sure what the post runoff is gonna look like but if current snow pack is any indication we should have about average hatch timing.