Header image
Enter a name
Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

Dorsal view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
This specimen appears to be of the same species as this one collected in the same spot two months earlier. The identification of both is tentative. This one suffered some physical damage before being photographed, too, so the colors aren't totally natural. I was mostly photographing it to test out some new camera setting idea, which worked really well for a couple of closeups.
27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Report at a Glance

General RegionCatskills
Specific LocationWest Branch of the Delaware
Dates FishedJuly 27 and 28
Time of DayAll day every day
Fish CaughtBrowns
Conditions & HatchesLower water; the level was between 400 and 500 cfs. Tricos and midges, as well as a few Cahills, sulphurs, olives.

Details and Discussion

Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jul 29, 2012July 29th, 2012, 6:31 am EDT
About 20-25 fish over the two days, the biggest a 17 inch brown on a size 20 sulphur emerger. 7X was a necessity for dry flies. All the other fish were 12 inches or smaller. Most fish were caught on a Trico parachute, including some midging fish. I also caught about 7 or 8 fish on nymphs tightlining with 5X. The fishing was very challenging, and weather didn't always cooperate. Saturday morning it rained at about 7 and knocked most of the Trico spinners down, simultaneously keeping the fish off them. There weren't many sulphurs, mostly a flush of size 20's just at dark. I also saw some olives and cahills, but never enough to get fish up and eating steadily, except right at dark, in a very few spots. I think there are typically more bugs than this on the West Branch this time of the year. Some have speculated that with the early hatches, perhaps the sulphurs hatched out ahead of time. Any thoughts on this?
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Jul 29, 2012July 29th, 2012, 10:43 am EDT
Louis, I haven't seem much hatching the last few times I have gone out. I think the early spring got things going early and that they may have finished early. To be honest, I haven't fished much in July due to the heat, drought, deer flies, and tourists. It is most definitely hopper time around here, caught a 13" brookie on [REDACTED] Pond a week ago on a #10 Joe's Hopper (my favorite hopper pattern & size). I have family coming to visit this week but afterward I'll be hitting my favorite spots again, hoping the deer flies will have thinned out by then - that's one hatch I could do without!!!

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Jul 29, 2012July 29th, 2012, 10:58 am EDT
Dunno.

Was the 17" on 7x?
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jul 29, 2012July 29th, 2012, 11:48 am EDT
Yep. I've been catching some larger fish on Tricos on 7X so the practice with them helped. The water was very cold (in the upper 50's) and I put maximum pressure on him, netted him pretty quick, and got him back in without too much ado.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Jul 30, 2012July 30th, 2012, 7:02 am EDT
Very nice. Wish I was there.
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jul 30, 2012July 30th, 2012, 12:00 pm EDT
Me too, if you're over this way sometime, let me know and we'll wet a line.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Shawnny3
Moderator
Pleasant Gap, PA

Posts: 1197
Shawnny3 on Jul 30, 2012July 30th, 2012, 12:05 pm EDT
Congrats on the big fish on small tippet, Louis. Well done.

-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com

Quick Reply

Related Discussions

Topic
Replies
Last Reply
1
Jun 14, 2007
by Shawnny3
0
Oct 15, 2011
by FredH
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 (email Jason). privacy policy