Summertime is here and as things have warmed up there are a few bug options that lend themselves to productive outings to consider. On wild streams, terrestrials such as beetles and ants are great options to consider. These bugs are crawling along trees that hang over the water and tend to drop in the water. Packed with protein, trout love to feast on these crunchy morsels.
But, in the southeast pay attention to rising water temps and remember above 64 degrees water temp, trout can start to struggle with recovery… above 67 degrees and you just shouldn’t be fishing for trout!
Given this, let’s focus on some very productive bugs for tailwaters, where water temps tend to hover in the 50 to 55 degree range. In our area the Hooch, Toccoa and Tuck are classic tailwaters to have a great day on the water. Remembering that 50% of a trout’s diet are midges, we’ll look at two great variations that produce well.
Check out our fly tying section for more details on some great midge patterns to get you on the fish.
Remember to also pay attention to what’s happening on the water. If you start seeing groups of two, three, four or more birds swarming around the top of the water, there’s a good chance a hatch of some type is happening and most likely it’s midges!