mayflies,

yesterday mornin, i hit the creek where i had previously caught those
stunning brookies. after being there for about 45 minutes, i *very*
suddenly found myself (i'm pretty sure) in the middle of a multiple hatch.
flying all around me, and occasionally hitting the surface of the water were
numerous, extremely graceful, mayflies. also in large numbers were, i
think, caddis, and something else that was very tiny, round, and dark. so,
i'm pretty sure i was experiencing a multiple hatch. am i right? has
anyone else had this experience?
it was rather entertaining, with the mayflies dancing, diving, and rising,
being the most beautiful, and the most entertaining of the three insect
types. they looked like fairies dancing around in the air and on the water.
my head was spinning in an effort to keep up with all the activity.

i was fishing with a caddis, so i didn't change it, although if i had a
mayfly pattern, i would have put that on. gotta get one.
in spite of the hatch, i came away without anyone taking my fly. the
activity, however, was taking place right around me, and not further down
where i know the trout hang out.
while in the stream, i also spied three deer standing in the water about 60
ish yards behind me,enjoying a morning drink, while the mist encircled their
legs. i reached for my camera, but by the time i got to it, they ran out of
the water onto the bank, only to be engulfed by trees, and laurel bushes.

so while i didn't catch any fish, i came away having experienced some of the
beauty, and magic of nature in the blueridge. god, i love it here. ;-)

snakefiddler

OOPS-that subject heading should have read; mayflies, deer, and blueridge
mornings....

"snakefiddler" wrote in message
...
yesterday mornin, i hit the creek where i had previously caught those
stunning brookies. after being there for about 45 minutes, i *very*
suddenly found myself (i'm pretty sure) in the middle of a multiple hatch.
flying all around me, and occasionally hitting the surface of the water
were
numerous, extremely graceful, mayflies. also in large numbers were, i
think, caddis, and something else that was very tiny, round, and dark.
so,
i'm pretty sure i was experiencing a multiple hatch. am i right? has
anyone else had this experience?
it was rather entertaining, with the mayflies dancing, diving, and rising,
being the most beautiful, and the most entertaining of the three insect
types. they looked like fairies dancing around in the air and on the
water.
my head was spinning in an effort to keep up with all the activity.

i was fishing with a caddis, so i didn't change it, although if i had a
mayfly pattern, i would have put that on. gotta get one.
in spite of the hatch, i came away without anyone taking my fly. the
activity, however, was taking place right around me, and not further down
where i know the trout hang out.
while in the stream, i also spied three deer standing in the water about
60
ish yards behind me,enjoying a morning drink, while the mist encircled
their
legs. i reached for my camera, but by the time i got to it, they ran out
of
the water onto the bank, only to be engulfed by trees, and laurel bushes.

so while i didn't catch any fish, i came away having experienced some of
the
beauty, and magic of nature in the blueridge. god, i love it here. ;-)

snakefiddler

"snakefiddler" wrote

it was rather entertaining, with the mayflies dancing, diving, and rising,
being the most beautiful, and the most entertaining of the three insect
types. they looked like fairies dancing around in the air and on the
water.

well said, jen; but you might have been describing caddis instead of
mayflies. my experience has been that the latter just pop out of the water
and rise gracefully, on a rather static angle.

hatches are so rare for us that i usually stop fishing, find a comfortable
rock, and just watch for a while. the fish don't seem to become any more
active, anyway.

yfitp
wayno

"Wayne Harrison" wrote in message
r.com...

"snakefiddler" wrote

it was rather entertaining, with the mayflies dancing, diving, and
rising,
being the most beautiful, and the most entertaining of the three insect
types. they looked like fairies dancing around in the air and on the
water.

well said, jen; but you might have been describing caddis instead of
mayflies.

hi uncle wayno-

i posted (below) a web-site with a picture of the *entertainers* that i said
looked like fairies. see what ya think. let me know if you know of a good
web-site for images of caddis. i was looking for one earlier, but didn't
find much.

my experience has been that the latter just pop out of the water
and rise gracefully, on a rather static angle.

hatches are so rare for us

so are you saying that it probably wasn't a hatch- just a lot of flies comin
out all at once? - and have you ever seen or heard about hatches happening
in "multiples" like that?

that i usually stop fishing, find a comfortable
rock, and just watch for a while.

yeah, that did seem like the appropriate thing to do. i was just kind of
awestruck, as i have never seen anything like that before.

the fish don't seem to become any more
active, anyway.

i didn't see a difference, but like i said, all the activity was taking
place around where i was standing, and i wouldn't have expected the fish to
start jumping out of the water around my legs, although *that* would have
been cool.



yfitm-
jen

yfitp
wayno



http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...nid=DIEHsN3IRg
oJ:&tbnh=65&tbnw=117&start=18&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmayflies%2B%26hl%3Den%26lr%
3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG

Ya need to come to Penns creek Snake next May when a hatch happens the fish
almost jump in your pocket multiple hatches are the norm there ................


Handyman Mike
Standing in a river waving a stick

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Ya need to come to Penns creek Snake

where is this penns creek i keep reading about?


next May when a hatch happens the fish
almost jump in your pocket

fishes in my pockets...hmmmm-seems there's a song somewhere in there g


multiple hatches are the norm there ................

thanks for the confirmation-so, it wasn't my imagination or wishful
thinking. :-) it really was so much fun.

snake


Handyman Mike
Standing in a river waving a stick

hi jen,
Many times with overlapping hatches....you'll have mayflies, caddis,
and anything else.....which often is the little "dessert" that the
trout ARE feeding on, the bugs that you have to really get close
to(scoop up) to see/identify...thus imitate.
What really helps is to learn what specific hatches populate that
particular streambed..and at that time of the season... Also, the
particular rise-forms will often give a hint as to just what the fish
are feeding on. Splashy= high-riding caddis or mayfly
duns....sub-surface bulges/rings= emerging mayfly nymphs/spent mayfly
spinners/caddis pupae....(for example). Trout will always be looking
for food stuck in the surface film...so you don't always have to come
up with an exact imitation...getting a fly at the level where they're
feeding at will always get action, it may take time, but it will get
interest...

hi jen,
Many times with overlapping hatches....you'll have mayflies, caddis,
and anything else.....which often is the little "dessert" that the
trout ARE feeding on, the bugs that you have to really get close
to(scoop up) to see/identify...thus imitate.
What really helps is to learn what specific hatches populate that
particular streambed..and at that time of the season... Also, the
particular rise-forms will often give a hint as to just what the fish
are feeding on. Splashy= high-riding caddis or mayfly
duns....sub-surface bulges/rings= emerging mayfly nymphs/spent mayfly
spinners/caddis pupae....(for example). Trout will always be looking
for food stuck in the surface film...so you don't always have to come
up with an exact imitation...getting a fly at the level where they're
feeding at will always get action, it may take time, but it will get
interest...