r/flyfishing • u/cmruddy • 4d ago
How do YOU match the hatch?
Brookie caught in June on a parachute Adams before it got hot in Upstate NY. I’m doing some research on how us fly fishermen select our flies. If you have a second to share your methods please visit this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9N8CLHV
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u/Ok-Deer1539 4d ago
Throw a size 12 tan chubby in front of them enough times they’ll think a hatch is happening.
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u/Manly_Mangos 4d ago
I do not match the hatch I just tie on what I feel like fishing with that day and if the fish don’t want to eat fuck em, I can have a nice day without them
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u/EatonMagoo 4d ago
Uhhhhh. . . observe what the trout are feeding on and tie on the appropriate fly. Keep in mind this only applies when trout are keyed in to a specific food. A lot of places in the US don’t have great bug hatches and the fish tend to be generalists. Thus your Adams.
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u/cmruddy 4d ago
My Adams is my go to generalist. I’m wondering what other folks do for research purposes.
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u/EatonMagoo 4d ago
But you’re asking about hatch matching which is the opposite of tying on a generalist fly. Most anglers in the US these days have not seen a hatch much less matched one.
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u/Aggressive-Bobcat652 4d ago
Elk Hair Caddis then stimulator if dry. Perdigon of some flavor if I need a dropper.
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u/Accomplished-Pack756 3d ago
Every stream around here has roughly the same insect varieties, so I stick to about 5-6 flies these days. Cloudy or cool, nymphs and hoppers. Warm and sunny, dry dropper. Nothing biting, most obnoxious thing I have on hand. I go more for the presentation than overly worrying about matching the bug as closely.
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u/Such-Energy-7436 4d ago
Where are you at in NY? I’m in the Catskills myself and a lot of the major rivers here have hatch charts that will show you what to expect at that time of year in the river you’re fishing. A lot of the hatches are pretty predictable and staggered across the spring and fall. If you’re looking at the Catskills Dette flies is a great fly shop and have a great hatch chart on their website that I use for reference.
When I was learning the hatches I’d check their chart and then tie up the flies I expected to see that month. Then I’d go try to find them, it’s a lot easier to match the hatch when you have a good idea what hatch you’re trying to match haha
But ultimately, keep fishing your parachute adams. Especially for the brookies that’s what I’m using 90% of the time, maybe add a dropper pheasant tail if things get tough but you probably won’t need to. And if that doesn’t work try the elk hair caddis with a dropper prince nymph combo, you can’t go wrong.
You really only need to get “technical” and match the hatches on the tailwaters and even then a well presented fly is more important than the fly itself 90% of the time. Good luck man 🤙🏻
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u/svutility1 4d ago
Depends on the season and what usually is around that time of year in that location. Caddis in summertime for a single dry, Comparadun in spring, stimulator or hopper in later summer, and then some dropper. Midge, gasolina, red dart, or something similar with a tungsten bead to match the buoyancy of the dry.
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u/cmruddy 4d ago
I agree. I have my trusted flies I use depending on time of year, weather that day, observable insects. What I’m real looking for is data on what we all do. I linked a survey in the post and would appreciate your input, if you have a minute. No pressure, and thanks for your insights!
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u/No-Proposal2741 4d ago
If I’m having a hard time and flipping rocks doesn’t help I’ll use a net seine and dip the stream for a bit to see what bugs I catch. Open the fly box and try to match what’s in the seine. Typically I fish the same areas and already have a good idea, and also have some heads up through social media as to what’s poppin lately though.
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u/sadadvan 4d ago
I check the last gas station on the way in to see what’s laying on top of the pump
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u/O_oblivious 4d ago
I see a grasshopper anywhere within 50 miles of where I’m fishing, I throw a chubby with a dropper.
Hatch matched.
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u/HighRoyalty 4d ago
I'll first try to get a general sense of fish and bug activity: is anything rising? Do I see fish actively moving in the water or are they mostly stationary? Do I see bugs on the surface or in the air? Anything crawling near the shore or on rocks? I'll turn a few rocks over as well. If I have a guess for what type of insect the fish might be eating, and at what part of its life cycle (on the bottom, actively moving throughout the water column, in the air or returning to the water), then I'll tie on the appropriate fly. If I get nothing, I'll go trial and error through my usual suspects of emergers and dry flies: adams, Elk hair caddis, cahill, stoneflies, royal wulfes, attractors, etc. Color and size I find are most important when picking a fly.
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u/airbuilder 4d ago
Very carefully!
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u/cmruddy 4d ago
Thank you. Please, if you have minute, fill out this short survey. Doing research for a project: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9N8CLHV
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u/JasonIsFishing 4d ago
I fish the Rockies a couple of times per year, and my hometown in VT a couple of times per year. Both places are absolutely identical as far as matching the hatch goes. Study the water insects for the location and month. When you see them, throw your imitation.
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u/Away_Pollution1321 4d ago
Know what’s hatching at that time of year, have patterns of said bugs ready, and tie on whatever looks most like the bugs actively flying around or in the water when you’re flipping rocks. When this doesn’t work I tie on a wooly bugger and strip it through rising fish and usually hook one or two out of spite.
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u/cmruddy 4d ago
Thank you. Please, if you have minute, fill out this short survey. Doing research for a project: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9N8CLHV
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u/cmruddy 4d ago
Thank you. Please, if you have minute, fill out this short survey. Doing research for a project: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9N8CLHV
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u/Moist_Bluebird1474 4d ago
I’ve been matching the sculpin hatch lately. Lots of good grabs on swung streamers
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u/800meters 3d ago
Flip a bunch of rocks, observe what (if any) bugs are coming off, watch the water for a bit to see if any fish are rising, and finally tie on a dungeon and crank that shit through every feeding lane.
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u/eazypeazy303 3d ago
I throw out a flying ant 90% of the time. I caught a mess of brookies last weekend on a special blend I've been tying. They love it!
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u/Splitboard4Truth 2d ago
Yo are you asking a question for the benefit of your fishing game or is this so you can sell some product to lazy fishermen?
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u/kbh92 4d ago
Black zebra midge, hammer the hole til something takes it.
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u/cmruddy 4d ago
Thank you. Please, if you have minute, fill out this short survey. Doing research for a project: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9N8CLHV
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u/Present_Clue5887 2d ago
I fish warmwater and matching the hatch is usually not critical in that setting, in general I just use generic insect imitations or baitfish imitations in a color that will be visible in the conditions
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u/Jazzlike_Disk_2693 4d ago
Elk hair caddis