How to Determine the Hatch

THE HATCH: BASIC ENTOMOLOGY AND TYPES OF WATER SOURCES.

 In the fly-fishing world of anglers, you will often hear the phrase "match the hatch". What is this? This is a common term or lingo among fly-fishing anglers in the trout and salmon world. It is the imitation of natural insects using artificial flies to trick your prey. Trout will hone in on certain insects when they feed, depending on the hatch's availability. When they do this, they will ignore everything else. Therefore, knowing how to match the hatch is vital in angling.

  Learning basic entomology will help to gain your quandary, but you must also know the tributary you are fishing in as well. The water you fish plays just as significant a role in trout behavior as the entomology. Cold spring-fed waters can abound in trout food, and the supply can be in various stages of their life cycles. There can be more than one hatch occurring. So, with that, you can conclude that knowing the hatch, life cycle, and water conditions will play key roles in landing your catch.

  Trout feed sub-surface just beneath the water 90% of the time. They are a predictable species to a fault. Anglers mimic those hatches by matching the aquatic insects to their flies at the current life cycle stage, such as larvae, pupae, and nymphs. Sample taking can help you determine the hatch and is an easy process. This can be one of the most effective ways to match the hatch.

    Taking samples from the stream, river, lake, or creek is always a good idea to learn about the current hatch and life cycle of the food they are feeding on. Sampling areas that are well-oxygenated, shallow, and with gravel beds is always the best option. This is part of learning the body of water types, sections, and parts, which add up to the whole. Insects prefer different types of water; not all water is the same. They have preferences based on the types of water and the insect. They like different water and substrates; however, you'll find riffles, pools, and headwater runs that hold wide varieties of trout food for you to analyze.

  The easiest way to sample a stream, creek, lake, or river is to pick up submerged rocks and look at the insects clinging to their undersides. Most rocks will have many insects crawling on them. Just examine them closely. That is the hatch. You must then determine what life cycle they are in. If you do not know what it is, there are a few ways to assess it. One way I use it is by using an app called "SEEK" by iNaturalist. You can also use Google search picture match, an entomology book, or by its size, color, and profile. These are all good starting points for learning the hatch. I would suggest purchasing "THE BUG BOOK: A FLY FISHER'S GUIDE TO TROUT STREAM INSECTS". This book is convenient for understanding the different hatches.

  You do that for each insect you find. However, even if you see more of one insect than the others, that does not mean that is what they are honing in on. You can also use a second method called seining. A seine is a net, a very effective tool, such as a small net for aquariums. You can get an inexpensive seat or pay more for the same outcomes. Personally, I use an SCI FLY SEINE from Amazon that costs just 9.99 dollars.