Fly Fishing: Amazing Stonefly Hatch
Truly epic fly fishing days come along far too infrequently! Epic fishing days are usually all about catching a ton of fish. Other things come into play as well, like sharing it with others, fishing beautiful water, scenery and more. Obviously, anglers can have just as many bad days as great ones! The following video was shot a few years back in the Bighorn Mountains in Northern Wyoming at a location that will remain nameless.
Trout are opportunistic carnivores, meaning they will eat what is in the water, or on the water, and if the food source is plentiful, they will gorge. The Stonefly is one of several types of insects that fly fishers will imitate to catch trout. Trout will feed on stoneflies during all of their life cycles, starting underwater through the time they are airborne or flying.
Insects that trout feed on typically begin their lives underwater and eventually develop the wings and legs that they will need as flying insects. Fly fishers refer to the time when these insects move out of the water into the air and begin flying as a “hatch.” In the right conditions, the hatch can involve hordes of insects that stimulate hungry trout. Fly fishers attempt to “match the hatch” with artificial insects to catch fish.
Stoneflies can be large and when a big hatch takes place they can fill the air around streams and rivers including landing on and falling into the water. This sends trout into a frenzy (not too dissimilar from a shark feeding frenzy!) and they will attack any and all stoneflies they see.
For a fly fisher, this is the recipe for an epic day. All that is required to catch lots of fish is to match what the stoneflies look like with a decent artificial fly. Then put it on the water where the trout will see it and wait for the vicious attack and ensuing battle!
The two anglers in this video had just such a day! Enjoy this amazing stonefly hatch!
Cinematography by Tyler Sage.
Image Credits:
- Adult Stonefly: Hatchpedia
- Stonefly Dry Fly Pattern: Tim Kontio, Fly Tying Archive
- Stonefly on Fingers: Louis Cahill, Gink and Gasoline