Spring BWO Hatches

Some of the best dry fly fishing we get every year is in the Spring on Rapid Creek in town when the Blue Winged Olives start coming off, and this year is no exception. Spring hasn't been very Spring-like this year, but the bugs have been coming off just about every day in good numbers and the fish have definitely been up on them. The hatch has been lasting for a good portion of the day, so there hasn't been much of a reason to fish nymph rigs. The fish haven't been particularly selective, as long as your fly is in the 16-18 range. CDC Thorax Duns, Smoke Jumpers, Sparkle Duns, and even Klinkhamers have been working well. Make sure and fish a leader with a longer tippet than normal so you get a longer drift - 2-3 feet of 6x tippet will work just fine, and you can often fish 5x if they're rising really well. Make sure and keep your eyes peeled in water that looks too slow or shallow as well. There's been a lot of fish in skinny water especially when the hatch is going good. It seems like they scoot into the skinny water when the bugs start emerging, and then stay there for most of the hatch. If you find fish, there's probably going to be a lot of them as well. The water is still pretty low, so they're stacked up in the better holding water in good numbers. The rises can be pretty subtle as well. If you're in a good looking spot, stand at the back of the run and watch for a bit - you'll be surprised how many more fish you see than if you tromp through quickly. Fishing has been great, and the dry fly opportunities are around just about every day. This week looks to have some excellent weather for getting out on the water - swing by the shop or give us a call and we can get you the latest scoop and point you in the right direction!