Basic Hatch Guide Made Easy
Here’s a little helpful information to help figure out which fly to use here in Northeast Pennsylvania. We could get very specific here, use Latin, make this extremely complicated, like many prefer to do but … here’s a simple guideline to use. Please keep in mind there are always exceptions to rules, especially when dealing with nature and keep in mind this is simplified information to help novices with deciding which flies to use in a particular season. This is a simplified reference.
Firstly, Trout flies hatch generally in a particular order and this order rarely or never varies from year to year. Knowing this, we can sort of know which flies come first, and in what order hatches will come. After a fly becomes active or “hatches” and goes thru it’s adult life cycle, it will become dormant as far as living in it’s adult “dry fly” stage until about the same time next year. We can therefore generally predict which flies will hatch at what time of the year. The Hatch Chart below will give you a good idea of which flies to have in your fly box at particular times of the year. Here’s a general guideline for fly hatches here in northeast Pa:
Begining Season - Late March / Mid April
Little Black Stoneflies
Quill Gordons
Hendricksons, Red Quills
Blue Quills
Caddis - Tan
Early Season - End April / Early May
Quill Gordons
Blue Quills
Hendricksons, Red Quills
Blue Winged Olives
March Browns
Caddis - Black, Tan
Sulphurs
Mid Season - Mid May / Early June
March Browns
Blue Winged Olives
Sulphurs
Caddis - Tan, Olive, Grey, Black
Green Drakes
Yellow Stoneflies
Tricos
Midges
Inchworms
Late season - Mid June / July / August / Sept
Sulphurs
Light Cahills
Blue winged Olives
Caddis
Slate Drakes
Midges
Terrestrials - Hoppers, Ants, Crickets, Beetles, Caterpillars
Flying Ants
Hope this helps! Visit us at the Shop in the Poconos, online at www.aaoutfitters.com or call toll free 800-443-8119 for all your Fly Fishing needs.
Gene Ercolani,
Owner A.A. Outfitters