Caddis Hatch

[Rick Alampi]

Hell of a caddis hatch on the Asbury section today. Surprisingly, they weren’t Grannoms, but tan caddis #16 and #18. Hatch lasted from noon to 1:30 and trout were on them big time. Fished the blue chair pool, and had to be 20-25 fish working. Netted five, lost four and missed another 5 or 6. Smallest fish was 17″ and one just shy of 20″ and all very healthy.

Rick Alampi

[Jim Merritt]

Rick,
Congratulations. I am envious. Your timing must have been right on. I saw this same thick caddis hatch yesterday in the Warren Glen section and the action was nil, at least at mid-day. Also saw it last week at Asbury up and down the entire stretch, including the Blue Chair/Upper Farmhouse pool. There were a few rises but they were extremely sporadic and certainly nothing like you’d expect given the blizzard of bugs. Yesterday I did catch one small fish (a state-stocked brown) with a bead-head caddis emerger at the end of the swing. Maybe if I’d tried that last week it would have garnered some interest, but I doubt it. Fish are mysterious.
Jim Merritt

[Rick Alampi]

You are so right that I got lucky with timing and that fish are mysterious. It often takes a few days after a hatch starts for fish to get on them. One thing I didn’t mention in my post, as that although I was using a double dry rig, the fish “porpoised” on the takes, which is normally an emerger take. More mystery,
Loved your NZ story in the newsletter. Reminded me of a trip last May to Green River in WY. I have a guide friend there who has been after me for years to fish the Green in May. “best dry fly fishing of the year”, “multiple hatches”, etc. Flew into Salt Lake, rented a car, and about hallway to WY, a few snowflakes. By the time I got there, there was 8″ of snow, wind steady at 35 mph, with gusts to 45. It snowed and blew the entire trip. We did fish, and did catch some, but it was more like work than fun.

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