Just one kernel. Why did you pick that one kernel out of the bowl and put it in your mouth? There are hundreds to choose from, why did you choose that particular one. Most likely it is just pure chance and that’s that. Trout on Tricos are the same way. There not choosing a particular bug, Their choice is random also. There are 27,000,000,000 bugs on the water all at the same time. They pick the one or five that are on their nose when they decide to rise. My Big Horn guide always told me “the best way to catch trout during a Trico hatch is to put the fly in their mouth”. Now this is easier said than done, but It can happen and its fun when it does. What I’m saying is practice your accuracy, this is one important factor. Trout DO have stations that they take up and stay in until they are spooked. Another factor is the “Completely Different Bug Theory”. Try something completely different. Wayne Bartz of Southeast Minnesota uses his PG caddis pattern during the tough times of a Trico hatch. This fly was just featured in the May issue of Midwest Fly Fishing Magazine. Yesterday I used some small(#22) beetle patterns with some success. Hopper Dropper is a good choice at this time also. Many have tried to defeat the snooty Browns by changing to variations ofย the same pattern(I carry 12 different Trico spinner patterns, 8 dun patterns, 4 cripple/captive patterns and 2 nymph patterns all in two small boxes). When I have made my 5th pattern change I switch to something completely different and sometimes it works!
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Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackSame theory different situation……
As we all know its terrestrial season and most oof us rreach for the hoppers, beetles and ants. This past weekend I thought I would mix it up and try a big fat BWO. 15 fish later I had to tie on another fat BWO because it was so beat up. Being adventurous sometimes pays off. ๐
As for putting the fly “in the mouth” of the trout…..
Well I would not attribute that to mmy casting abilities or lackthereof…..but damn if the fly didn’t end up there! ๐
The reason I selected my kernel was not random. I selected my kernel because it was in a position where I was able to exert the least amount of energy to grasp it. I did not dig to the bottom of the bowl, nor did I move to the other side of the bowl once my hand was in. Granted, there are a handful of kernels I can select by expending the least amount of energy. However, for trout and trico’s it this is where there is a diverging difference. Feeding is rhythmic when food supply is abundant. A trout rises, takes the trico(s), and descends. Once deemed energetically feasible, the trout rises again. I have, in the past, put it to a stopwatch.
Pay attention to the rhythm.
Andy, just wanted to let you know I’m reading, so please keep writing!!! I’m headed to SE MN for Bee Creek, Trout Run Creek, Whitewater and the Hatchery on the root (by Lanesboro)…any thoughts on what they’re biting???
Charlie, as Ed Macmahon would say “you are correct sir” in your response to a topic that can have many answers. Just as you are picking the kernel that requires the least amount of energy, I am digging to the bottom of the bowl for mine. As with humans, the cast of characters in the trout stream is rich with personalities. In one short stretch of river during this hatch I have seen the Vacuumers, the cruisers, the frenzied wolf pods, the shmoot cloopers(a John Gierach term), and yes the rhythmic feeders. Your comment is articulate, well put and stems from an educated thought process leaving the room for expansion on the initial post. When food supply is abundant, and especially during a hatch of this magnitude and cycle, there is energy in excess. I believe trout use this excess energy to engage in a variety of activities and behaviors, including play. I have sat and watched trout many times dip in and out of currents and eddies, zoom back and forth, nip and nibble and generally partake in playful activity. Energy exertion probably depends on where the trout are on the boom and bust caloric intake cycle. Paying attention to the rhythmic rises is one important aspect of fishing the trico’s. My best philosophy on this hatch, is to pay attention to many but focus on one. Great comment charlie thanks.
Andy
I recommend fishing thick foam eddies. Heck, you can through anything in there and they don’t care what it is. Dude….
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