The Tricos are the last of the major hatches for the year.

White Winged Curse

White Winged Curse

Here are a few things you may want to think about to be ready for this fun and sometimes frustrating hatch.

1. Hone your casting skills, I can’t harp on this enough! Catching fish is directly related to your ability to cast the fly accurately at distance and deliver the line and fly softly. The best casts are the shortest possible to get the job done. On short casts you have the most control over factors that wish to derail your presentation, like currents, wind, slack, and drag. Casts of 30 feet or more are sometimes necessary and the skills to control your casting and presentation only come with practice.

2.Think about, and learn to understand currents, slack, drag and drift as it is related to dry fly fishing. I know you hear it a lot, but presentation is king, and understanding these factors makes everything else easier.

3. Use longer leaders and lighter tippets. The longer the leader you can effectively turn over, the less fly line you have falling on possible targets. Fly line falling over the top of spooky trout can alarm them. Using the lightest weight rod and line that you have can help diminish line splash. Tippets of 6x or less are desirable. My leaders are between 10 and 13 ft.

4.Have a wide variety of Trico patterns. Remember male and female Tricos are different colors. Add the different stages of each, in different sizes and styles…..you see where I’m going. The main point is be observant to what is on the water. Trout can and do become ultra-selective to certain characteristics of the naturals on the water. You want your pattern to look very similar.

5. Move slowly and quietly on your approach. Under the current clear water conditions this can mean the difference spooking fish or catching fish.

6. Get there early. The best “catching” times can be early and late in the hatch cycle. Often times the hardest fishing occurs when the most naturals are on the water.

Trico fishing can be a challenge. Trico fishing can be frustrating. Trico fishing can be some of the most rewarding fishing of the season. A little knowledge makes you dangerous, and a little practice makes you deadly(in a catch and release sort of way). Fish this one a lot, it happens every morning. Find it….and fish it.