Matching the Hatch with Movement

Most fly anglers think of matching the hatch as the process of selecting the appropriate size, shape, and color of fly to imitate a trout's natural food. But it's also important to match the behavior of hatching insects to best encourage strikes from discerning fish. Here are a few tricks to mimic the movements of the naturals.

Most mayflies hatch mid-current and generally drift for a while as emergers as they slowly rise to the surface. Sometimes a very subtle lift of the fly in the strike zone will entice a strike. You can do this by slowly lifting the rod if the drift is close to you or by a long slow strip if the flies and fish are farther away from your casting position.

Caddis flies rise quickly to the surface by creating a bubble of gas and riding it up or by actively propelling themselves upward. In caddis hatches a bit quicker or more erratic lift of the nymph or emerger pattern will often entice strikes.

Stonefly nymphs usually crawl to the edges of the stream and actually crawl out of the water onto rocks or streamside vegetation to hatch. It's best to fish stonefly nymphs right along the bottom even crawling them along the rocks with a slow retrieve where possible.

In many lakes chironomids and other midges rise at a slow to moderate rate up through the water column as they hatch. Chironomid emergers often work well when lifted straight up towards the angler in a boat or tube.

Keep in mind that trout are great at discerning whether the appearance of your fly matches what they are eating but are just as good or better at discerning whether the movement of your fly is natural. Study what the bugs in your waters do and try to copy them.