The fall temperatures finally hit us this morning. The next couple of days are going to bring water temps down with the night lows around the 50-55 degree range. This should really get the browns active for the fall bite. A couple of the pro-staffers were able to get on the water late last week. There are some sporadic hatches happening, just depends on the time of day. The best hatch was an afternoon caddis and small white millers/white mayflies (18) starting around 2 o'clock. Nymphing is still the best method since the water is still low and clear, 140cfs. Find deeper holes and runs. Caddis pupa and soft hackles are key flies. Get the nymphs down bouncing along the bottom with a lightweight dropper in the mid column.
Late September and October is a great time to target BWO and Tricos in the early morning. A staff member noted that the hatch was early around 7:30 and ended around 10. The smaller the better, 18-22.
Last, get your streamer box ready. Once the cooler temperatures drive the water temps down below the 60 degree mark, the browns should get in spawn/aggressive mode. Usually we see this bite around mid October with good rains. The big boys start to spread out and can be hooked during this timeframe. Good luck this weekend, enjoy the cooler weather and stop by on Saturday for any flies you need.
-RFR
Our guided fly fishing trips for the Mad River are booking now for October, November, and December. Contact our pro-staff for any details. 937-434-8472.