Summer just doesn’t quite want to give in to fall yet. Hot days have been the norm and will remain so through the week. The smoke has made things unpleasant but watch the forecast for wind and pick your fishing spots accordingly. Despite the smoke being unpleasant, it does act as a light filter, which will keep the bigger predatory fish on the prowl later in the morning and earlier in the evening.
Silver Creek is starting to see changes in the hatches. Trico is waning and Baetis are picking up steam. Callibaetis should come to the forefront of the hatches, as we transition. If you are going to fill your fly boxes for the coming hatches, think Mahogany Duns, October Caddis and Fall Baetis. These will be the next big hatches we see, and the last of the big bugs for the season. No worries, though — these hatches can sometimes last up to Thanksgiving with the weather permitting. In the meantime, Hoppers are still fishing on the Creek and will continue to catch fish until the first hard frost kills the remaining population.
The Big Wood and upper Lost will begin going through changes, as well. Cooler weather will bring the first of the Western Red Quill hatches. These are huge bugs that bring all the fish up when it is happening. Cool days will also bring larger hatches of the Fall Baetis. The Fall Baetis is a little different than what you see all summer. They are smaller, brighter and never stop wiggling in the water. These hatches can get so big, that even the old man brook trout will come out from under the log jams to eat off the top!
Continue to fish Hopper / Dropper setups throughout the day, as well as small Streamers. With cool weather also comes the pre-spawn activity of the brown trout. This means big predatory browns are going to be looking for calories and they aren’t going to care where they come from. Fishing Streamers on any of our area waters in the next few weeks is going to be very productive.
When the good fall hatches do begin, be sure you fish with some stealth, as this low-water time of the season does make the fish careful. Look for fish rising in the heads and especially the tailouts of the pools. These slick-water sections hold a lot of fish in the fall!
Happy fishing, everyone!