The Contented Angler
Hatch Poool
May
"In the recollection of the trout fisherman it is
always Spring. The Blackbird sings of a May
morning.  The little trout jump in the riffles, and
the german brown comes surely to the fly on the
evening rise."
R. Palmer Baker
All flies in this pool dressed by J.G.
Insect
 Size
 Water temp
 Date
Early Stonefly
 12 - 18
 40
 Feb. 1
BWO
 14 - 20
   March 1
Grannom
 14 - 16
 45 - 60
 April 22
Blue Quill
 16 - 18
 45 - 60
 April 12
Green Caddis
 10 - 16
 45 - 70
 May 8
Blue Quill
 16 - 18
   April 12
Quill Gordon
 12 - 14
 50 - 60
 April 12
Hendrickson
 12 - 14
 45 - 60
 April 20
Little Green Stone
 16 - 18
 50 - 65
 June 5
Golden Stone
 6 - 10
 45 - 60
 June 25
Yellow Sally
 14 - 16
 45 - 65
 June 5 - Oct.
Isonychia
 12
 50 - 60
 May 25
Black Dancer
 16 - 18
 50 - 70
 April 18
Blue Quill
 16 - 18
 45 - 65
 April 12  June 25
Spotted Sedge
 14 - 18
 45 - 70
 May 18
Little Sister Sedge
 16 - 20
 45 - 70
 June - Aug.
Sulphur Rotunda
 16 - 18
 55 - 65
 May 5
BWO
 12 - 16
 55 - 70
 May 25
Insect
 Size
 Water Temp
 Date
Dk. Green Drake
 6
 55 - 70
 May 25
March Brown
 10 - 12
 55 - 70
 May 20
BWO
 20 - 26
 55 - 65
 June 1
Long horn sedge
 12 - 16
 60 - 70
 Late June - Aug
Brown Drake
 8 - 10
 60 - 70
 May 25
Sulphur dorothea
 16 - 18
 60 - 65
 May 25
Yellow Quill
 12 - 18
 60 - 70
  
Smokey Wing Sedge
 10 - 18
 60 - 70
  
Cream Cahill
 12 - 14
   June 12
Lt. Cahill
 10 - 14
 60 - 70
 June 1
Hex
 6
 60 - 70
 Aug. 15
Green Drake
 8 - 10
 65 - 70
 May 25
Golden Drake
 8 - 10
 65 - 70
 June 25
Blue Quill
 #18
 65 - 70
 July 1
Yellow Drake
 8 - 10
 65 - 70
 June 12
Trico
 22 - 28
 65 - 70
 July 1
White Fly
 12 - 16
 70
 Aug 12
Dot Wing Sedge
 12 - 18
 65
 Sept 15
Isonychia
 12 - 14
 65
 Sept1
Insect
 Size
 Date
Baetis interclaris
 20
 Jan. Dec.
Tricaudatus
 20
 April 1
Drunella lata
 16
 May 25
Danella Simplex
 18 - 20
 June 15
Tricaudatus
 18 - 20
 Sept. 1
The many Mayflies that we call "Blue Winged Olives" should
provide year-round fishing. Here's a convenient chart.
If there is one month that God made for the Fly angler, that month
is May. So many hatches that oftentimes they overlap.
We begin with the Hendrickson, Red Quill, March Brown, and
Sulphurs (Rotunda) and end with the ultimate Green and Brown
Drake. We didn't even mention the Caddis. You almost need to be
an entomologist or at least have a magnifying glass to correctly
indentify caddisflies. We go by body color which usually works, but
body color is the least important item in identification. Some are a
certain color during emergence and change colors when exposed to
the atmosphere.
It seems like all of the good hatches are crammed into May, but
many will last into June.
Hendrickson - Usually between noon and 4:00pm. Unless the water
becomes too warm.
March Brown - Sporadically throughout the day, but sometimes a
concentrated emergence when the spinners fall.
Caddis - morning and afternoon.
Green Drake - Sporadic throughout the day with a concentrated
emergence in the evening.
Brown Drake - Fish the spinner fall around memorial day. Don't
expect to see the spinner on a cold or windy evening.
I am not even close to being an entomologist, this is merely based
on what I've seen in the past 30 years.
Go HERE to tie the Hi-Vis Sulphur.