Spring is a time of Baetis (or Blue Wing Olives) and midge hatches coming off of western rivers. Usually I anticipate a lot of dry fly action in the spring, especially when the baetis are hatching. A friend and I headed out on a local river recently and besides a very few midges the river seemed very quiet. The catching matched the activity of the bugs for several hours which was a little frustrating since I nailed them the time before. The water was clear but a little higher which moved the fish out from a familiar run. We could not find the fish. Luckily we headed back to a spot we started out fishing early in the day and lo and behold the fish were all stacked up for the feast which had just gotten underway. It was windy and some blue wing olives were definitely hatching but the wind seemed to blow them across the surface as soon as they emerged. The fish did not key in on the adults but were taking nymphs in the mid to upper water column. There was some midges mixed into the bunch and we caught fish on mayfly nymph patterns (small pheasant tails) and midge pupa. It was not lights out catching but good nevertheless, and a great day to be on the water.
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