Fly FiShinG tipS

5 things you NEED to know for early season Fly Fishing

By EVAN BOTTCHER Owner of Hungry Trout Fly Shop and ADK Ice Fishing

As winter comes to an end in the Adirondacks, the days get longer and warmer temps return to the region. The snowpack from the High Peaks starts to melt and replenish the areas lakes, rivers and streams. For the fly angler this means one thing - fishing season has arrived! Check out these 5 tips to make the most out of your spring fishing season

1.

Historically fishing season on inland streams began on April 1. This year the DEC regulations changed so anglers can now fish inland streams year round with a Catch and Release regulation in place from October 15 - April 1. Although fishing season is open, the rivers during early season are quite cold and can have very high flows through most of April. Historically, peak season starts around Mothers day (May 8th this year) and goes until the summer heat kicks in (usually end of June). The first mayfly and caddis hatches of the year are usually around the second weekend of May and continue through the month of June.

2.

This early season is often the best time to hit the flat water options. Having spent the winter under a blanket of ice, lake trout, brook trout and landlocked salmon will cruise close to the lakes’ surface chasing forage fish and taking advantage of areas of open water along the edges of receding ice. “Ice Out” is a short, but productive time of year for big fish and good numbers while waiting for river conditions to improve.

3.

Each Spring the state and county hatcheries will start their stocking routines. Thousands of fish will be stocked in the areas’ rivers and streams and the schedule is often dictated by the flow, temperature, and access of the locations. As a rule of thumb, you can count on most stocking to be completed by the second week of May. There is a stocking schedule and lots of information on the New York State Department of Conservation website to help research productive zones to target.

4.

The mayfly, caddis and stonefly hatches in the Adirondacks are one of the most exciting aspects of fly fishing in the Adirondacks. The first bug life of spring will be your early brown stoneflies, but the first major hatch in the area is the Hendrickson Hatch. In 2021 the action was in full force by May 15th, with awesome hatch activity and evening skies full of migrating mayflies. Its little different each season, but we are always ready the first weekend of May for the hatch season to begin. The timing

Continued on page 7

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Continued from page 6 of the hatch differs river by river, but they are generally within a week of one another. The Hendrickson Hatch if often accompanied by solid Caddis hatches which continue all season, followed by the March Brown, Sulfurs, Stoneflies, Green Drakes, Blue Winged Olives and terrestrials (beetles, hoppers, ants) as the warm temps settle in.

5.

In the early season when the water is still 50 or below, we mostly fish sub-surface with streamers and nymphs. Attractor nymphs like Squirmy Wormies and mops can be a good lead fly early season in tandem with more realistic flies like micro stones, birds nest, red fox squirrel nymphs and pheasant tails. We also fish a lot of stonefly nymphs which is a larger presentation (#6-#12) fished in tandem with smaller flies (14-20) to cover all size ranges of insects. Wooly Bugger variations, Sparkle Minnows, Mickey Finns and other classic streamers are a good early season option. When the water is cold you want to fish a slow and easy to eat presentation and be ready for very subtle takes. As we enter into May and the water is warming above 50-55 degrees F we will be ready to fish dry flies on a 9’ 4x or 5x leader. Smaller the fly = smaller the tippet. Because of our bouldery and steep gradient rivers and our large insect assortment we can fish much larger flies than other watersheds. I fish a lot of size 10 to 12 AuSable Bombers and AuSable Wulffs in the spring as an attractor that fits the profile of early season mayflies. You can attach a 12” to 18’’ dropper to a smaller nymph or Caddis Pupa as well to increase you chances.

There is a lot of information to digest when it comes to fishing a new region. Hopefully, these tips and tactics help lay the groundwork on how to tackle the start of the season. Fishing is a very subjective activity and can be done many many different ways. Ask around, fish with new anglers and continue to add to your knowledge base. For more information on when and what to fish, when and how to rig them, call your local Fly Shop! There are great guiding options and fishing resources around to make sure you have a wicked good time fishing the Adirondacks.

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