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The Perfect Season
Here's some daydream fodder. The Perfect "Lower 48" American Flyfishing Season:
April: Early baetis hatch, Arkansas River, Colorado; Mid zebra midges, Lees Ferry, Arizona; Late Hendricksons/Quill Gordons Delaware River, New York/Pa; End Hit the Opening of Michigan's trout season, last Saturday in April, to hook a lingering steelhead.
May: Early Mid-day caddis, Lower Sacramento River, California; Early-mid Tarpon, 10,000 Islands/The Keys, Florida; Mid Redfish, Rockport, Texas; Mid-late Sulphurs, Driftless Area, western Wisconsin; Late Cicadas, Green River, Utah, below Flaming Gorge.
June: Early Salmonfly Hatch, Gunnison Gorge, Colorado @ June 7; Mid Montana for salmonflies on the Big Hole and Rock Creek; Third week Hope you catch the Hexagenia hatch one night on the lower Pere Marquette River, Michigan; End Smallmouth bass, upper Mississippi River, Minnesota.
July: Early Remnants of the Green Drake hatch, and PMDs, Henry's Fork, Idaho; Mid PMDs (maybe black caddis) Bighorn River, Montana; Late
Green Drakes, Taylor and Frying Pan Rivers, Colorado (rain).
August: Early Mako Sharks, off San Diego (new moon); Early-Mid Tricos, Missouri River, Montana, below Holter Dam; Mid callibaetis hatch, Silver Creek Idaho, Madison Arm of Hebgen Lake (gulpers); Mid-Late Stimmies and beetles, San Miguel River near Telluride, Colorado; Late Hoppers! on the South Fork, Idaho.
September: Early More hoppers, Yellowstone River, Montana; Early-Mid False albacore, Nantucket; Mid Streamers for big browns, Colorado River, downstream from Glenwood Springs; Late (First major snowfall) Blanket baetis hatch, S. Platte River, Deckers, Colorado.
October: Early Striper Blitz! Montauk, New York; Mid October caddis, Yakima River, Washington; Late Midges, San Juan River, New Mexico.
November: Early Winter steelhead show on N. Umpqua River, Oregon, Mid Bull redfish (the big 'uns), Hopedale, Louisiana. Then give thanks for a great season of flyfishing (and plan a trip to the tropics or South America).
If only travel were free, and we didn't have day jobs... If I hit three or more of these events in 2008, I'll be happy. What's missing? (As if I had to ask...)
Deeter
You missed the excellent MI, OH and PA steelhead fly fishing from Nov-March. As long as the water is reasonably low and clear and not frozen, there are fish.
Posted by: DWGriffin | March 18, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Fair enough ... inc. NY, and Wisconsin.
Posted by: KD | March 18, 2008 at 12:30 PM
How dare you forget the Steelies... Good catch DW.
You mentioned the Caddis Hatch in the upper northwest in May, but your left off the Mother's Day Hatch on the Arkansas in Colorado.
Posted by: Anthony | March 18, 2008 at 05:18 PM
The baetis hatch is better. Shhh, don't tell anyone. By the way, wanna go hit it? Two weeks ...
Posted by: KD | March 18, 2008 at 05:23 PM
Damn right - Let's plan on it. Time to inhale bugs as you take a breath of fresh rocky mountain air.
Posted by: Anthony | March 18, 2008 at 06:47 PM
Deeter,
Stop talking about the fishing in western colorado,, our fish being loved to death already
Posted by: | March 18, 2008 at 11:31 PM
Hey now, you can keep all the publicity on the west side, keeps my eastern plains waters feel darn near private.
Posted by: | March 18, 2008 at 11:34 PM
Don't forget Carp season, May through October..............
Posted by: Eric | March 19, 2008 at 09:44 AM