Tricos: These mayflies typically hatch late July to early October and can be a frustrating-joy to fish. The adults are generally in the #18 to #24 range with a #20 being common. They are unique to fish as the “hatch” that generally gets the fish to the surface is the spinner fall after the bugs have mated. Males are dark brown to black and hatch at night and females are light olive to cream and hatch in the morning. Females typically only live as an adult for a few hours when they mate and die. You will see mating swarms or “smokes” in the morning which is a clue to watch for snouts in the slow eddies where the spent spinner bodies collect. The fish can eat as many of these spent bugs as they want because they don’t fly away! The hard part is putting your fly in the right spot. More on that later.
Dries: Hi-Vis trico spinner, UV2 Sparkle Spinner, MFC Trico Thorax, MFC Trico Parachute
Nymphs: Black Copper John, Pheasant Tail, Tung Stud Black, Black Widow Weevil.
Top Right: Morning trico swarm
Middle: Trico spinner & dun
Below: Typical Blue-winged olive hatch on the Bow River.