Editor’s note: This is another in a series of favorite flies used by members of Schuylkill County Trout Unlimited.
Now through mid-to-late September, some streams offer a heavy hatch that many fishermen never get to see.
White flies, which wait until almost complete darkness has set in to hatch, are extremely sensitive to daylight. They emerge from their burrows after the sun is long gone. When trying to meet this hatch, look for a few in spider webs from the night before and stay on the stream.
Many fishermen are at their vehicles griping that the hatch is not showing up that night by the time white flies start hatching. Those anglers who have remained on the stream late enough to see swarms of light colored bugs coming upstream only a few feet above surface of water should get ready for some fun as well as frustration because two big problems come with the white fly hatch.
First is their aversion to daylight, and because the hatch comes in the dark it is very difficult to see when a fish has taken a fly when unable to see the fly. Secondly, the hatch is usually so dense that it is difficult to know when a fish has taken an artificial or natural fly.
One thing that helps counter both these problems is to use a fly that will glow in the dark. Flashabou comes in a glow-in-the-dark product, and using this for the wings of the fly — and maybe even ribbing the body — helps to follow the presentation.
Using the flash attachment from a camera to give the fly a shot about every 15-20 minutes is a huge help. Another thing that helps is to keep casts short and close.
Some evenings on Yellow Breeches Creek near Boiling Springs, a real hot spot for the white fly hatch, it is common to look down a long straight stretch and see a flash going off every now and again as flies are charged. When charging a fly, make certain to look away when hitting the flash button, otherwise night vision will momentarily be lost.
When fishing this hatch, be certain to have a light of some type to aid in getting off the stream and back to the parking area in the dark. This is one time a four-piece rod comes in handy because it is easier to walk along wooded paths at night with the shorter sections.
At this time of year good hatches of white flies are found on Yellow Breeches, but not to be overlooked are the Lehigh and Little Juniata Rivers. Quite a few other streams offer a limited hatch on their downstream and warmer sections, but walk a fine line in finding water the insects like and still have temperatures that will support trout at that time of the year.
If fishing rivers such as the Susquehanna or Juniata, expect to experience rising fish of every type, as bass, chubs, whitefish, sunfish, rock bass, catfish, suckers and carp feast on white flies. At times it is fun to see a large channel catfish skimming the surface nearby taking in large numbers of these flies, and getting a fly in line with his feeding might produce a great tussle.
On rivers it might be a worthwhile try with a size 10 or 12 imitation instead of the recommended size 14 or 16. In addition to white flies, a white wulff will also fish well during this hatch.
For the basic white fly use a size 14 or 16 dry fly hook, white thread, tail white and micro fibbets or hackle barbs. For the white body, bleached beaver or natural rabbit do a good job, for the wings turkey flats hold a good coating of Gink and help a bit in seeing the fly and the hackle should be white or cream.
For a glow-in-the-dark white fly, use the same hooks, white tail barbs and white body dubbing, but add a ribbing of glow-in-the-dark material manufactured by Flashabou or Kreinick. These materials should also be used for the glow-in-the-dark parachute white fly.
Tying a white wulff requires a size 14 or 16 hook, white thread, white calf tail or body hair for the wings and tail, light dubbing or white wool for the body and badger for the hackle. A white wulff can be used as a searching pattern for daylight fishing throughout the season and in larger sizes can be used on a green drake hatch.
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