Bug Info

So let’s talk about bugs. Trout are feeding all the time. If you can figure out what they are feeding on then you should have no trouble catching fish! Right?

We can tell a lot about what the trout are doing by the rises taking place on the water but you can also get an idea of what they are feeding on if there is a hatch taking place. Now, if the aquatic insects are “hatching” into adults you may think that you have to throw a dry fly that matches the hatch – not necessarily so.. If the trout are sipping them off the surface then throw a dry but if their rises indicate that they are feeding on the hatching insects BEFORE they are flying off, then throw an emerger/pupa or larva stage of that particular insect. So with that said, you are asking yourself, “how do I know what fly to use”. Well, we have the four basic aquatic insect hatches here in Missouri – Caddis, Mayfly, Stonefly and Midges. As a flyfisher, it is very important that you know the life cycle of these aquatic insects and what flies to use to represent these insects. We have provided a “guide” to help you get started. We have also added other insects that trout eat and the flies that represent them. Check out the information below and get flies that represent these insects in your fly box!