For years, I’ve found myself engrossed in the world of sinking lines and hefty streamers, a method that has brought me face-to-face with some of the most impressive trout of my life. However, this focus has arguably dulled my senses to the subtle art of hatch-matching and the delicate dance with selective fish. This year marks a change in approach, a renewed dedication to pursuing the diverse hatches that grace the waters of the West.
Having spent the summer immersed in the spectacle of various hatches, a debate sparked among my fishing companions: what truly reigns supreme as the best hatch in the West? What follows is my admittedly biased ranking of the top Western hatches. Let me preface this by acknowledging the hatches I’ve yet to fully explore. The elusive Hex hatch, for instance, remains somewhat distant from my usual fishing grounds. Stillwater environments and the legendary damselfly hatches are also areas where my personal experience is less extensive. Furthermore, while each category encompasses a multitude of insect species, I’ve grouped them for clarity. Here are my top 10 Western hatches, as experienced through the eyes of a passionate angler!
10. Midges: The Unsung Heroes of Winter Hatches
Midges might not be the hatch that keeps us awake at night, dreaming of epic fishing days. Yet, these tiny insects deserve our respect. Hatching throughout the year, midges offer precious dry fly opportunities even on the coldest days of January. Without midges, trout would face significant survival challenges during lean times. So, let’s hear it for the midges! While tying a size 24 fly onto 6x tippet might not be my idea of a dream scenario, a midge hatch is undeniably better than no hatch at all. These tiny flies are a consistent food source and a crucial part of the ecosystem, making them an essential, if understated, part of the Best Hatches.
9. Caddis: Ubiquitous but Underrated
It’s almost surprising to see caddis so low on this list. I know certain rivers where nighttime caddis hatches create some of the most exceptional dry fly fishing experiences imaginable. Various caddis species hatch for a significant portion of the year and are a foundational element of the trout food chain. However, my reservation with caddis lies in their preference ranking among trout. If mayflies, of any kind, are also hatching, trout almost invariably choose mayflies over caddis. Perhaps their palate tires of the ever-present caddisflies. Whatever the reason, a robust caddis hatch doesn’t automatically guarantee phenomenal fishing. They are a reliable hatch, but not always the most exciting when other options are available.
8. Baetis: The Spring and Autumn Mayfly Herald
The first and last mayfly hatch of the season, baetis are a truly special insect. In my region, overcast days in April or October can trigger baetis hatches so dense they literally blanket the water’s surface. Witnessing these miniature sailboats drifting down a riffle is, for me, the quintessential sign of spring’s arrival. Baetis hatches are synonymous with the changing seasons, providing consistent action when other insect activity might be waning. Their delicate nature and subtle emergence make them a favorite among discerning trout and anglers who appreciate finesse fishing.
7. Yellow Sallies: Small Stoneflies, Big Action
Honestly, it feels like any of these hatches could be my absolute favorite depending on the day, and yellow sallies are no exception. When yellow sallies are abundant on the river, fish seem to abandon all caution. A vivid memory of a great yellow sally hatch involves targeting large trout in mere inches of water, hugging the riverbanks, patiently waiting for these small stoneflies to make a misstep. In certain years, when the timing and river flows align perfectly, yellow sally hatches deliver my best dry fly fishing of the entire summer. Their vibrant color and energetic skittering across the water’s surface make them irresistible to trout and a delight for anglers to witness.
6. Cicadas: The Raucous Hatch of Summer
Few natural events quicken my pulse like the deafening chorus of a cicada hatch as I approach a river. Cicada hatches are notoriously unpredictable, fluctuating dramatically in intensity from year to year, seemingly tied to dry weather patterns. Famous cicada hatches occur on some of the West’s most popular streams, while lesser-known hatches unfold on more secluded waters. But when cicadas are “on,” you’ll find anglers communicating in hushed tones, sharing whispers of the emergence as word spreads. The sheer size and clumsy flight of cicadas make them a high-calorie meal that trout find hard to resist, leading to aggressive takes and memorable fishing.
5. PMDs: The Picky Eater’s Delight
Pale Morning Duns (PMDs) are undeniably a trout favorite. It often seems that when multiple insect species are present, trout will prioritize PMDs above all others. While PMD hatches can yield incredible fishing, they can also be incredibly frustrating. Individual fish often lock onto a very specific stage of the PMD lifecycle, and precisely matching that stage can be remarkably challenging, varying even between fish rising side-by-side. However, PMDs provide remarkably consistent dry fly fishing throughout much of the summer months. Most experienced anglers have a few go-to PMD patterns that will entice at least a few trout during a good hatch. Their prolonged emergence and the trout’s strong preference for them make PMDs a key hatch for western fly fishing.
4. Golden Stoneflies: The Nighttime Nibblers
The second-largest stoneflies in the West, golden stoneflies, are also among the most overlooked. Many anglers are scarcely aware of this significant hatch. Golden stones encompass several species and predominantly hatch at night. If your fishing is limited to daylight hours, you might completely miss this event! When I target golden stonefly hatches, I typically observe only a few insects during the day. However, the fish remember the nighttime feast when these substantial morsels emerge and clumsily attempt flight. Many anglers don’t realize that trout begin readily taking large foam patterns in June, well before terrestrial insects become dominant. The primary reason? The nightly emergence of golden stones! Their nocturnal habits and large size make them a crucial, yet often unseen, contributor to trout’s summer diet.
3. Salmonflies: The Legendary Hatch
These are the quintessential stoneflies, the mythical beasts pursued by hordes of anglers annually. For many, salmonflies top the hatch hierarchy. No other hatch demands more precise timing, but when the stars align, a salmonfly hatch can deliver fishing that surpasses all others. Timing is paramount, as trout often gorge themselves for a brief period before their appetites are satisfied. It’s often joked that if you’re reading a fishing report about a salmonfly hatch on a particular river system, you’ve likely already missed it. However, as the hatch progresses upstream, anglers can often intercept it multiple times. Mobility and the flexibility to adjust plans are key if the hatch isn’t occurring in a specific river section. The salmonfly hatch is truly a phenomenon, but the challenges of timing and the crowds it attracts on many streams relegate it to the #3 spot on this list. Despite the competition, the sheer size of salmonflies and the aggressive takes they induce make this hatch a bucket-list experience for any serious fly angler.
2. Hoppers: The Late Summer Bonanza
In my view, hoppers are more of an extended event than a fleeting hatch. While anglers travel from across the globe to witness the classic stonefly hatches, just two months later, on the same waters, hoppers are often largely ignored! Hopper fishing can provide the same explosive takes on large foam flies as stoneflies, but frequently without the crowds. Furthermore, unlike stonefly hatches that last mere days, fish will actively feed on hoppers for months throughout the late summer and fall. Prospecting banks and likely riffles with a large foam terrestrial is the dry fly equivalent of streamer fishing – an active and visually rewarding technique. Wading in cool water on a warm late-summer day, while catching plump cutthroat trout on a big dry fly, is hard to beat. The extended season and less pressured fishing make hoppers a strong contender for the best hatch experience.
1. Drakes: The Mayfly Majesty
The ultimate trout food and the undisputed king of mayflies. Green, grey, and brown drakes – each with their own nuances, and all equally magnificent. A green drake hatch on a sunny day is the most electrifying experience a trout angler can have. The event is often brief, but intensely explosive. For a fleeting period, every fish in the river focuses solely on the duns as they emerge from the surface film.
Green drake hatches on cloudy or rainy days can extend for hours, and while perhaps less dramatic than their sunny-day counterparts, they are arguably even better due to their extended duration. Grey drake duns emerge in a stonefly-like manner, crawling out of the river along the banks, leading to consistent action along the water’s edge throughout the day.
Brown drakes typically emerge at dusk, creating another frenzy of feeding activity before day’s end. Drakes entice the largest fish in the river to rise. They are substantial insects, easily visible size 10 or 12 bugs on the water. Drakes hatch just after the spring runoff, when rivers are healthy and riparian zones are lush and vibrant. For all these reasons, and countless more, drakes represent the pinnacle of Western hatches, the event around which my fly fishing year revolves. They are, without a doubt, the best hatches a fly fisherman can experience.
