Hatch chart

What is likely on the water, by month

This is a planning chart for trout water in the northern hemisphere, not a survey of your river. The picker still starts from the insect you saw. The month only breaks a tie and picks the backup when the observation is thin.

• January to February

  Midge and small mayfly. Nymphs and emergers unless you see a rise.

• March to April

  Midge, mayfly, and the first caddis. Overcast days move the fly toward the surface.

• May to June

  Mayfly, caddis, and stonefly. A rising fish on a freestone evening is often a dun.

• July to August

  Caddis, terrestrials, and leftover mayflies. Warm water favors beetles and hoppers.

• September

  Mayfly, caddis, and the last terrestrials. Evenings go back to spinners.

• October

  Mayfly and caddis, including the big orange caddis. Terrestrials fade.

• November to December

  Midge and mayfly again. Cold water keeps most of the day under the surface.

A spring creek and a tailwater run smaller hooks than a freestone. Stillwater leans on midges. $5 unlocks the rig, the tippet, and the rest of the box for the conditions you enter.

When the rig is a dry-dropper