Late summer means two things for fly fishermen: longer days for more fishing, and most importantly, the biggest, baddest dries of the season. I’m talking about terrestrials, “land bugs”. These flies offer some of the most exciting fishing of the year, and often times some of the summer’s biggest fish.
It’s a known fact that fish take 90% of their food sub-surface, and that terrestrials make up 1% of the 10% of the food they take from above the water. So, why the focus on these big, and usually ugly, patterns? Well, for those of us who prefer on any given day to fish a dry fly, these flies make for some of the most visually appealing fishing. Huge top-water explosions, big fish, and the satisfaction of catching a trout on a pattern not usually on the menu are our reasons.
By the time late July rolls around, the hatches of spring are typically over, and the tricos have yet to arrive. So for the dry fly lover there is only one option: terrestrials. Woolly buggers and nymphs just won’t do when you’re looking for visual excitement. The late summer heat tends to push fish to cooler water, which this time of year means deeper water. But, large terrestrial bugs mean loads of protein to big fish (and smaller fish who want to be big fish). We have learned that by tying on a large land bug pattern we can often entice lazy summer fish into heading to the surface, and have grown to love doing just that.
This time of year also provides more options for our choice of pattern. During hatches fish tend to be a tad picky, taking only a certain pattern, and usually a certain size. This can make for difficult fishing, what with trying to find the exact pattern to use and all. Terrestrial fishing is completely different. There are a ton of choices when it comes to tying one of these on, because usually any large bug from above will produce fish (which is the main goal of fishing, or so I’m told).
These bugs can range from spiders to caterpillars, butterflies to grasshoppers. The most common from my experience is the latter of the four mentioned, but don’t let that stop you from trying something else. Another favorite of large trout is the flying ant, which is a great choice wherever flying ants and trout are found near each other. Try fishing spiders and inchworms where overhanging trees are present, or head to a grassy meadow and throw out a large field mouse pattern. Try bees, ladybugs, beetles, crickets, cicadas, and termites anywhere along the shore or around exposed foliage, try anything you see flying or crawling around in your backyard (seriously anything, I’ve seen guys catching fish on common house/blow fly patterns).
These flies are also a great way to get those new to the sport excited about it. Technique isn’t a huge part of fishing them which is good for rookies. On streams, throw these patterns into slow moving water, usually within a few feet of the shore, since this is where the real thing will usually be found. When this doesn’t work, try a flying bug pattern in pocket water, or tree dwelling bugs under overhanging growth. With such a variety of ways to fish these patterns, you’re going to catch fish, and you’re going to have a blast doing it.
So next time you hit your favorite trout waters, set the streamer and nymph boxes aside, tie on a land critter, and find out for yourself what late summer terrestrial fishing is all about. Good luck and good fishing.
- troutbum89
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