The major aquatic insect hatches are over. Therefore the trout are feeding heavily on the terrestrial insects, which can provide some excellent trout fishing in September.
Walking along the streams you will see many different kinds of terrestrial insects including:
- Oakworms–Many of the oakworms live under the old bark and the trout feed on them when they fall into the streams. Fish a Murray’s Oakworm size 16 upstream tight to the bank where there is rotting timber close to the stream.
- Yellow Jackets–These live in the sod banks of the edges of the streams.
- Houseflies–During the summer you will have many houseflies buzzing about you and the streams. The Murray’s Housefly size 16 is effective when fished upstream around the boulders and when you see trout feeding.
- Horseflies–The are normally found around streams that are close to pasture fields.
- Inchworms–While on the stream the other day, I was amazed at how many inchworms I saw. I fish the Murray’s Inchworm as a searching pattern under the tree limbs so it lands on the stream with a splash.
- Midges–These are often found on trout streams the last two hours of the day. I wait until I see rising trout then cast a Mr. Rapidan Midge size 18 to the feeder.
Listen to my podcast for more information on trout fishing in September.
Bass Fishing
While bass fishing in September on the Shenandoah River, you will quite possibly come across the Hexagenia hatch. Often over the years, my son and I have had wonderful fishing on this hatch. One evening I counted 17 smallmouth feeding on the Hexagenia mayfly hatch. I put on a Mr. Rapidan Skater size 8 and caught one bass after the other. Some of these were duns and some were spinners and there were even some splashy swirls as a few of the bass come to emergers headed to the surface of the river to hatch into the duns. For more information on the hatch, listen to the second part of my podcast.
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