Wake Up Time
It is almost as if the wild brook trout in the mountain streams and the Epeorus pleuralis mayfly nymphs are governed by the same natural clock. Actually they are. Many years of my stream notes have that when the stream temperatures in the mountain streams hold at 40 degrees for 4 consecutive days many of the Epeorus nymphs reach their full size and begin hatching. This is also the temperature when the metabolic needs for the brook trout prompts them to begin feeding in earnest.
These nymphs have been living throughout the riffles in the heads of the pools for approximately the last 350 days. Apparently in anticipation of their emergence into adult mayflies in the next several weeks the nymphs move to the downstream sections of the riffles. Many can be seen on the smooth underside of hand-size stones appearing to be ready to lunge into the current below. Here they are vulnerable to the trout.
Fishing a Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph size 14 upstream dead drift so it lands right below these riffles will help you catch many of the trout. I find the Murray’s Trout Nymph Leader very helpful in detecting the strikes.
A few days later when this hatch is in full swing I switch over to the Mr. Rapidan Emerger size 14 which is very effective. This is one of the few mayflies in these mountains which pops his wings well below the surface. Then swims to the surface with his wing out. Some days I fish this upstream with a three-inch rod-lifting motion every 5 seconds to mimic the natural emerger. Other days I fish it straight upstream dead drift.
I believe 2019 is going to provide us outstanding fishing for brook trout. The rains we had last year kept our stream levels up above normal which encouraged the trout to feed heavily. I was truly amazed at the girth of our 3 and 4 year old trout in August and September.