Mayfly Season Help

[plkazoo]

We are planning a fishing trip around the Chapleau area in June and someone warned us about the Mayfly hatch and it's impact on fishing . Is the timing of the hatch period consistent from year to year ...and if so , are we likely to hit it if we have our trip from June 16 - June 21?

Any advise is appreciated.

Pat

[Snowball]

Check out this article:

 

http://www.ontariofishing.net/news/july2006-2.html

 

 

Regards,

Snowball

[joonmoon]

I don't think anyone can accurately predict it but if you go prepared for it...well you know.

[danc]

I'm not sure why they call them Mayflies. We get them in the north from May into September. And yes, they can put a damper on your fishing plans. It's amazing how fish will turn on to them. I've seen Lake Trout in June that should be 40 feet deep concentrating on them on the surface. I don't have an answer for you. And it's difficult to predict a hatch as well. Good luck.

[Northhunter]

Hard to say.. water temperature plays a big role, and that usually changes from year to year (late spring/early spring).

 

If I had to guess I'd say you might be just before it? Last year was a warm spring for Nipissing, and that might have been around the time the hatch was, but you'll be further north and it looks like we may have a cooler spring this year?

I do know the 'eyes turned right off a day or two before we saw any mayflies - I just can't remember the exact date.

[lew]

Fishing can be extrordinary during, or just after the mayfly hatch.

 

We fished the Gowganda region in late June about 8 years ago and the mayflies had just hatched and there were millions of them clinging to everything they could get hold of, but the best places were low, overhanging branches that were actually touching the water.

 

The bass were coming up and feeding on them like crazy and we were throwing topwater Skitterpops right at the shoreline, beside the overhanging branches, and then working the baits back to the boat, and it was nearly impossible to make a cast without getting a fish.

 

I've never before or since seen bass fishing as good.

 

This is the stage the flies were at when they were clinging to the branches.

 

 

And this is typical of the fish we would get with nearly every cast.

 

[NBR]

I put a fly rod in the boat for that time of year and a few brownish dries and nymphs. A bonus are whitefish that feed on the mayflies. I have also had success with small crappie jigs in brownish tones.

 

I would be prepared but not let the possibility of a major hatch change my plans. Over my many years of going to Canada I have been affected by weather a lot more than the mayfly hatch.

[BabyHerc]

Mayflies hatch from April through late-September. If you don't own a fly rod, bring along some small brown hair jigs or plastics, and work them methodically from bottom to surface imitate an emerging nymph. A small spinner worked to bulge the surface might do in a pinch, and small jitterbug topwaters are another great option.

[OhioFisherman]

We went up to the Georgian one year and the darn things were all over the water, the weather comfort wise was great, sunny and warm. Rafts of Mayflies floating on top the water, fish rolling and breaking on them and the bite was tough.

 

I don`t fly fish, that may have been the answer, nothing I did seemed to work and I do try to cover all the bases. Wan`t a good trip fish wise, but I could fish here, more than one reason to make the drive.

[poobah]

Follow this link to an article on using a casting bubble, you will need adobe to read it.

 

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/anglerboater/2...ug/flyrodno.pdf

 

Good luck.