The hatch we have all been waiting for is now in full effect! Tricos are popping in the early morning in great numbers, and the fish have started keying in on them as a primary food source. Some of the staff have used their off days to gain first hand knowledge of this season’s Trico madness.As usual, rising fish that are gobbling down Tricos are not the easiest fish to catch, but with a little patience success can be had. Let’s discuss the most important factors that go into a sweet Trico experience.
Drift: The most important aspect of dry fly fishing on the Mo is drift. If your fly is dragging even the slightest bit odds are the trout will not eat it. The best way to avoid drag is to get into a comfortable casting position. For some that is downstream of the fish at a 45 degree angle. Personally, I find standing upstream of the rising fish at a 45 degree angle to be more effective. When casting make sure to land the fly a few feet above the fish, while also concentrating on throwing a proper reach cast. A reach cast, also known as an aerial mend, is crucial to executing a good drift, especially with Tricos. Once your fly has landed, feed some line into your drift and wait for your fly to be devoured (hopefully).
Leader: There are as many opinions on which leader to fish for Tricos as there are trout in the Mo. If you like a nine foot 4x leader, that is great, and it will probably work a few times if fished regularly. The fact of the matter is a 12 foot, or longer, 5x leader is going to give you a better chance at catching fish. This is true for a few reasons. The most important being that the fish are less likely to see your line. Another reason is micro drag. A longer, thinner leader is going to give an angler a much better shot at minimizing micro drag, which is important on the Mo due to the many micro currents that make up the river’s surface. So next time you are out on the water struggling to catch fish, try lengthening your leader.
Fly Selection: Two mornings ago there was an excellent Trico hatch that produced one of the best spinner falls of the season. Fish were podded up all over the river, rising to Trico spinners. From 9 am to 4 pm we fished Trico spinners varying from sizes 18 to 22. A High-Vis Trico Spinner did the trick more often than not when fished properly. Come into the Craig shop and we will be happy to show you the flies we have been throwing in the morning to catch sipping fish!
