What's on the surface

[henrydavid]

Fished a small creek yesterday, didn't take a temp measurement but the water was [color=0033FF]COLD[/color] Levels were low so spooky trout was the name of the game. I did see a few rises but couldn't see anything on the water.

This was late afternoon, besides the possible ant or hopper what else might they be feeding on, and what imitations might work?

 

[krayfish]

flying ants? midges?

 

[dc410]

I've been seeing some little orange craneflies recently (probably size 18 or 20). The WMD (orange ant) pattern would probably work well.

 

[henrydavid]

Thanks, I'll take a closer look in the next day or 2. I was surpised to see the rises, those same fish were just as eager to take a wooly bugger. I didn't even have any dry flies with me.

 

[Fishidiot]

krayfish wrote:
flying ants? midges?

^ Yep - especially midges.

Another possibility would be trico spinners. They're regarded as a morning hatch but this time of year, with the cold mornings we have had lately, they can be on the water all afternoon, esp in slack, shoreline eddies.

 

[pcray1231]

Small infertile stream, or like a small limestoner?

If the former, I'd say gnats and midges. See it all the time in these conditions. Luckily, the fish are usually agressive enough to hit other stuff. If the water is too cold, sometimes it's tough to get them to rise, but then, they don't usually rise to naturals either.

If it's a limestoner, or otherwise a fairly fertile, valley stream, I'd guess tricos. They're still around. They just don't mass in such enormous, obvious numbers, the spinner fall is much later and more spread out. The occasional size 24 and 26 mayfly doesn't have the visibility to make you think there's a hatch on, but can explain a lot of random seeming rises.

 

[CLSports]

Small midges stuck in the surface film. Use a small midge emerger pattern in sz 18-22. I use a simple black thread body and grizzly hackle on a straight or curved hook. Add a parachute indy in white or orange for good visibility on lousy fall days. Your success rate will rise.