For years, my fly fishing strategy revolved around sinking lines and hefty streamers, a method that landed me some impressive trout. However, I realized I was neglecting the subtle art of matching hatches and understanding the nuances of picky fish. This year, I decided to refocus, dedicating my time to chasing various hatches across the Western US.
After an incredible summer experiencing numerous hatches, my fishing buddies and I engaged in a spirited debate: what truly are the Best Hatches in the West? What follows is my personal, and admittedly subjective, ranking of the top 10 hatches the West has to offer. I must preface this by acknowledging that I haven’t had the chance to witness every notable hatch – the Hex hatch, for instance, isn’t common in my usual fishing grounds. Furthermore, stillwater fishing isn’t my primary focus, and I’ve yet to encounter a truly spectacular damselfly hatch. I’m also aware that each category encompasses a range of insect species, but for simplicity, I’ve grouped them into broader categories. So, without further ado, here are my top 10 Western hatches!
10) Midges: The Unsung Heroes
Midges might not be the hatch that keeps us awake at night with anticipation, but they deserve our respect. These tiny insects are a year-round food source, providing crucial dry fly opportunities even on the coldest January days. Without midges, trout would struggle to thrive during certain periods. So, let’s give it up for the midges! While tying a size 24 fly onto 6x tippet isn’t my dream scenario, a midge hatch is undoubtedly better than no hatch at all. They consistently provide subtle yet rewarding fly fishing experiences, making them a valuable part of the ecosystem and deserving of a spot on any list of best hatches.
9) Caddis: Ubiquitous but Not Always the Star
It might surprise some to see caddis so low on this list. I know several rivers where nighttime caddis hatches deliver some of the most exceptional dry fly fishing imaginable. Various caddis species hatch throughout much of the year, and they are a fundamental part of the trout’s diet. My reservation with caddis is that if any mayfly species is also hatching – virtually any type – trout will almost invariably prioritize the mayfly. Perhaps their palate tires of the ever-present caddisflies. Whatever the reason, a robust caddis hatch doesn’t automatically guarantee phenomenal fishing. They are a reliable food source, but for truly best hatches experiences, trout often crave more variety.
8) Baetis: Spring and Fall Mayfly Delight
As the first and last mayfly hatch of the season, baetis are a truly special insect. In my region, a cloudy day in April or October can trigger baetis hatches so dense they literally carpet the water’s surface. Witnessing these miniature sailboats drifting down a riffle is my quintessential sign of spring’s arrival and fall’s encore. These hatches, while small in bug size, offer significant dry fly action and are a welcome sight for anglers eager for surface activity, securing their place among notable best hatches.
7) Yellow Sallies: Small Stoneflies, Big Bites
Honestly, it feels like any of these hatches could be my absolute favorite on any given day, and yellow sallies are no exception. When yellow sallies are abundant on the river, trout seem to abandon all caution. A vivid image of a great yellow sally hatch is fishing for large trout in mere inches of water, right along the riverbanks, as they patiently wait for one of these small stoneflies to make a misstep. In certain years, when the timing and water flows align perfectly, yellow sallies are responsible for my best dry fly fishing of the entire summer. Their consistent and exciting surface action makes them a strong contender in the realm of best hatches.
6) Cicadas: The Buzz of Anticipation
Few things ignite my fishing excitement like the deafening chorus of a cicada hatch as I approach a river. Cicada hatches are notoriously unpredictable; their intensity fluctuates dramatically from year to year, seemingly heavily reliant on dry weather conditions. Famous cicada hatches occur on some of the most popular Western streams, while lesser-known hatches grace more secluded waters. But when cicadas are “going off,” you’ll notice anglers communicating in hushed tones, as whispers of the emergence spread like wildfire. The sheer size and abundance of cicadas during a good hatch create explosive feeding frenzies, making them a memorable, if inconsistent, part of the best hatches conversation.
5) PMDs: The Selective Sippers
Pale Morning Duns (PMDs) are undeniably a trout favorite. It often seems that when multiple insect types are present, trout will consistently choose PMDs over any other bug. While PMD hatches can produce incredible fishing, they can also be incredibly frustrating. A particular fish might fixate on a very specific stage of the PMD lifecycle, and accurately imitating that stage can be extremely challenging, even varying from one rising fish to the next. However, PMDs offer remarkably consistent dry fly fishing throughout much of the summer season. Most seasoned anglers have a few go-to secret PMD fly patterns that will reliably fool at least a few trout during a good hatch. Their pickiness can be demanding, but the rewards make PMDs a significant and highly anticipated hatch among the best hatches.
4) Golden Stoneflies: The Nighttime Secret
The second largest stoneflies in the West, golden stoneflies, are also arguably the most underrated. Many anglers remain unaware of this crucial hatch. Golden stones comprise several stonefly species that typically hatch at night. If you only fish during daylight hours, you might completely miss this event! When I fish during golden stonefly hatches, I often see only a few adults during the day. However, the fish remember the nighttime emergence of these substantial morsels as they clumsily emerge and attempt to fly. Many anglers don’t realize that trout begin readily taking large foam patterns in June, well before terrestrial insects become dominant. The primary reason for this early season big fly action is the nightly emergence of golden stones! This often-overlooked nocturnal hatch provides consistent opportunities for larger flies and bigger fish, making it a sneaky contender for best hatches.
3) Salmonflies: The Legendary Emergence
These are the quintessential stonefly, the mythical beast pursued by hordes of anglers each year. For many, salmonflies top the list of best hatches. No other hatch demands more precise timing, but when the timing is right, a salmonfly hatch can deliver fishing that surpasses anything else. However, timing is absolutely crucial, as trout often gorge themselves for only a few short days before their appetites are satisfied. It’s often said that by the time you read a fishing report about a salmonfly hatch on a particular river system, you’ve likely already missed its peak. But as the hatch progresses upstream, anglers can often get multiple opportunities. The key is mobility and the flexibility to adjust plans if the hatch isn’t happening in a specific section of the river. The salmonfly hatch is truly a phenomenon, but the challenges of timing and the crowds it draws on many streams push it to #3 on this list.
2) Hoppers: The Late Summer Feast
In my opinion, hopper fishing is more of a prolonged event than a fleeting hatch. While anglers travel from across the globe to experience the classic stonefly hatches, just two months later, on the very same waters, hoppers are often almost completely ignored! Hopper fishing can provide the same explosive takes on large foam flies, just like stoneflies, but often with virtually no crowds. Furthermore, unlike stonefly hatches that last mere days, trout will eagerly eat hoppers for months throughout the late summer and fall. Prospecting riverbanks and promising riffles with a large foam terrestrial is the dry fly equivalent of streamer fishing. It’s hard to beat wading in cool water on a warm late-summer day, catching hefty cutthroat trout on a big dry fly. The extended season, consistent action, and solitude often found during hopper season make it a strong contender for best hatches, and for some, it might even top the list.
1) Drakes: The Mayfly Majesty
The ultimate trout food and the undisputed king of mayflies. Green, grey, and brown drakes – each with their unique characteristics, but all equally amazing. A green drake hatch on a sunny day is the most electrifying experience a trout angler can have. The event is often short-lived but incredibly intense. For a brief period, every fish in the river focuses solely on the duns as they emerge from the surface film.
Green drake hatches on cloudy or rainy days can last for hours, and while perhaps less dramatic than sunny day hatches, their longevity makes them even more exceptional. Grey drake duns emerge somewhat like stoneflies, crawling out of the river along the banks, leading to consistent action along the water’s edge throughout the day.
Brown drakes typically emerge at dusk, creating another period of frenzied feeding just before day’s end. Drakes bring out the largest trout in the river. They are substantial insects, and anglers don’t need to squint to see a size 10 or 12 bug on the water. Drakes emerge right after the spring runoff, when rivers are healthy and the surrounding riparian zones are lush and vibrant. For all these reasons, and countless more, drakes represent the pinnacle of Western hatches, the event around which my entire fly fishing year revolves, and in my book, the absolute best hatch.
