# Important fly hatches to Michigan



## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

I am reading Selective Trout and Hatches II. These are excellent books with tons of info. I am new to dry fly fishing and want to start preparing for next season.

I am thinking Hendricksons, BWO's and sulphurs are some to start. Can anyone help me with any others that are important to Michigan? There is so much information in these books that I am trying to eliminating some that isn't pertinent. I was going to try to take the info and make a streamside guide for myself. Without all the latin names though, they make my head spin.

Thanks.


----------



## gomer (Dec 30, 2000)

i would add caddis, brown drakes, hex, and ephrons to that list.


----------



## Kevin (Oct 4, 2000)

Something similar came up in terms of hatch timimg a while back. Here is the post:
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18027&highlight=Hatch+Chart
There is a decent list here.


----------



## HATCHBOMB (Oct 4, 2001)

Tricos are a major bug this time of year. I think BWO's are one of the most important, since we have a few versions of similar bugs that BWO patterns will work for...

HATCHBOMB


----------



## Guest (Aug 1, 2002)

TU has some great material on hatch charts for Michigan, each river has it's own quirks but it will help keep you on some major ones. The Fly Factory use to have a nice hatch chart for the AuSable and in the Caddis book, Superhatches of the Muskegon has a excellent hatch chart of the Muskegon with caddis and mayfly.
Great fishing and tight lines


----------



## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

gunrod, 

The chart Amos gave a link to is a good one. The Michigan fly shops (Troutsman, Gates, Fly Factor, Schmidt's, Bueter's) have these at their shops and some of them have them on their websites. 

The book "Trout Flies for the Michigan Emergence" is a very good spiral bound benchtop manual for tying patterns related to Michigan. These are almost exclusively dry fly patterns, there are no nymphs, wets or steelhead/salmon patterns. I have this book and it is worth its weight in gold. You can get it at a fly shop, it's $23.95. It has an emergence chart in the book.


----------



## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

Here's three more of major bugs to cover, they are:

Light Cahills
Mahoganies 
Gray Drakes

These along with others listed previously should cover the MAJORS. Your taking the right approach by looking for the BIGGIES first. There are lots of others that hatch that the bugs will key on at times, some of them widespread some are on selected stretches of water on certain rivers. Many of them aren't listed on the hatch charts and I know of one that I've only seen on Grayling area streams that I've yet to find a pattern in a shop and most of the guys in the shops play dumb until you can get very specific. Sometimes I wonder if they keep knowlege of sporadic bugs like that to themselves as kinda of a "guide special" to make the guides look good when the clients would other wise strugle????


----------



## WEEZER (Feb 1, 2000)

Here's my list of must have bugs.

Hendricksons
Sulphers
Brown drakes
Isonychia
Grey drakes
Hex
Ephrons
Yellow stones
And depending where you are the olive caddis may be vital


----------



## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

I fish alot on the Big Man and area streams so caddis are very important, especially in the nymph stage.

Next weekend I am going to start narrowing it down and try to make a streamside guide with lamenated pics. Then I want to select patterns and try to cross reference them. Kinda a big chore but for the most part I have 8 months. It may turn into more of a winter project. 

Thanks everyone.


----------



## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

gunrod, 

Sounds like a great project! If you make some progress on it, it would be neat to see what you have, maybe posted on the forums.


----------



## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

If it works out well I thought about sending it to Steve as a home page article for everyone's benefit. Don't look for it soon thogh. It should take some time.


----------



## Texas Fly (May 28, 2002)

I have been trying to narrow down my arsenal of flies for when I fish the western UP and here are my usual go-to dries:

Adams (size 14/16)
BWO's (siize 18/20)
Stimulator's (size 10/12)


----------



## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

Changing the subject for a moment here. Any of you guys check out Gomer's website yet? This young man and his friends can really fish. He keeps this up he will be a moderator on this site soon. 

Gomer, I really want to try the Rogue (hopefully for a day this fall). Hopefully you can show me some tricks when I make it up there.


----------



## gomer (Dec 30, 2000)

gee thanks gunrod. Now that i think of it i really need to update my site. maybe ill work on it tonight.


----------



## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

I saw it was really behind as far as the reports but was really impressed. Good Luck and you can guide me on the Rogue in the future......


----------



## gomer (Dec 30, 2000)

there. she is updated


----------

