Early May Fly Fishing 2017: Spruce Creek Highlights

Unpredictable & Rewarding: Early May Fly Fishing

Many of us anglers love early May fly fishing due to the abundant spring hatches and eager fish. Spring brings great opportunities but it can also present great challenges with unpredictable weather and rain. For early May fly fishing, more than any other month, the angler should be well prepared with rigs for dry flies, nymphs, and streamers.

Streamers After the Rain:

When the water is high and murky, oftentimes your best chance at success is fishing with streamers. The murky water obscures both the angler’s and the trout’s vision. Trout rely less on sight-feeding and more on pulses of water created by scurrying baitfish, or your streamer. When the streamer bite is on, you’ll have a better chance of catching bigger predatory fish.

Nymphing as the Water Clears:

While streamers work for opportunistic and predatory fish, there are many more fish in the river that won’t bite a streamer, even when conditions are prime for streamers. These disinterested trout make up for their streamer refusals by aggressively taking nymphs once the water clarity improves. Larger pheasant tail nymphs, hare’s ear nymphs, and San Juan worms typically do well during the post-rain period as water clarity improves. Pheasant tail nymphs are particularly effective for early May fly fishing.

Nymphing after the Flood:

There is a point at which the stream can become too murky and muddy… Sometimes referred to as “chocolate milk.” Many anglers loathe the chocolate milk level of clarity because it limits where and how you can fish. Streamers become ineffective. But with a little patience and precision, you can still have success. When the water floods you can be certain that several kinds of worms are being washed into the stream, providing easy filling meals for trout. San Juan worms work well in this situation, and should be fished within one foot of the banks, or on the seams of back eddies. Red or pink are good color choices, as they are more easily seen by trout.

If you’re interested in fishing Spruce Creek then visit our webpage for Spruce Creek PA Guided Fly Fishing Trips.