White Flies are coming ~

[HenryDavid]

Long tails, graceful in flight, and bigger than most of the insects around. What's the big deal? The biggest and oldest bass give themselves up during this hatch.

 

[HenryDavid]

3 pics from Sunday evening - July 31 - Susky North Branch near Falls, Pa.




Not many around but it's the start, hooked one monster but it got off. Not many fish rising.

 

[Don]

Pretty Impressive. I mean Uncle Melvin doesn't even make those flies. They're beauties.

 

[HenryDavid]

The hatches I've seen so far were minimal. My expert fly guide friend says it's too early for them Although I did see a few pig smallies rising during the short lived hatches. Next week should be prime. Then they will make their way further up river. Some day after retiring I'll plan a car camping trip and follow them all the way up the North Branch.

 

[Solitario Lupo]

As quick as they will come they will be gone before you know it.

 

[HenryDavid]

4 years ago I was camping along the river quite a few miles up the North Branch from my usual spots. It was already fall. I saw a hatch and was dumbfounded to see they were the White Flies indeed. Caught a few bass and was working up river when the insects just seemed to disappear.
When I turned around I saw a wall of white flies heading up river but stopping and were turning around to go back down, it was the end of their migration up river for the day, very strange sight to see.

 

[Solitario Lupo]

That would be neat to see. Just like watching a black cloud come at you and you get poured on.

 

[Melvinp]

That would be cool to see but a hellgie storm not so much laugh my butt off

 

[HenryDavid]

The White Flies have arrived - I was lucky to capture a nice smallie on head cam before dark. I've been following this hatch for a couple of decades and it never gets old. Even the old fish give it upl Glad I had 2 hours to experience the river coming to life.

 

[HenryDavid]

Light hatch tonight, nothing at all like last Thursday. But it was enough to get the fish going. I caught 9 quickly before dark, too bad they were all fall fish. I moved down river a ways and found some bigger fish rising. Casted up river to the edge of an eddy adjacent to some current but didn't reach my target. As I stood there staring at the area where I thought my fly was I saw another riser in the current. Still staring at the spot where my fly had landed I noticed the line had arched out and into the current, sure enough I was attached to the riser I had seen 20 seconds earlier and was able to land the nice smallie. One more after that and it just died off. Left the camera at home.

 

[Solitario Lupo]

So how long does this last for.

 

[HenryDavid]

Only a couple of weeks. They will migrate up river. It's a very unpredictable hatch, a little change in weather can slow them down greatly

 

[Melvinp]

Only a couple of weeks. They will migrate up river. It's a very unpredictable hatch, a little change in weather can slow them down greatly

That’s means there coming my way lol

 

[HenryDavid]

That’s means there coming my way lol

They certainly should be. I don't know if they migrate up any of the creeks. Around Tunkhannock area or above would be worth a shot this weekend.