The Sulfur Hatch

 

Springtime means warm weather, which is a perfect time for mayflies to emerge and for fish to feed. In many areas of the country, April and May start off trout season.   Emergence of this hatch is likely to occur in the midafternoon, and spinnerfalls occur in the evening. Around May, when temperatures are reaching the 70s in many areas of the country, sulfurs are likely to emerge in the middle of the month!

 

During this time, it may be time to shop for a sulfur dry fly here at RiverBum. We have all the popular patterns that will attract fish and help you bring fish to hand.  Not sure which sulfur dry fly to use? Knowing and understanding the sulfur hatch will help you make an informed choice. Read on to know more about it:

 

When and where

 

These mayflies are referred to as ‘sulfurs’ because of the color of their bodies: pale, yellow-bodied with gray wings.  Nymphs drift for some time just below the surface as they begin to emerge, and these floating nymphs cause rises to the surface which may fool the angler into thinking the trout are taking duns.

 

Emergence itself takes quite a while, making emerger patterns more important for this hatch than for most. This importance is heightened by the lower availability of the fully formed duns. These duns take to the air more quickly than most mayflies, but anglers should still be prepared to imitate them if need be.

 

Sulfurs are predominantly found in the Northeast and Upper Mid-West.   The Poconos are famous for their sulfur hatches.   They opt for gravel bottom and fairly fast-moving water, but they can be found in many sections of gravel and sand bottomed cold streams.

 

After emerging, the duns leave water for the trees to molt and become sexually mature. Mature sulfurs become a rusty brown color with clear and shiny wings, and they gather in a mass high over the river from 7 to 9 in the evening to mate. Males fall to the water, and females deposit eggs in the water before dying.  The spinnerfall is truly something to behold.

 

Dry flies and popular patterns

 

RiverBum is your one-stop shop for Sulphur patterns.  Our popular patterns include the Sulphur Parachute dry fly. Comparadun Sulphur, Sulphur Dun, and CDC Sulphur are great to use where there is a sulfur hatch.   Sulphur’s and Pale Morning Dunns from the West Coast are closely related.   In fact, my go to fly during a Sulphur hatch is the Humpback Emerger, PMD, I kid you not.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Skwala Stoneflies

  The skwala belongs to the family of stoneflies. Come spring, it is among the first ones to hatch. These bugs are known for their smaller, dark bodies and they crawl onto brushy areas and banks to hatch. All stoneflies go through incomplete metamorphosis, with three life stages: egg, nymph, and adult. When the skwala stonefly starts moving, that’s your cue to use big dry flies. Fishing with a skwala dry fly can provide anglers lots of opportunities and a great experience, whether you’re looking into streamer fishing or nymphing.   Early spring is the best time to nymph a small olive nymph pattern when the skwala fly starts to hatch. When you start to see trout rising, nymphs crawling on rocks, or fresh empty shucks on banks, you may want to start using a good skwala dry fly pattern. At RiverBum , we carry a great selection of flies you can use, such as Britten Jay’s Skwala Stone, which is designed to attract trout. It’s a good high floating fly for a hopper dropper rig, too.
Read more

Stoneflies

  Stoneflies pack a large protein punch for trout.    These large insects are an important part of a trout’s diet.    The prime habitat for these nymphs is at the rocky bottom of the faster-moving areas of a river, as they require well-oxygenated and clean water to thrive.    The presence of stoneflies is normally a good indication of water quality.   Stoneflies go through an incomplete metamorphosis; depending on their species, they can spend up to three years as nymphs before becoming an adult. When they hatch, mature nymphs crawl along the bottom of the river to the shore, then crawl out of the water to shoreline vegetation or exposed rocks. When they move to the shore, they easily get swept off the bottom where they become easy prey. Adult stoneflies emerge from their old nymphal shuck to fly off eventually, with the purpose of finding a mate.   When using stonefly nymphs, make sure that they resemble actual stoneflies in that stage with their prominent two tails, two wingc
Read more

Beginner Fly Fishing Tips - Choose Your First Fly Reel

Choosing the right fly rod and reel is the first challenge to any beginning fly fisher.    There really seems to be information overload out there.   The fly reel is an essential tool for fly fishing.    You want to generally match the weight of the reel to the weight of the rod.   Generally speaking the lower the weight, the lighter the reel.    The higher the weight, the heavier the reel.    You want to match your weight to your fishing application.   If you trout fishing small streams, you want something light like a 3 or 4 weight.   Saltwater fishing, you’re looking at 8-12.    You don’t want a small set up for big fish, nor do you want a heavy set up for smaller fish.     Here are some popular brands to consider when looking for  fly fishing reels : TFO Fly Reels TFO is known for its sturdy fly reels made of durable materials like aluminium and stainless steel. Their Power reel series utilizes conical spring washers that offer a wide range of drag resistance. Meanwhile,
Read more