By How Much Did I Miss It?

[Smitty]

Hey expert hatch-chasers:

 

Should of taken a pic, but I didn't. But imagine, if you will, walking along the stream banks and you see clearly dried out shucks of stoneflies.

 

So by how much did I miss the hatch? Couple of weeks? If it helps, I was fishing the Freeman river, and by the size, they looked to be golden stones.

 

Smittty

[SilverDoctor]

There are multiple hatches as they stage thought the summer.

[SteveM]

 

 

[Smitty]

smart-alec.

 

lol

[MMAX]

Read Bob Scammell's book The Phenological Fly. Wild roses mean golden stones, most of the wild roses are finished blooming for the year.Being the Freeman in the Swan Hills, I'd guess you probably missed it by 1-2 weeks. It also depends on elevation, the goldens hatch late July through early August in the high country. It's pretty much hit and miss when you chase stoneflies.

[Jayhad]

Smitty,

with water levels pretty much dropping daily in southern ab you could have missed the hatch last night, notice how close a lot of the husks are from the edge of the water.

[bcubed]

Surprised no one has mentioned that stoneflies aren't a hatch and die species... Even if you missed the 'hatch' (they migrate to shore, not really hatching..) they can live 1-4 weeks on shore before their egg laying runs. And for stoneflies, that's what you want to be around for....flip some rocks, and you'll be suprised how many are left.