Terrestrials for summer trout

Try these insect imitations to fool hot-weather trout

Freestone trout streams of the Carolinas unfortunately aren’t known to have prolific hatches like the streams out west or up north. 

Sure, in spring and early summer, an angler may find streams with a few green drakes, mayflies, stone flies and caddis flies, but along about June, most of the hatches taper off.  For the rest of the summer, anglers have to change up tactics to give themselves the best opportunity for success.  

It’s insect time

According to anglers Andy Aretakis and Alvin Johnson, now is the time to switch to terrestrial insects such as grasshoppers, ants, beetles and possibly inchworms. Keep in mind that trout in these streams can’t afford to be selective, therefore they are actually more opportunistic. In short, it’s hard for them to pass up a nice juicy grasshopper drifting by. 

Start by keeping your distance while attempting to cast when approaching a pool. Streams tend to be a little lower, and maybe a little clearer, this time of year. So trout may be a little spookier. Here, an angler may consider going down in flyline size to a 4-weight, or even a 3-weight. Also, most of the year, anglers fish 4x or 5x tippet. But lower and clearer water levels may cause an angler to go to a 6x. 

Always make that first cast in the back of the pool. This is a prime place for a trout to hold, because food is literally funneled down. Also, this fish tends to be the “look out.” If you spook him, the chances of catching fish from the rest of the pool are reduced.   

As for riffles and runs, anglers can approach them in typical fashion. Also look at pocket water. Lots of fly anglers walk right over pockets, thinking no fish are present, not realizing that they’re walking over catchable fish. 

The next thing to consider is time of day. Sometimes in late summer, the heat and humidity from the middle of the day to evening hours can have an impact on how active fish are. During hot days like this, fish may be a little more active in the early morning and late in the evening until dark. 

Even though this time of year can be hot and humid, the chance of thunderstorms increases. This can be a good thing. Storms wash and blow all kinds of terrestrial insects into the water. Fish know it, and this may trigger a feeding frenzy. Fish aren’t as spooky after a thunderstorm, when the stream is elevated and dingy. So anglers can get away with getting closer to fish. Keep in mind that larger trout also tend to come out during times like this. 

Check for ants

As for flies for this time of year, according to Aretakis and Johnson, take a look around on the rocks and see if ants are crawling all over them. Chances are good they probably are. Ants are likely in the trees and vegetation over the water. Often, they simply get blown into the stream. Trout sit and wait for these tiny morsels to fall in. 

Starting with ant imitations, just simple foam with a small piece of white poly yarn tied in are all that’s necessary.  The white piece helps the angler see it. Cinnamon and black in sizes 10 and 12 will work fine. Aretakis is particularly fond of red ants ever since he landed a brown trout more than two feet long on one. 

Another favorite fly of Aretakis and Johnson is a Royal Wulff. The combination of red floss between peacock herl and brown hackle has the colors of a red ant. It floats good, and with the white wings, it’s much more easily seen. 

Of course, anglers also need some sort of beetle imitation. Black foam beetles in sizes 10 and 12, also tied with a small piece of white, work fine. Don’t forget about Japanese beetles. Trout won’t pass them up either. 

One local angler kept and cleaned a 14-inch trout. He examined the stomach contents and counted 16 japanese beetles in it. Japanese beetles in sizes 10 and 12 work well. Keep in mind that as you fish a beetle, you’ll notice a “splat” when it hits the water. This is just fine. Trout are accustomed to this, and it’s essentially ringing the dinner bell. 

Trout are opportunistic

As for grasshopper imitations, a Joe’s hopper or yellow stimulator in sizes 12 and 14 are as good as any. Take a look at the grasshoppers in a specific area. Sometimes they can have tan, yellow or green bodies. Anglers that tie their own flies or know someone who ties flies, can substitute these colors in different sizes to cover the grasshopper spectrum. 

Sometimes the hackled grasshopper patterns tend to float a little higher than the deer hair spun patterns for the type of streams that are in the Carolinas. 

The next fly to consider is some sort of black cricket. Trout eat more black insects than we realize. 

A trout isn’t going to pass up a wasp or fat juicy bee of some kind that gets blown into the stream. The late Joe McDade specifically tied a black-thread body fly on a No. 10 streamer hook, with some wings and appendages on it. He coated the fly with fly head cement to give it durability and make it appear shiny. He fooled lots of wary brown trout on it year after year.

A foam cricket in a size 12 or 14 with a small piece of white tied in will work great. Another fly that gets overlooked is an inchworm. A size 12 or 14, green inchworm can be lethal. Trout are accustomed to eating caddis larvae, which can have a green look to it. Inchworms fall into the streams just like all other terrestrial insects do. 

Trout love terrestrial insects, which gives anglers a different means of pursuing and catching them during this time of year, which can be a bit more of a challenge. Give these tips a try and you’ll catch your share of trout, despite the summer heat. 

Tie on a dropper

When flyfishing for late summer trout, anglers often find them to be more of a challenge. Anglers have to get a little nasty. One trick that Aretakis and Johnson use is to tie on a dropper.  They like to tie on a Royal Wulff or grasshopper dry fly in a size 10 or 12, then tie on a piece of 5x tippet into the eye of the hook about 15 to 20 inches long. At the end of that tippet, they tie on a red or black ant, or beetle in a size 10 or 12.  

Usually the ant is a sinking ant. It drifts along in the film or slightly under. Trout take many ants or beetles in the surface film, so this tactic can be highly effective. The dry fly essentially acts as an indicator to the ant or beetle. 

When the trout grabs the bottom fly, the dry fly simply goes under. Anglers cast this combination just like fishing the dry fly alone. The ant is simply along for the ride. The sinking ant can be bought online or just about any fly shop. If you know a fly tyer or would like to tie it yourself, it’s just thread wrapped for an abdomen, and wrapped for a head, with a hackle feather wrapped in the middle to simulate legs. The abdomen and head are coated with fly head cement for durability.  

This technique will work on any trout stream in the Carolinas, including finicky tailrace trout, provided the angler may have to modify the size of tippets and the size or colors of the flies used. The technique has saved the day for anglers multiple times when fishing was difficult. It’s effective on trout all over the country.