Small Stream Magicicadas

With the action for magicicadas slowing down considerably, I decided to check out a nearby small stream to see if it's resident trout were just as eager to hammer the 17-year insects. The nearby stream averages 5-10 ft. wide and has some very heavy cover. Packing a 9ft. 5wt. I was not prepared for some close quarters combat, but I had no other option. I also decided that the best way to fish the stream was to fish downstream. This allowed me to present my fly with a dead drift, using the current and slack line to feed the pattern downstream. A simple roll cast allowed me to re-present the fly with ease and decrease snags. I caught a mix bag of stocked and wild fish but managed to catch a brown, brook, and bow on top.

The next week, with magicicadas nearing their end, I guided my buddy Eric, who came up from Delaware specifically to catch a wild brown on a cicada dry fly. With a lot of water blown out from heavy rains, I took him to a spot that was miraculously uneffected by the rains. We ended up missing several takes by smaller fish. Defeated, I took him to a small stream that I had yet to target with cicada patterns. I took him immediately to the deepest pool on the stream and he caught a few fish that seemingly hit the dry flies as soon as they touched water. The majority of fish caught had bulging bellies where you could feel the indentations of cicadas in their stomachs. They were gorged.

Although not as rewarding as bigger fish on larger bodies of water, the small streams and small fish were just as exciting. Cicada fishing in general is just plain awesome.