Matching Eastern Hatches
Henry Ramsay
Fly Fisher, Fly Tier, Writer
★ ★ ★ ★ ★Mayflies to caddisflies, knowing how to match the hatch can make or break your day on the water. Henry Ramsay, author of Matching Major Eastern Hatches will dive deep into the life cycles of key insects, the flies that best imitate them, and the strategies you need to fool more trout. Whether you’re new to entomology or a seasoned angler looking to refine your approach, this episode will help you unlock the secrets to more productive days on the stream.
Just a few of the questions asked and answered during the interview:
- Henry, what inspired you to write Matching Major Eastern Hatches and how does it differ from other hatch-matching books?
- For someone new to Eastern waters, how important is it to understand insect life cycles compared to simply having the “right” fly?
- What do you consider the six most important insect groups anglers need to master in the East?
- What role does observation—both streamside and in-hand—play in accurately identifying a hatch?
- Do you think that more emphasis should be placed on fly fishermen being able to identify nymph and pupa stages of mayflies and caddis flies?
- When matching a hatch do you prefer a fly that is a direct match or more of a general look fly?
- Mayflies are the poster child of hatch-matching—what are the major Eastern species anglers should know?
- How can you tell when trout are feeding on emergers?
- Regarding multiple flies, what conditions determine the setup you use?
- How important are mayfly spinner falls to the trout angler?
- Caddisflies often confuse anglers compared to mayflies—what key differences should we focus on?
- How do you fish caddis emergences differently from mayflies in terms of presentation?
- Stoneflies are often overlooked in the East compared to the West—how important are they in Eastern streams?
- What common mistakes do anglers make when trying to fish a stonefly hatch?
- Midges can be intimidating because of their size—how critical are they to Eastern fly fishers?
- How do you adjust your fly selection when conditions are tough and trout ignore traditional hatch patterns?
