Henry Ramsay
Fly Fisher, Fly Tier, Writer
Henry Ramsay is a fly fishing writer, custom fly tier, presenter and photographer. He is the author of "Matching Major Eastern Hatches, New Patterns for Selective Trout" and co-author of "Keystone Fly Fishing Guide, The Ultimate Guide to Pennsylvania’s Best Water”. He contributes to “Fly Fisherman” and “Eastern Fly Fishing” magazines and has appeared in a list of other books and publications. His fly-fishing career began more than 50 years ago on a stream in central Pennsylvania and his travels have taken him to many of the best streams and rivers across his home state of Pennsylvania, New York, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and other states. He conducts fly tying classes and presents at many shows, Trout Unlimited Chapters and clubs in the eastern U.S. Henry is a contract fly designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants and is a member of the Pro Staffs for Daiichi Hooks and Regal Vise. His website is ramsayflies.com.
Listen to Henry Ramsay's Show...
Matching Eastern Hatches
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?
