How to catch those damn Pseudo eating fish!
Pseudocloeon will drive you nuts. So many bugs on the water and not many fish eating them. Sunny skies and emerging, bulging, fish ignoring your fly as it passes over them 25 times perfectly.
Sound familiar? I bet it does. This is a hatch that has many pulling their hair out daily fishing Montana’s Missouri River.
A few tips this Monday morning to hopefully capitalize on your frustrations.
- Pseudo eating fish will eat other flies other than Pseudo’s. You know that it once was a member of the BWO Baetis family. Now it has moved somewhere. I don’t really care where because it does not make it any easier to catch those feeding fish. Many like to cast the caddis fly at them. Just because the trout are mostly eating the tiny mayfly does not mean they will eat something else. Guides here on the Mo are generally not match the hatch fans. They are presentation nd good drift fans! Match the hatch fellers like to talk about it and stare at fly boxes. We like catching them.
- A big Adams will do the trick…sometimes. Go big. Go away front he tiny 24, or 26 baby BWO pattern and scare that SOB. There are Callibaetis around and fish are fond of them too. Try it.
- Dry-Dropper is popular too. A small Little Green Machine or a PT or some sort dangled below a dry fly, and Adams, will get it done sometimes too. Why not. Go to this approach after pulling out half of your hair.
- The big cripple emulating the Callibaetis will work. Small cripples too in the BWO family will do it too. Quigley’s is hard to beat. Harrop has some that will bring on to the surface. We love the poly winged versions these days.
- Move. If the fish do not respond, just move to the next batch of fish. Diminishing returns after a period casting at any trout. Beating your head against the wall is not all that healthy.
A few ways to combat your frustrations here this Monday morning. Enjoy your week ahead. We will here on the Mo.
1 Comment.
Great post! These bugs seem to be on all water types – just an observation though. Sunny days be ready – about 2 pm and pods will emerge! Been able to get very close wading to fish when keyed on these bugs – short range casting and the pod will slide upstream often as they feed. Tiny suckers that get stuck in the film a lot. I’ve had success running a size 18 or 20 soft hackle behind sighters like the Adams or a smaller brown or dark orange stimulator – say a 12 or 14 stimulator. I’ve also scored with same SH trailing behind a large October caddis style SH / or pupa style – they’ll smash the bigger SH or just eat the tiny trailer. Not sure what’s most difficult – tricking a fish or fighting weeds on leader when a stuck fish goes ballistic! A lot of fun.