Matching the Hatch - late winter

Ralphy and I decided to to go and play "the match the hatch game" on a local tailwater. It's a fun but yet frustrating game, sometimes.



The game for us is simple... match the hatch

It can get rather exciting at times, when you have riffled through 20 or so patterns to finally find"The One". But "The One" only lasts for a half hour or so before it goes cold. And then the cycle continues.

When times get tough, a stomach sample is in order. Sometimes, its just good to see what the fish are actually eating. I'm sure some out there will have issues with this tactic, some might even say it's cheating. But I assure you, I use very sharp hook as well, when I catch my fish ;)










I understand that the fish would probably take a variety of bugs. Some that might not resemble anything. But that is not the point of this interesting game. It's a fun and challenging day, but very rewarding. I do find that I learn more about fishing when I take the time to investigate the details. Sometimes, none of my bugs are eaten and sometimes all of them get mangled... but its all apart of the experience that surrounds the love for fish.