Late February to Early April Hatch Patterns

GHM

GHM

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Joined
Sep 19, 2023
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Allegheny County, Plum
I had previously posted a thread concerning May and June hatches for PA. I had gotten great recommendations of patterns and was quite pleased with how they all turned out.

Now I’m on the lookout for some from late February to early April for another box. Would caddis be around? I heard midges?

I really am new to the hatches and would appreciate any patterns! Thanks for any help!
 
Depending on where you are in the state, the hatches can vary by a few weeks. You might want to look up some hatch charts for some well known streams in the area. Pretty easy to find for most PA waters.
 
turkey said:
Early April, you might see some caddis.
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I typically see little black caddis appear on the breeches a few weeks before grannoms. I'm not sure how appealing they are to the trout as usually there is good midge and usually some little BWO activity around the same time. I usually bet on the little BWO'S. And I'm usually right. 😁
 
The last week of March and or the first week of April can be Grannom and Hendrickson hatches on the Breeches. Some years they can be a great hatch other years only a few flies. Black caddis will come off on nice winter days as well as black and a few brown stone flies. BWOs on over cast drizzly days.
 
Old Town said:
The last week of March and or the first week of April can be Grannom and Hendrickson hatches on the Breeches. Some years they can be a great hatch other years only a few flies. Black caddis will come off on nice winter days as well as black and a few brown stone flies. BWOs on over cast drizzly days.
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Never heard of Grannom’s, I’ll look into them. Everyone seems to think black caddis and BWO’s could be out so I tied up some of them. Thanks!
 
Dear GHM,

Depending on what March weather does Hendrickson's might be over in Poconos by the end of March/early April. If we don't get another turd floating rain on Saturday in SCPA you should see bugs locally by Tuesday as the highs from Sunday until Wednesday are supposed to be in the low 60's and overnight lows in the mid-40's. Somewhere will have 50-degree water by mid-week, so carry a thermometer.

Have BWO's in 16-18, an any caddis as long as it is tan will probably interest a fish or two. Just stay on project water!

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
It is grannom caddis. The larva is a green worm. I assume they are case builder in my area. However in Northern Pa I have seen plenty of green free roaming caddis larvas. I am not sure if they are grannoms or not. Perhaps some one has better information on them as I do not have a degree only observation as a fishermen.
Some call them stick worms in my area.
 
Old Town said:
It is grannom caddis. The larva is a green worm. I assume they are case builder in my area. However in Northern Pa I have seen plenty of green free roaming caddis larvas. I am not sure if they are grannoms or not. Perhaps some one has better information on them as I do not have a degree only observation as a fishermen.
Some call them stick worms in my area.
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They're not free roaming. Their cases are the one that are square in cross section and made of plant material rather than pebbles.
 
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news.orvis.com

The American Grannom (Genus Brachycentrus ) Is a Springtime Gem - Orvis News

Written by: Ted Fauceglia Larvae of Brachycentridae family are case-builders, creating chimney-shaped homes. Photo by Ted Fauceglia Unlike the mystical status that we fly fishers have ascribed to mayflies and their hatches, the caddisfly has received little of the same reverence. Classically...
news.orvis.com


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Quill Gordons haven't been mentioned and thats an early April hatch. I've encountered BWOs in late February and March and the midges can always be a factor. Then as April hits you get the Grannoms and Hendricksons usually a week or 2 into that month.
 
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To those of us who don’t see Grannoms locally, don’t fret. Across decades of macroinvertebrate sampling in NW, NC, SC, and SE Pa I sampled very few streams where they were present. I chalked this up in part to the Brachycentridae family’s high pollution intollerance value of 1 on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being tolerant and 0 being intolerant. The greatest numbers that I ever saw were in the Ltl J at one particular site (not saying that they are not more widespread there) and in Fishing Ck, Clinton Co in the upper half or less of the stream. The numbers in Fishing Ck paled in comparison to Ltl J. I probably saw a few in a few other streams, but typically did not find any. The point is that I doubt they’re common on a statewide basis.
 
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They are extremely common on Penns, Kish, Honey, and the mainstem Juniata. Where I hold the WW jam, they'll choke you in early spring they're so thick.
 
Last edited:
Grannoms are on Bald Eagle Creek. Spring Creek has good numbers from the mouth up to Bellefonte. Upstream of Bellefonte and up through the canyon, the numbers were sparse in the past but seem to have increased in recent years. Spruce Creek has grannoms.

Some of the big freestone streams in NCPA like Pine Creek and Loyalsock Creek have grannoms.
 
Old Town said:
However in Northern Pa I have seen plenty of green free roaming caddis larvas. I am not sure if they are grannoms or not. Perhaps some one has better information on them as I do not have a degree only observation as a fishermen.
Some call them stick worms in my area.
Click to expand...
The free living green caddis larvae are Rhyocophila. This link has photos:

Caddisfly Genus Rhyacophila (Green Sedges) hatch & pictures

Life cycle & behavior of the caddisfly genus Rhyacophila (Green Sedges), with 105 close-up macro pictures & hatch matching tips for fly fishing.
www.troutnut.com www.troutnut.com
 
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