Back Lake Hex Hatch Update: 7/10

The hexagenia hatch continues on Back Lake, and it seemed to be particularly robust last night. Quite a few hexes were coming off the lake, particularly as daylight faded, but there also seemed to be brown drakes still coming off as well, leading to a lot of surface activity.

Not only were the trout and bass having a good time with the hexes and brown drakes coming off, but the numerous duck families were also slurping down nature’s offering. In fact, there were many times when I would look over after hearing vicious feeding sounds, only to see a duckling happily gulping down one of those behemoths. They’re packing on some weight right now and there must be a lot of nutritional value for them as well.

As far as the fishing went, it was much the same story. I used the Woodduck Heron on a sink tip line early on, catching two rainbows and a bunch of bass (some of which were larger than the majority of bass on Back Lake) and switched locations on the lake a couple of times.

Later on, when the surface activity was really kicking in, the Hex Usual was deployed on a floating line. The bass seemed really interested in my big dry, and I think that there may have been a few trout rising around me as well. I did notice a couple of “cruising” fish, which indicates trout to my discerning eye, and these fish also refused my offering. Yup, probably trout.

The surface temp of Back Lake has warmed considerably with all of the warm and beautiful weather that we’ve recently had, so make sure to play your fish quickly and release them with as little fuss as possible, especially if they’re trout.

Many of us are wondering about the lack of trout surface activity during this year’s hatch. The only explanation I can offer is that perhaps the trout are down deep, feasting on the nymphs as they emerge. Several anglers that troll flies at deeper depths have done well lately with the Woodduck Heron or Brown Owl, leading me to believe that perhaps it is true.

The upper water column is warm, and maybe the trout are avoiding this area. We have gotten our yearly allotment of 9K stocked trout this year, so they’re in there … somewhere.

How long will the hex hatch go on? Probably another week or so and some years it slowly dies off throughout July. We’ve had some spectacular nights enjoying the sights and sounds on the lake in the last couple of weeks, so we’ll enjoy it as long as we can.