That’s long time TTL guest Mike Casavant with a beauty of a rainbow that he took on Back Lake recently. The fishing on the lake has been pretty solid recently, but for those of you waiting anxiously for news on the annual hexagenia mayfly hatch on Back Lake, keep waiting …

While trolling with small lures of almost any kind has yielded fish like the rainbow above as well as some nice brown and brook trout, the possibility of trolling with flies down deep is there too. Patterns like the Golden Demon, Hornberg, Woodduck Heron and Woolybuggers on sinking line can entice a big trout to bite. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like much has been hatching on top lately to get the dry lines out for casting in the evening … yet.

Of course, if you want to get some evening casting practice in, the lake’s resident population of smallmouth bass will give anglers affirmation of their abilities until the trout finally start getting active. One experienced Back Lake angler recently told me that she noticed how the trout really didn’t start feeding on the surface last week until the sun was off the water and sunlight was fading. At that point, our trout seemed to grow the confidence to feed on top.

When the hex hatch does happen, I anticipate much the same feeding activity on the lake. Expect bass to be feeding heavily until the sun goes down, then get ready for action on the surface from the trout. Unfortunately, that means we might only have 30 – 45 minutes of serious trout activity, but that is certainly better than the alternative.

Traditionally, the hex hatch runs from about June 20 to July 4. That means the hexes could start making their appearance this weekend, but it’s all up to Mother Nature, after all.

A word of advice too, if you’re catching and releasing your fish right now. Back Lake, as well as nearly all of the waters in northern New Hampshire, is warmer than usual. That means that a hooked fish can easily be stressed and possibly die unless you play it quickly, keep it in the net in the water, and release it gently to be caught again another day. Barbless hooks do wonders in preserving fish for another angler, so please be careful with your fish.

Trout are fragile and beautiful, and need to be treated as such.