Don't Despair

With many central Alberta streams being off colour due to recent rains and mountain snow melt, now is a great time to get out to your favorite trout lake. The first week or so of June can provide some of the best angling of the year before the summer doldrums set in – late evenings or cloudy, drizzly days are my top pick.

Dragonfly and Damselfly hatches are peaking about now. These hatches often draw the attention of some of the largest fish in the lake, but patience and stealth are needed to entice them. Find a quiet area along the shoreline (i.e. a spot where there are no other anglers working the area) and slowly work a Marabou Dragon or Damsel nymph imitation over the weed tops on a floating line (or along the bottom on a sink tip if aquatic vegetation is sparse to absent). If the shoreline is undisturbed, large trout will often feed in just a few feet of water under low light conditions (i.e. late evenings or drizzly days).

Chironomid (midge) hatches will still draw their fair share of attention this time of year as well.

 

Chironomid larvae exhibiting some interesting colour patterns