Dragonfly hatches are a big draw for larger trout. But many fly anglers fail to notice when a hatch is in progress, or realize that the nymphs will start migrating towards shore in the days leading up to a hatch. If you don't know what to look for, or how to properly work your fly, you are missing out on one of the best hatches of the spring trout season. This short photo essay will bring you up to speed.
Knowing what happens under water during a pre-hatch migration gives the fly angler a big advantage when fishing a dragonfly hatch. This older, low resolution footage shows how the nymphs make their way to the shoreline, using a combination of crawling and swimming.
A dragonfly nymph (Epitheca spinigera) fresh out of the water and making its way up shoreline vegetation in search of an emergence site.
It is not easy wiggling out of the nymphal exoskeleton - gravity is used to aid in the process.
Once free, it can take up to an hour for the body and wings to fully extend.
Wings and body starting to take shape.
Almost ready to fly - the wings just need to harden a little more and extend out to the sides.
A close-up of the large compound eyes.
As soon as the adults can fly, they make their way to nearby trees or bushes to rest and allow for any final hardening to take place. (Spiny Baskettail - Epitheca spinigera)
Adult dragonflies are very territorial - but during a heavy hatch they will congregate on lake-side shrubbery for a bit as they soak up some sun and complete the hardening of their exoskeleton. There are 18 adult dragonflies in this photo.
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