June
Pick a Hatch
In the East and Upper Midwest, plentiful hatches of evening sulfur mayflies mean abundant rising trout. Both green and brown drakes may be hatching at dusk also, bringing the biggest browns to the surface. To get the most out of late-evening fishing, position yourself to cast toward reflected skylight on the water's surface instead of fishing into shadow. The ripples of rising trout will be most evident in that reflection until well after dark.

Note that it's common for late-evening June trout to stop taking emerging mayflies and start feeding on mayfly spinners. If you don't notice the difference, your score will suddenly drop. Look for very gentle sipping rises to indicate spinner-feeders instead of the broad swirls fish make when feeding on duns, then change your fly pattern accordingly.

Western rivers, meanwhile, will hopefully be dropping by midmonth. The Western green drake mayflies (above, large) (very different from the Eastern versions) and pale morning duns (above, small) bring some of the year's best daytime fishing. Giant stoneflies will be hatching, too, although early-summer snowmelt sometimes blows out this hatch's best rivers. Those savvy enough to fish weighted stonefly nymphs rather than big dries often score the biggest and the most trout. If high water is a problem on your river of choice, find a spring creek or tailwater where flows are stabler.