August
Trico Time
Tricos, tricos, tricos. These diminutive mayflies (above) are hatching from flowing trout waters nationwide in August. It's some of the year's best fishing, but you'll have to get up in the morning to catch it. The spinner fall is most important and usually happens when the morning air temperature reaches 68 degrees. Check the weather forecast the night before. And note that a stiff wind will prevent the spinner fall entirely.

Imitative fly sizes range from 20 down to 28 fished on tippets from 6X down to a cobweb 8X. Such fragile tippets spook many anglers, but this tip will help: Using a rigged leader and fly on your rod, hook the fly to a branch. Step back, letting out 20 feet of line, then start pulling as if you're fighting a fish. Increase the pressure until the tippet breaks. You'll then learn-"and be surprised by-"just how hard you can actually pull with a fine leader. Tiny tackle can land some really big fish.

When the day's trico activity dwindles, switch to terrestrials. Grasshoppers, ants, and small beetles all peak in activity along stream margins on hot, muggy August days.

Keep in mind there's a lot more to fishing terrestrials than just plunking a giant hopper next to the bank. On heavily pressured rivers, including many in the West, it's better to go smaller. A size 10 or 12 hopper will often outfish the bigger foam-bodied versions that the trout have seen more often.

Time of day can make a big difference also. As a hot afternoon fades into a cooler evening, terrestrial insects become less active along the stream banks. Trout feeding patterns will thus change, too, and a dry caddis or mayfly imitation will typically start to outproduce terrestrial flies as the sun drops to the horizon.