Nature has it’s seasons of renewal, abundance, scarcity, and death.
For the dedicated outdoor person, understanding these cycles is a source of enjoyment and the key to success.
Hatching Mayfly
In trout rivers, Mayflies start life as tiny egg laid in the stream; after months of growth on the river bottom, the time comes for hatching.
They emerging from the water and fly to the shore where they shed their skin. Now mature adults capable of reproducing, which they mate in full flight, lay eggs, and die.
The amazing thing is the short duration of this glorious final stage, a day or so in most cases but sometimes only a few hours. During a hatch, trout eagerly feast on the mayflies.
You have an Advantage if You Understand
Fly fishers who understand this cycle have a great advantage and high probability of success. Fishermen must be there or miss out; the hour of emergence during the day is critical.
For wildlife viewing, what is more fun that seeing baby geese or ducklings? Ducks and geese are paired up in Spring and early summer.
Find a couple appearing watchful and a nest is probably nearby. Don’t try to find eggs in the nest but rather check back periodically until the little ones hatch and start following their mother around.
Watch for “ice out” time on the big lakes; fishing from shore gets good.
Don’t wait until the general public talks about great fishing, it will be that peak actively has already past.
Why such good fishing early in the season? Trout and warm water fish like bass the move into shallow water to feed.
Springtime also means spawning time for many species and that usually happens in the shallows as well.
Outdoor photographers benefit by anticipating the seasons of weather as well as the life changes of plants and animals.
If you want beautiful shots of the Southwestern Desert in bloom, don’t wait until hot weather; go in late winter or early Spring. When hot summer does come, you have a window of opportunity to access the high mountains.
Plan your trips carefully because the time to enjoy it is relatively short.
Alpine Meadow in Flower in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah
Go too early and you’ll find trails and roads still blocked by snow and mud. Procrastinate until late in the summer and face the prospect of frosty nights.
Alpine flowering plants green up and mature quickly but they dry up almost suddenly after the extremely short growing season.
That’s OK because of fall leaf colors and brook trout getting ready to spawn.
Fly Fishing and Bird Watching
In this video, we were trying to catch fish during a caddis hatch and was hard not to notice all the birds.
Comments, Opinions, Questions?