Hex Hatch-Almanor

Anyone know where's the best area to fish? Pump house #2, Dam? I have no idea but I would love to fly fish.

You have to ask Clayman for that.

The Hex-Hatch at Almanor doesn't happen until Chris says so!   

Usually it happens around the 4th of July weekend. The cove by the dam has a good hatch (gerital cove) The west side of the lake around Pratville. Are both areas I've experienced it. It brings up a lot of smallmouth as well as some trout. 

The Hatch started over a week ago.  About two weeks earlier than normal.  With the cool weather lately the bugs have slowed down a bit, but the fish are still there and once it warms back up it should be back to abundant bugs.  Right now Geritol Cove (the big cove just west of the dam, next to the boat launch) is the most popular spot, though other places along the west shore like Rocky Point, Fox Farm, Lone Tree, and Prattville can all be good at times.  If you're strapped for time to look for the hot spots this year, look for guys bobbing around on float tubes.

Early in the evening, pull nymphs on a full sink line.  When the bugs start popping off in numbers, you can switch to a dry or emerger on a floating line.  The shallower you fish, the more bass you will catch; get into the 20-40 foot depths and you will get more trout.  Have fun out there--lately the grabs have been few but the fish have been really nice.  A guy on my block CnRed 30 inch and 26 inch browns late last week dragging nymphs.

Hey Chris, when I was up here last week on the east shore I noticed several very large jet black bugs with long legs and a big thorax. Body the size of my thumb legs trenching out almost as big as your palm... Any idea why the hell it was? Never seen anything like it before.

Hey Chris, when I was up here last week on the east shore I noticed several very large jet black bugs with long legs and a big thorax. Body the size of my thumb legs trenching out almost as big as your palm... Any idea why the hell it was? Never seen anything like it before.

Interesting.  Were they hatching off the water or were they terrestrial?

Hey Chris, when I was up here last week on the east shore I noticed several very large jet black bugs with long legs and a big thorax. Body the size of my thumb legs trenching out almost as big as your palm... Any idea why the hell it was? Never seen anything like it before.

Interesting.  Were they hatching off the water or were they terrestrial?

I saw three or four of them 30 yards offshore on the surface don't know if they hatched and rose or landed there.

Hey Chris, when I was up here last week on the east shore I noticed several very large jet black bugs with long legs and a big thorax. Body the size of my thumb legs trenching out almost as big as your palm... Any idea why the hell it was? Never seen anything like it before.

Interesting.  Were they hatching off the water or were they terrestrial?

I saw three or four of them 30 yards offshore on the surface don't know if they hatched and rose or landed there.

Without a picture, I'd think they were some kind of wood-boring beetle just from the size and the coloration you described.  Something like a longhorn beetle.


Back to the Hex Hatch: things warmed up a lot today compared to the last several days so I'm going to give it a whirl this evening after work.  Broke the tip off my fly rod recently so I'm relegated to mooching bait.  Oh well, that usually catches more fish anyway  .  I'll report on how it goes.  I know Geritol Cove has bugs popping right now but that's also where everyone and their grandmother goes to fish the Hatch, so I'm going to check out one of my out-of-the-way haunts that typically produces.

My out-of-the-way Hex fishing spot looks to be hot this year  .  Lots of bugs hatching last night, and a lot of fish...even though the majority of them were bass.  Give it a little time and the trout will get into the pattern of coming in to feast every evening for the next few weeks.  Bugs are popping a bit shallower this year due to the low water, 10-20 feet instead of the 30+ of the last couple years.  It's only going to get better...