Mayfly hatch

[TIGHTLINER]

with the early ice out and warming conditions one has to wonder how the black fly and may fly hatch will turn out this year. Will they also be 3 to 4 weeks earlier? Could be in full swing for the opener this year. Anyone want to have some input on this.

[Skywagon]

The black flies were not bad last year, maybe with luck it will be the same for this year. I don't know for a fact, but would expect the may fly hatch is triggered by water temp, with ice out so early and normal to above normal temps, it would seem there is a fair shot they might be out nearer the first of June.

[Bill Krejca]

I remember an early spring, some time ago, actually, it was 1980, the year of the many fires and Mt Helens eruption. We were camped on LOW the opening week. Although the bugs were not bad (it was very hot), the fish suddenly turned on while we were there, and we had some fantastic fishing!


Bill Krejca

[campchick]

I have been wondering the same thing and believe that you are correct. This early Spring will "fast forward" Nature's calendar and we will see mayflies several weeks earlier than usual. Normal mayfly time for us is the last week of June but I expect to see them by the first week in June. If it is a dry Spring with little rainfall I expect the black fly population to be less than a wet Spring. Same for the mosquitoes.

[JayM5209]

Originally Posted by Bill Krejca

I remember an early spring, some time ago, actually, it was 1980, the year of the many fires and Mt Helens eruption. We were camped on LOW the opening week. Although the bugs were not bad (it was very hot), the fish suddenly turned on while we were there, and we had some fantastic fishing!


Bill Krejca

Bill, I remember it well. Six of us were in the Perrault Falls area as the fires moved east. One day mid-week we were fishing for lakers on Cliff Lake south of Perrault Falls. As the day progressed the smoke got thicker and thicker and by early afternoon the DNR closed Deer Lake Rd. at 105 and chased us off the lake. After sitting around camp for several hours we decided we really wanted to do some more laker fishing. So, we drove south on 105 to Deer Lake Rd. and convinced the MNR guy that we just wanted to run in 3 or 4 miles to retrieve some gear we had left on the lake shore. Six of us in three camp boats fished in that eerie smoke until dark. In that 2 1/2 or 3 hours we must have caught and released 65-70 lake trout trolling Rapala CDs in 15' of water and in an area 1/2 the size of a football field. It was the craziest laker fishing I've ever experienced.

The next morning, Thursday, everyone had to pack up and evacuate. If I remember correctly, that was the year a fire had closed 502 south of Dryden and we had to go to Thunder Bay and then south. Fortunately, that time the camps along 105 were spared.

[Bill Krejca]

Originally Posted by JayM5209

Bill, I remember it well. Six of us were in the Perrault Falls area as the fires moved east. One day mid-week we were fishing for lakers on Cliff Lake south of Perrault Falls. As the day progressed the smoke got thicker and thicker and by early afternoon the DNR closed Deer Lake Rd. at 105 and chased us off the lake. After sitting around camp for several hours we decided we really wanted to do some more laker fishing. So, we drove south on 105 to Deer Lake Rd. and convinced the MNR guy that we just wanted to run in 3 or 4 miles to retrieve some gear we had left on the lake shore. Six of us in three camp boats fished in that eerie smoke until dark. In that 2 1/2 or 3 hours we must have caught and released 65-70 lake trout trolling Rapala CDs in 15' of water and in an area 1/2 the size of a football field. It was the craziest laker fishing I've ever experienced.

The next morning, Thursday, everyone had to pack up and evacuate. If I remember correctly, that was the year a fire had closed 502 south of Dryden and we had to go to Thunder Bay and then south. Fortunately, that time the camps along 105 were spared.

Yeah, that was the darnedest spring. The first several days of fishing was somewhat slow, then with a south wind, and less than normal light penetration, the walleyes, bass, and crappies just went berserk. all the young guys got sunburned to a crisp, it was extremely hot for that time of the year.

We were camped on an island, no radio, and as the week went on, the sun took on more of a red glow, even during the day, very pretty, actually. The sunsets were purely outstanding. We did begin to notice more and more "ash dust", just figured it was from the forest fires. Water bomber aircraft were scooping up lake water within a 1/2 mile of camp to dump on fire. On Friday afternoon, a boat pulled up to camp, we were told to evacuate the campsite, even though no fires were within the immediate vicinity. We said we were going to leave anyway in the morning, and we got the OK to stay til them. It was after we got back to the mainland that we found out about the eruption, and that at least some of the ash that seemed to cover eveything at the campsite was actually from the eruption. There were a lot of stories of property damage from all the fires.

The fishing was unforgetable during that time.

Bill Krejca

[Obabikon]

If the warm weather continues, the mayflies will be early. But, that's a big IF. We also could get a big cold front in mid April that kills all the bugs off and puts the water temps back to normal.