Fishing Report
September 17th, 2025
Fall fishing at the A Bar A is in full swing. Colder September temperatures have started to define our days, with chilly mornings and cool afternoons. As a result, fish have been happy and active throughout the day. Terrestrial insects are still lively, with fish still occasionally striking larger attractor dries. However, switching to smaller fly patterns can be important as we continue to see hatches of tricos and blue winged olives mayflies. Fishing risers during the trico and BWO hatches can be fun and rewarding. It’s recommended to use 5x-6x tippet and dry flies #18 and smaller when targeting rising fish. If fish are selective, don’t be afraid to try different patterns. Aside from the dry fly activity, fishing faster pocket water and deeper runs have also been very productive.
Big Creek is also fishing very well. The lower flows continue to provide unique opportunities for sight fishing. Hopper/droppers remain effective but casting single attractor dries such as Royal Wulff, Parachute Adams, and smaller Simulators are very effective and fun. Streamers are also working. Try to keep a low profile and be mindful of your approach when wading up stream and approaching a hole. With this lower water, fish are also very spooky.
Current Hatches: Tricos, Blue-Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns, Pale Morning Duns
Suggested Fly Patterns: Black/Brown Pat’s Rubber Legs (#6 – #8), Caddis larvae (#12 – #14), Flashback Pheasant Tails (#12 – #18), Pheasant Tails (#12 – #18), Red Copper John (#12 – #18), Rainbow Warrior (#18 – #22), Black/Olive Zebra Midge (#18 – #22), Chubby Trico Spinner (#20 – #22), Parachute Adams (#18-22), Purple Parachute Adams (#12 – #20), Elk Hair Caddis (#12 – # 18), Chubby Chernobyl (#6 – #8), PMD Dries (#14 – #16), Black Para Ant (#14), Streamers (#4 – #8)
Trico Mayfly Hatch
Fishing the trico hatch can be tricky, but we have some tricks we’d like to share to help increase your odds and add excitement to your fishing adventure. The most productive time of the day to fish with tricos is 9:30-11:30 AM. During this timeframe, swarms of trico mayflies can be seen above the North Platte, mating and falling to the surface of the water where pods of hungry trout await. To fish this hatch, tie on a “sighter fly” (#12 – #16) to 5X tippet. About 12-14in behind your first fly, tie on a trico spinner (#20 – #22) with 6X or 5X. For most success, make a cast to a single feeding fish in the pod, rather than a cast over top of the entire pod. You might hear your guide say “fish to a specific fish, not the water”. If you’re not getting many takes, try switching up flies (usually smaller) or lightening the size of your tippet. Due to the sheer number of real insects on the water’s surface, it may take several passing drifts to entice a fish to eat. This hatch can make for some of the most fun and rewarding fishing all year–so get out to the river and try your skills. Good luck!
General Entomology
The major insect hatches consist of stoneflies, caddis, and mayflies. There is also an ample supply of terrestrial insects, aquatic worms, and native minnows that make up much of a trout’s diet.
Hatches generally begin mid-morning, and at times will last the entire day. Spring offers a diverse range of caddis, stoneflies, and mayflies. Terrestrial insects are most abundant during the heat of the summer—July and August—and will survive until the first hard frost. The most notable mayfly hatch in the upper North Platte River watershed is the trico mayfly, which usually arrives late-July and August. In the fall, and especially with a little moisture, blue winged olive mayflies may hatch the entire day.
Throughout the year trout will feed subsurface on the aquatic stages of many insects. Spring is often a time when lots of terrestrial nymphs and aquatic worms are flushed through the streams. It is also a time when stoneflies and caddis hatch, attracting the attention of many trout. In correlation with the seasonal hatches and as stream levels drop, trout will shift their focus to smaller mayfly and midge nymphs later in the season.
Trout are opportunistic feeders, and at certain times territorial. Streamers imitate the various life stages of fishes and leeches, and can be an effective method of fishing the entire season. Streamers are usually large and flashy, which make them a great option during the early season when water levels are high and off color. They also work well in lakes where trout sometimes ambush their prey.
General Hatch Guide
Mid-June to July
- Caddis
- Stoneflies (golden, salmonflies, yellow sallies, and little black)
- Mayflies (pale morning dun, green and brown drakes)
- Terrestrials (grasshoppers and ants)
- Aquatic worms
July to August
- Caddis
- Stoneflies (yellow sallies)
- Mayflies (trico, pale morning dun, callibeatis, and mahogany dun)
- Terrestrials (grasshoppers and ants)
- Midges
August to September
- Caddis
- Mayflies (trico, blue winged olive, and blue quill)
- Terrestrials (grasshoppers and ants)
- Midges
