East Texas Hatch Schedule Plus Aquatic Foods
January - February
- Species: Crayfish w/eggs ready to spawn
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Whitlock's Crayfish 1/0-8
- Fish to catch: Bass/brown Trout
February
- Species: Fire Ants (winged) (1st warm day)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Black Ant 12-16
- Fish to catch: Catfish
March
- Species: Mayfly (Baetis) (sunny afternoon)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Adams, Blue Winged Olive 12
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
- Species: Bees
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: McGinty, Bumble McDougal 12 (no retrieve)
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
- Species: Blue/Black Mud-Dauber
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: McDougal variation 8 (cast near shoreline)
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
SPRING
- Species: Small toothpick or meadow hopper
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Joe's Hopper 12-14
- Fish to catch: Bass/Bream
- Species: Very small white crayfish
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Whitish Nymph
- Fish to catch: Bass/Bream
- Species: Leeches
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Woolly Bugger, Marabou Leech, Rabbit Leech 10
- Fish to catch: Bass/Bream
June
- Species: Golden Mayfly (Hexagenia)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Rat Faced McDougal 8, Dark Hendrickson, March Brown 10-14
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
EARLY SUMMER
- Species: Red Shiner (N. Lutrensis)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Marabou Muddler
2"-3", 6-10 long w/ blood red fins & tail.
(Most creeks & ponds can represent 50% of Texas baitfish - fish weedy areas) - Fish to catch: Bream/Bass
- Species: Western Cicada (Hemiptera) (spent female after laying eggs)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Natural & Black Hairbug 2
- Fish to catch: Bass love u'm
- Species: Carpenter Ants (winged)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Ant pattern 12 (fish on windy days)
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
- Species: Katydid Southern Angular-winged
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Chartruse hair bug imitation (fish under braches)
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
- Species: Beetle Carrion (slow flying)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Softhackle fly, Black Foam Beetle 8-14
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
- Species: Spent Acorn Weevils & windborn spiders
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Softhackle fly, Black Foam Beetle 8-14, Foam Spider
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
August
- Species: Catapla Sphinx Moth worm
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Woolly Worm (slow sinking), Catalpa Worm 6
- Fish to catch: Bream/Trout
ALL SUMMER
- Species: Grasshopper drab colored large
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Dave's Hopper 6-10
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
- Species: Moths & Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Woolly Worm 6-8 (sparse hackle), Grinnel Fly 2
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
- Species: Mud-dauber wasp
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Mud Dauber McDougal 8 (good searching pattern)
- Fish to catch: Bass (most effective)
- Species: Baby turtle
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Hairbug (short tail & no hackle)
- Fish to catch: Bass (most effective)
- Species: Damselfly
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: SS Damsel 10-12
- Fish to catch: Bream/Bass/Trout
- Species: Dragonflies & Damselflies (Odonata)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Fair Damsel & Dragon 6-10
- Fish to catch: Bass/Large Bream
- Species: Bait fish & juvenile sunfish
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Marabou Muddler 8 (various colors), Flathead Diver 8-10
- Fish to catch: Bass/Large Bream
- Species: Bait fish & juvenile sunfish
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Marabou Muddler 8 (various colors), Flathead Diver 8-10
- Fish to catch: Bass/Large Bream
LATE SUMMER
- Species: Hickory worms
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Wolly Worm 8-10
- Fish to catch: Bass/Large Bream
FALL
- Species: Webworms & caterpillars
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Fall Webworm 12, Walnut Caterpillar
- Fish to catch: Bass/Large Bream
October
- Species: Mature hoppers
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Fall Webworm 12, Walnut Caterpillar
- Fish to catch: Bass/Large Bream
FIRST COOL FRONT
- Species: Hugh bright lubbers (grasshopper)
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Big hopper patterns
- Fish to catch: Bass/Large Bream
December
- Species: Mice
- Fly Pattern & Size Recommended: Hairy Mouse Slider 10
- Fish to catch: Bass
Special Thanks To The Pineywoods Fly Fishers
Clear Water: Light Penetration Depths Chart
- Clolor Red:
- 10' - 6.5%
- 20' - 0.4%
- 30' - 0.25%
- Clolor Orange:
- 10' - 50%
- 20' - 25%
- 30' - 12%
- Clolor Yellow:
- 10' - 73%
- 20' - 53%
- 30' - 40%
- Clolor Green:
- 10' - 88%
- 20' - 78%
- 30' - 69%
Special Thanks To From Bill Dance Outdoors
"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught." - Anonymous