With most of our eastern trout waters either too warm or too low to fish, I’ve turned much of my attention toward replenishing my stock boxes of flies. Right now, I’m working through a batch of Quill Gordon CDC Thorax Duns. In my own experience Epeorus pleuralis has always been a “hit or miss” hatch and I’ve had the fortune of hitting and missing it, and even on those years when I hit it right there’s a measure of unpredictability involved. As an early season hatch there’s always the influences of weather and water flows, and I’ve fished this hatch during snow storms, shivering cold rains with numb fingers, and some beautiful spring days that were magical experiences. Some years the stream flows have been high, off colored, and unfishable when the Quill Gordons were emerging. None the less, a fly fisher’s optimism is an eternal thing that transcends any negatives in a life, and a well-stocked fly box is the best insurance we can carry when the time arrives. Tying a few is a great way to keep that optimism fueled until we can finally tie one on. Till then …. www.ramsayflies.com
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