A hatch is when an insect matures from the nymph stage and forms its wings and swims to the surface to fly away to then mate and lay eggs. You can see the fish rising and splashing as they feed on the insects that are on the surface trying to fly away. This is when you would use dry flies for trout , to select the dry fly pattern also you can use this chart to see when the nymph stage of the insect would be present. If its April and I don't see any March Browns hatching or fish rising, I use a March Brown nymph. If I see March Browns hatching , flying off the surface of the water and I don't see any trout rising then I would use a March Brown wet fly, the trout are eating the fly as it swims toward the surface but get it before it can reach the surface so you don't see any trout splashing and rising.  

              Hatches vary from state to state and from river to river. It is important to look up the "hatch chart" for your location. There are hundreds of different insects that hatch all summer. To start out you should select 3 or 4 types that together cover the summer months. Get at least two flies each size, 12, 14, and 16 . Also check the hatch chart to see if sizes are suggested, there are flies that are suggested at 18, 20 and 22. 

          Look up online for hatch charts for all the local rivers and streams you fish. Then make a combined chart that will give you an idea of what to be prepared for during the year.

                             This chart below is my personal hatch chart for New Jersey. The hatch chart is a rough idea, an estimate of the aquatic activity, there are variations due to temperature fluctuations, drought and major storms can throw things off by several weeks to a month. Nature is not on a schedule. I choose a few flies and make sure I have an assortment of colors and sizes.                                   

                                       HATCH CHART

SULFUR DUN--                                   MAY, JUNE

BLUE WINGED OLIVE----          APRIL, MAY, JUNE

MARCH BROWN ---      MARCH, APRIL, MAY

LIGHT CAHILL---                                  MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST

CADDIS TAN BODY---                APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST

CADDIS GREEN BODY--                       MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST

OCTOBER CADDIS (ORANGE BODY)---                           AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER

** NOTE -  Stone fly nymphs and scuds are found in the water all year round, you can use these 2 patterns any time of the year. Winter months when there are no hatches these 2 patterns produce fish. They are the main food supply.

Stone flies live between 1-3 years depending on the type, live for 1-3 years as nymphs then when the weather is warm they crawl out and molt to winged mature flies which then mate , lay eggs and die in a few weeks. You can pick up a stone in any trout stream all year round and find stone fly nymphs and scuds, they are always there and you could fish stone flies only all year round and catch trout.

Scuds are fresh water shrimp. They do not go through stages like the other insects.  These crustaceans hatch from eggs  in a mature state and grow larger over the years, they molt several times each time increasing in size. Scuds are a major food source all year round.

PICK UP A ROCK

Look around the stream, are there caddis flies breaking free of the surface? Pick up a flat rock in the stream and examine the underside, you will see nymphs and scuds , this is the first thing I do when I get to the river, always get a first hand look, this beats a hatch chart any day.

PICK UP A BOOK

1. Caddisflies: A Guide to Eastern Species for Anglers and Other Naturalists 
2. Matching Major Eastern Hatches: New Patterns for Selective Trout
3.  Hatch Guide for New England Streams
4.  The Orvis Streamside Guide to Trout Foods and Their Imitations
5. Fly-Fishing Guide to The Upper Delaware River

 .   Drag occurs anytime your dry fly moves unnaturally on the water’s surface. It’s often the primary reason a fish won’t eat your fly. 

Drag can be reduced by raising or lowering the tip of your rod or pulling in the slack as your line floats down stream.

 When completing a dry fly cast, moves the rod and line upstream or downstream to create a mend before the line touches the water. This allows for a cleaner, drag-free drift, mimicking the natural movement of an insect on the water's surface.  

 This is why to achieve drag-free drifts, under varying conditions, you must be able to mend your leader and fly line to counteract drag from where you are standing when using dry flies for trout.

 Mending is the way in which anglers manipulate their fly line to help ensure that their dry flies float drag-free to the fish they’re targeting.  

 Always make sure to pace your strips as the stream’s flow rate dictates. Don’t strip so fast that you’re pulling the fly or too slow that you’re allowing slack to form. 

If your fly is dragging across the surface of the water like a water skier, even if you match the hatch perfectly, no trout will bite a fly that is not naturally floating downstream. 

Fish for the trout in front of you, limit your casting distance to within about 20 feet. This is the key to getting a natural drift.

A natural presentation of the fly drifting downstream is more important than picking the right fly.

  If you’re fishing dry flies you will need to mend the line right away, lifting the rod tip, lowering the rod tip and reeling in slack line to avoid drag.

 Drag occurs anytime your dry fly moves unnaturally on the water’s surface. It’s often the primary reason a fish won’t eat your fly. 

Watch as I work this set of water using dry flies for trout, keeping the line tight with no slack.

  You should cast quartering upstream.

If you’re aiming for a drag-free drift with your nymphs, then you must mend the line. Lifting the rod tip as the nymph drifts past you picking up the slack. Then as he fly gets to the end of the drift, lift the rod tip up to 90 degrees, then quickly dropping the tip level. This pulls the nymph toward you then drops it down for a quick secondary drift. The nymph gets a nice natural drift , this is when I usually hook up. 

Fishing nymphs is the same style of fishing like fishing with worms. You want to get a good drift just off the bottom without getting snagged every cast.

Watch as I work this set of water, fishing in close, lifting the rod tip as the line floats by then dropping, and lifting and dropping at the end of the drift to get that extra drift.

Hatches vary from state to state and from river to river. It is important to look up the "hatch chart" for your location. There are hundreds of different insects that hatch all summer. 

Fishing wet flies that match the hatch, they imitate the nymph hatching into the mature stage with wings and swimming toward the surface.

Sometimes during a hatch you  will see flies coming off the surface and no fish splashing. The trout mostly are eating the flies before they reach the surface. This is when you use the matching wet fly. Cast quartering upstream and lift and drop the rod tip to raise the fly to the surface then drop it to the bottom and raise it up again to simulate a fly hatching off the bottom and swimming to the surface. Pump the fly up and down several times during each drift. 

Caddis flies are active all summer, there are many different types, brown body, green body and tan. A caddis hatch is some thing that makes a fly fisherman's heart pound. In between hatches and during use caddis emergers.  The emerger is fished casting quartering upstream and lift and drop the rod tip to raise the fly to the surface then drop it to the bottom and raise it up again to simulate a fly hatching off the bottom and swimming to the surface. Pump the fly up and down several times during each drift.

Caddis soft hackle and gold ribbed hares ear will be the most productive wet fly all spring and summer long.

Cast quartering upstream and lift and drop the rod tip to raise the fly to the surface then drop it to the bottom and raise it up again to simulate a fly hatching off the bottom and swimming to the surface. Pump the fly up and down several times during each drift. 

Watch as I work this set of water working the fly up and down during the drift. Pumping the rod up and down mends the line and gives a natural drift.

I enjoy fishing wet flies the most because they are the easiest to fish and get results.

Streamer flies can imitate baitfish, minnows. These streamers can be used all year round.

I like to use streamers when the water is high and muddy due to a recent rain, and for recently stocked trout. I fish in New Jersey and they stock all rainbow trout. Rainbow trout love streamers and hit them aggressively. 

MUDDLER MINOW

MARABOU

LEECH

CLOUSER MINNOW

These flies work best in fast water, let your floating fly line carry your streamer downstream then slowly work the fly up. Retrieve the streamer with a jerking motion, make it look like a wounded baitfish. I like to get right out in the current and cast the streamer downstream 10 feet, then lift the rod up and then down to give the streamer some life, I do this at least 20 times. Then letting out about 3-5 feet more line, letting the current take it, then repeat lifting and dropping, let out another 5 feet ,repeat. Now I got about 30 feet of fly line out, it's floating and when I lift up I can see my streamer. Now I reel in about 3 feet of line and work the streamer lifting and lowering the rod. Repeat reeling in 3 feet at a time. Take your time, try to work the streamer next to rocks and channels working it back to you. I keep repeating this letting it out and working it back. 

These flies work best in fast water, let your floating fly line carry your streamer downstream then slowly work the fly up. Retrieve the streamer with a jerking motion, make it look like a wounded baitfish.

Watch as I work this set of water allowing the line to float down stream and then retrieving it with short jerking motions simulating a wounded minnow. 

 Trout are actively feeding most of the day, they position themselves  in the current and let the food come to them. When you first get to the river look for fast water, boulders in the water, any thing that disrupts the current.  The food (insects) are floating down in the fast current and when the current is broken by an obstructions the food tends to sink and collect in the slower water, this is where the trout will be sitting along the bottom. Look for fast water getting slowed down Look for changes in water depth, fast shallow water that turns into a deep slow current hole, changes in water depth , low to high and high to low , the fish like to stay in these areas, shifts in current speeds cause food to collect.

Before you jump into the river with your chest high waders, take a good look around the bank, look for a cutout along the bank, fish love to hide under cutouts. The first things I look for is a large boulder in the middles of fast water, cast several feet upstream of the boulder and try to get a good drift on the side, the current usually  carves out a deep spot next to boulders and trout like to hide under the rocks. Trout look for safety, deeper water and cover.

Keep your eyes open for fish rising, they don't always splash, sometimes just a dimple. When you see a trout rising don't cast right on top of it, cast several feet above it and allow your fly to drift over the spot. Be persistent don't give up after just a few cast, take your time and work the area, don't leave fish to look for fish.

Look for bends in the river. Inside bends have cut outs from the current and provide great cover.

A good pair of sun glasses really help a lot, look carefully , look for movement , take your time and look carefully before you walk into the river, you don't want to spook them on the way in.