11:21 AM
Matthew Supinski's Gray Drake/Selectivity/Nexus Blog
( A stunning Muskegon brown that destroyed my #NEXUS gray drake spinner- the spinner falls in the mornings and evenings have been tremendous- that is an understatement!)
Without doubt, the gray drake hatch of 2019 has been the most intense I have witnessed in 20 years. A very cold/cool damp moist spring, very heavy water flows all winter and spring and last nights 36F and cool days are favoring the mayflies and trout in a big way!
The perefect conditions are in palce in 2019 for amazing hatching by Siphlonurus. As you know, the nymphs emerge on land at night, thus full banks with lots of water and overhanging tree/sandy bank structure is ideal for them.
Last year 2018 was one of the worst emergences since the river was dry, the heat went to 89-90 F in the middle of May when the bugs emerge and literally "burned up' the hatch before it was spinner bound ( enough eggs can replenish the hatch even when on minimul levels ) but total 100% hatch and spinner flight success takes place when all conditions -(moisture/cool/full river flows) takes place like now.
The morning and evening spinner falls have been sawdust blanket spinner falls and often too heavy to imitate with fly. There are so many bugs that fly around all day by the gray drake lodge, land on you when you are outside...totally insane! The big browns have come out of the proverbial wood work and are chowing down on them at a venomous rate (15-22 inchers, plus the 80,000 stocked browns and 80,000 eagle lake rainbows are going feeding frenzy nuts!
Please not that the river is now a type III trophy brown river (15 inches from Croton to Lake Michigan- watch out what the year will bring in size and growth with a cool summer forecasted by National Weather Service :)
The hatch will wane and then be replaced by our big Isonychias which are less in ### and thus these pig filled browns will come to the fly with a vengance- the next few weeks and summer looks very promising!!!...we still have openings and would love to see you at the Gray Drake!...cheers!- Matt &Laurie- enjoy the images/even the Bald Eagles are on the hunt!
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