The egg sacs sink into the rivers, absorbing water, swelling, and finally dispersing to seed the stream for next year's hatch. It's a very straightforward story of a bug's life, and one that most anglers know from early on in their reading and experiences on the stream. Being prepared for multi-generation insect lifecycles can be the key to consistent success under tough conditions. John Randolph photo. But with many species there is a second story, a sequel to the main event, if you will, that demands special consideration.
Some insects have two or even three emergences in the same season.
To be successful, an angler must recognize these Generation X bugs and adjust fly selection accordingly. Knowing the hatch calendar and the life cycle of the insects that are the steady diet of trout has always enabled fly anglers to plan their fly tying and schedule their fishing time appropriately. Art Flick, in his classic Streamside Guide , lists the dates on which he collected particular species of mayflies over a three-year period. Most species, like Hendricksons, emerged continuously for a week or two, and were not collected again until the same time the following year. The first hatch peaked in mid-June, and a smaller second hatch occurred in late August.