George and Michele took a wet fly lesson with me on Tuesday, and deserved much better than what they put into it. We started out in the lower end of the PTMA. The water was perfect for wet flies, but there was no hatch activity and virtually no visible feeding. We had a good, long streamside classroom session, but we had to scrap for the few touches we received. George and Michele both did an excellent job of getting their flies where they needed to be, but you can’t catch what doesn’t want to eat.
So we zipped down below the PTMA and were greeted by: more of the same. The fish were a little more active, but still no real hatch, nor feeding. Although both George and Michele put trout in the hoop, they didn’t get rewarded for the fine level they wet fly fished at. Our fishing window was 1pm-5pm, and to prove it wasn’t them, I swung wets for 90 minutes, 6pm-7:30pm, above the PTMA, and managed only two trout. Not good. At 7:30 I switched to dry, and proceeded to….wait. Nothing happened. 8pm. Still no rises. Finally, I moved downstream 200 feet, where I found a couple risers and landed them both. From 8:30-9:15pm, all hell broke loose, and it was a trout on every cast, even after I could no longer see the fly. Caddis 16-18, little Sulphurs 16-18, and midges filled the air and littered the surface of the water.
This is typical for this time of year when the hatch is delayed. If you want to catch fish, my best advice is to wait it out, then take advantage of the dusk feeding frenzy.
currentseams.com 
Steve, off topic question, have you ever seen a “worm hatch” after sunset or at sunset? Was fishing last night after sunset and witnessed whst I think could only hsve been a worm hatch. Fishing the delaware bay at cape may, wet wading and fish were feeding all around me but no baitfish were seen breaking the water i was tossing a Ray’s fly and had no hits, too dark for me to tie on a cinder worm fly. Any thoughts? Thanks, Bob Garman.
pa going back with a headlamp soon.
Yes, yes, yes. Multiple times. In fact, the biggest worm swarm I ever witnessed took place around midnight in a RI salt pond on August 31/September 1 many years ago. What you experienced could have been worms. But it also could have been some other small stuff, like crab larvae or shrimp or sand eels or glass minnows. A dip net will help you solve the problem — along with a three fly team presented at a dead drift.
Thanks Steve! Going out tomorrow morning, I’ll let you know hiw I did.