WVAngler.com | Fish on Brother...

Hatch Charts

Below are two Hatch charts, one for general use on West Virginia Rivers created by Charlie Nichols... and please scroll down for a more specific hatch chart for the tiny flies of the Elk River created by Ken Yufer and Dave Breitmeier. If you have a hatch chart of your own or for a different body of water, contact us!

General Hatch Chart for WV Rivers

Created by: Charlie Nichols | Cross Lanes, WV 25313 | (304) 776-4403 | [email protected]

Date

Latin Name

Common Name

Size

Time of Day

Patterns

2/14-3/15

Taeniopteryx Maura

Black Tan Stane

12

Morning & Afternoon

Black Hares Ear

3/1-4/15

Capnia Vernalis

Little Black Stone

16

Midday

Black Hares Ear

3/20-4/24

Baetis

Little Blue Wing Olive

16-20

Early Afternoon

Blue Wing Olive Dry & Emerger

4/1-5/15

Taeniopteryx Fasciata

Early Brown Stone

10-14

Afternoon

Early Brown Stone (wet), Brown Stone Nymph

4/10-5/20

Epeorus Pleuralis

Quill Gordon

12-14

AM & Late Afternoon

Quill Gordon Wet

4/15-5/10

Paraleptophlebia, Adoptiva

Blue Quill

16-18

Early Afternoon

Blue Quill (dry & nymph)

4/15-5/15

Chimarra Atteima

Little Black Caddis

18

Early Afternoon

Black CDC Caddis

4/20-5/15

Ephemerella Subvaria

Hendrickson

12-16

2 till 5 PM

Red Quill (male), Hendrickson (female), Gray Muskrat (nymph)

4/20-5/10

Brachycentrus, Numerosus

Grannom Caddis

14-16

3 till 7 PM

Leadwing Coachman, Dark Brown Elk Wing Caddis

4/20-5/15

Limnephilus Submonilifor

Crème Caddis

14

Late Morning

Cream CDC Caddis, Cream Emergent Pupa

4/21-6/20

Pteronarcys Dorsata

Giant Black Stonefly

4-8

Morning

Montana Nymph, Black Stonefly Nymph

5/1-6/30

Isoperla Signata

Light Brown Stonefly

12-14

Afternoon

Brown Hares Ear

5/8-6/20

Ephemerella Rotunda

Sulfur

14-16

2 till 8 PM

Sulfur Dun & Spinner

5/10-7/20

Rhyacophila

Green Caddis

14

4 till 9 PM

Green Caddis Larva & Emerger

5/15-6/10

Stenonema Vicarium

March Brown

10-12

Early Afternoon

March Brown Dun, Ausable Wulff, Gold Ribbed Hares Ear (nymph)

5/20-6/25

Ephemerella Dorothea

Little Sulphur

18

Evening

Pale Evening Dun, PMD Emerger CDC

5/20-6/25

Stenonema Fuscum

Gray Fox

12-14

Throughout the Day

PAusable Wulff or Gray Fox Dun

5/25-6/15

Ephemera Guttulata

Eastern Green Drake

10

3 PM - dark

Green Drake Dun, Coffin Fly, White Haystack

5/30-8/1

Ephemerella Cornuta

Blue Winged Olive

12-14

7 AM – 5 PM

Blue Winged Olive Emerger, Blue Winged Dun (CDC Dun works well)

5/30-6/30

Psilotreta Frolntalis

Dun Caddis

14

Noon till dusk

Dun CDC Caddis, Dun Caddis Emerger

6/5-9/10

Isonychia Bicolor

Mahohany Dun

10-12

1 PM till dark

Chocolate Haystack, Dun Variant, Leadwing Coachman (wet)

6/5-9/1

Hydropsyche Symphitopsyche

Tan Caddis

14-16

1 PM till Dark

Tan Caddis Emerger, Tan CDC Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis

6/8-7/25

Stenonema Canadense

Light Cahill

14

4 PM till dark

Light Cahill Nymph, Emerger, Ausable Wulff

6/10-8/20

Alloperia Imbecilla

Little Green Stonefly

16

Late AM till 7 PM

Lime Sally

6/15-7/30

Anthopotamanthus Disticntus

Cream Variant

10-12

Evening to dark

Cream Variant or White Haystack

6/20-8/15

Isoperia Biliineata

Little Yellow Stonefly

14-16

Afternoon-dark

Yellow Sally

6/20-7/20

Ephemera Varia

Yellow Drake

12

Noon-evening

Yellow Mayfly Dun

6/20-7/30

Paraleptophelebia Mollis

Dark Blue Quill

16-18

10 AM – 4 PM

Dark Blue Quill, Jenny Spinner

6/20-7/20

Acroneuria Evoluta

Great Yellow Stonefly

6-8

Evening (riffles)

Golden Stone

7/5-9/15

Tricorythodes

Trico’s

20-24

Morning

Trico Dun, Usual, Spinners

7/25-9/20

Hydroptila

Micro-caddis

18-22

Sporadic all day

Hairy Caddis

8/10-8/29

Hexagenis Altocaudata

Slate Drake

10-12

5 PM-dark

Big Slate Drake, Dark Rusty Spinner

9/1-9/20

Baetis Tricaudatus

Little Blue Dun

18

1 AM-6 PM

Little Blue Dun, Rusty Spinner

9/15-10/1

Acentrella

Blue Dun

22

Noon – 6 PM

Blue Wing Olive

Elk River Small Fly Hatch Chart

It is evident from the chart that there are many closely related insects - from the angler's perspective differing only in size.  We suggest using the smaller fly, rather than the larger, if you find yourself on the stream without an exact match.

This is by no means intended to portray a complete list of the minutiae found on the Elk.  We have tried to include those taht seemed most important to try to match.  Also, environmental conditions can cause considerable variations in the approximate emerence dates shown above.

Chart compiled by Ken Yufer and Dave Breitmeier

INSECT HATCH DATE PATTERN(*pattern color & insect color the same)
#28 Black Chronomid All Year Grey dubbing larvae, *CDC Pupae, *CDC V -Wing & *Spent Wing Adult
#36-#40 Black Chronomid All Year Same as above; cut #32 Tiemco hook off-hook point tie 40's short!!
#24 Black Stonefly Mid Dec.-Mid Feb. *BH Pheasant Tail, *CDC Stonefly Adult
#24 Olive Chronomid Second week Jan.-Feb. Dun Thread Larvae, *CDC Pupae, *CDC V-Wing & * Spent Wing Adult
#32 Charcoal Grey Chronomid Mid Mar.-Late April Grey Dubbing Larvae, *CDC midge emerger, *CDC V-Wing & *CDC Spent Wing Adult
#28 Blackfly Early May-Mid June Dun "Bowling Pin" Larvae, *Chunky V-Wing Adult
#32 Cream Diptera Last week May-Early July White Feather Fly, *CDC midge emerger, *CDC V-Wing & *Spent Wing Adult
#22 Baetis (BWO) Mid May-Mid June Pheasant Tail, *CDC Emerger, *CDC V-Wing Dun, Rusty Spinner
#28 Baetis (BWO) Late May-Late June Pheasant Tail, *CDC Emerger, *CDC V-Wing Dun, Rusty Spinner
#24 Baetis (BWO) Late May-Mid June Pheasant Tail, *CDC Emerger, *CDC V-Wing Dun, Rusty Spinner
#32 Baetis (BWO) Mid June-Mid July Pheasant Tail, *CDC Emerger, *Usual, Rusty Spinner
#36 ?Baetis (BWO) Mid June-Early July Same as above; cut #32 Tiemco hook off-with hook point??
#38 ?Cream Diptera Mid July-Late Sept. Same as Cream Diptera above; cut #32 Tiemco hook off-with point tie short!!
#22 Brown Stonefly Late July-Early Sept. *stonefly nymph, *CDC Stonefly Adult
#32 Black Chronomid Early Aug.-Early Oct. Grey dubbing larvae, *CDC Pupae, *CDC V-Wing & *Spent Adult
#32 Primrose Diptera Mid Aug.-Mid Nov. Thread larvae, *CDC Emerger, *CDC V-Wing & *Spent Adult
#22 Baetis (2nd Brood) Mid Aug.-Mid Sept. Pheasant Tail, *CDC Emerger, *CDC V-Wing Dun, Rusty Spinner
#32 White Ghost Early Sept.-Late Oct. *Feather Fly, CDC Little White, *CDC Spent (wings swept back)
#28 Baetis (2nd Brood) Early Sept.-Mid Nov. Pheasant Tail, *CDC Emerger, *CDC V-Wing Dun, Rusty Spinner
#32 Tain Diptera Mid Sept.-Mid Oct. Tan Thread Larva, *CDC Pupae, *CD V-Wing & *Spent Adult
#40 ?Cream Diptera Mid Sept.-Mid Nov. Same as Cram Diptera above; cut #32 Tiemco hook off-with point tie short!!
#32 Baetis (2nd Brood) Late Sept.-Mid Nov. Pheasant Tail, *CDC Emerger, *Usual, Rusty Spinner
#24 Baetis (2nd Brood) Late Sept.-Mid Nov Pheasant Tail, *CDC Emerger, *CDC V-Wing Dun, Rusty Spinner
#22 Cream Diptera Late Sept.-Late Oct. White Feather Fly, *CDC Pupae, *CDC V-Wing & * Spent Adult
#30 Olive Diptera Early Oct.-Early Nov. Dun Thread Larvae, *CDC Pupae, *CDC V-Wing & *Spent Adult