With the catch and immediate release of the bass season now over, and the regular bass season now underway many fishermen have turned their attention to bass rather than trout. There’s no doubt that April is big for trout and May still attracts a pretty good number of trout anglers, but by June trout fishing enthusiasts begin to disappear from the trout streams. The truth is, the month of June can still produce some great trout catches, and that’s especially true this year since we have had a good amount of rain keeping streams up and water temperatures cooler. Cooler water temperatures and good water levels both favor prolonged trout fishing opportunities.

Believe me, I have no intentions of neglecting my pursuit of bass fishing, but I have not given up on trout either. Because of the good stream conditions this year, I have had some of my best June trout fishing in some time — and this is especially true if you are a fly-fisherman. That’s not to say that other techniques won’t work — some still produce, but trout are spooky by this time, and a more delicate approach seems to produce better. In addition, there are still some good hatches coming off, and trout are actively feeding on mayflies, caddis flies, and nymphs.

Knowing what hatches are coming off, and having the right flies to duplicate, them goes a long way towards your success. I recently ran into a decent hatch of Light Cahills on a nearby stream. I say, “I ran into it” as though it were purely by accident, but it was no accident. I knew there was a good possibility that the hatch might be occurring and the trout would almost certainly be feeding on it; my hunch was correct.

When I arrived at the stream just before noon, I could see some Cahills coming off and at least a half-dozen trout feeding. Even though the hatch was in progress, albeit not heavy, I started with a tandem rig and a beadhead Pheasant-tail nymph as my point fly. I quickly picked up three trout on the nymph, but the Cahills intensified, and so did the feeding trout. I switched to a 14 Light Cahill dryfly and continued to have hookups. Needless to say, it was a productive couple of hours.

A couple of days later I found myself on another area stream at about the same time of day; I wondered, would the Cahills be coming off like they were at the other location? They were. I immediately started with a 14 Light Cahill and enjoyed some great dryfly action over the next hour or two.

The Light Cahill is definitely a fly to have in late May and into June, but I wouldn’t want to be without some size 16 Blue-winged Olives, Pale Evening Duns, and a selection of Caddis imitations. Take along a selection of nymphs as well, since trout will also be feeding on emerging nymphs. A Gold-ribbed Hares Ear and a beadhead Pheasant-tail are hard to beat.

As we move into the summer months, it’s also wise to have a good selection of terrestrials on hand. Land-based insects are constantly falling into the water and trout will definitely feed on them. Grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, ants, and even bees are all potential trout takers. A Green Weenie is also a possibility. Fishing a tandem rig with a number 12 Cahill or an attractor fly like the Royal Coachman with a Green Weenie as the point fly covers the surface and below.

I’m sure some other fly patterns would also produce, but the point is trout season is not over — it’s actually still productive — particularly if you are utilizing flies. There are a lot of books on the market that discuss fly patterns and when to use them. One of my favorites is Charlie Meck’s book, Meeting, and Fishing the Hatches. There are numerous other sources including the Internet; find out what’s hatching and enjoy some more trout fishing.