[Miliwolf]

The Cicada’s are making a racket, and the fish are feeding hard on them. Must be my favorite time of year to be fly fishing.

Anyone else getting out there and enjoying the good fishing while it lasts, Cicada season always seems to be over to quickly

Got any good Cicada related hints, tips or stories to tell?

[baitman]

I use foam one I tie all year round as an indicator its suprising how often it gets taken!
Last time i used one was at lake lyndon I was fishing a green beetle but the ripple on the water made it imposible to see so I put a green cicada on and put the beetle behind it managed 3 rainbows 2 on the beetle 1 for the cicada.
I use small black ones in the rakaia you could argue they imitate lots of things.

What type do you use?

[Miliwolf]

I mainly use Cicada GC or Clarks Cicada, normally in size 6. At this time of year I like to keep a couple in my fly box, but when I lose both I use a range of different large terrestrials, often a variation of the Stimulator and the trout seem to readily take them. I do not beleive the exact pattern really matters that much.

Do you catch many fish in the cooler months on large floaitng flys, I would have thought that mid-November until the middle of April the fish would go for them.

[baitman]

not really in the cooler months nymphing is my favourite so i’m usually doing that
if i’m using dries it’s a dads favourite or a blowfly that work for me.
I read on the forum that people use cicada in the winter, when the rivers are low and clear i’m sure if you reapeatedly covered a fish you could induce a strike

[Miliwolf]

Yeah, the blow fly works well in the Marlborough High country, I was up there a month or so back and was using a large damsel fly imitator, and was getting strikes. A couple of other guys were using blow fly imitations and was also having luck. At this time of year, if it looks like a insect a trout would probably have a go at it… Although, I mostly only catch small-medium size brown trout on Terrestrials, the bigger ones seem more inclined to take Nymphs (or streamers/lures).

I am normally only try fishing large terrestrials after I hear the first Cicada, before that its either nymphs or streamers.

Recently purchased a dozen Mouse flys from Flyshop.co.nz for $18, they have very minor rust on the hooks so were heavily discounted. many had no rust. They are normally over $5 each so was very good buying. Tempted to try flicking one of them around like a Cicada fly, see if any trout mistake it for a oversize Cicada.

[baitman]

I heard of a guy fishing a mouse lure at lake heron, the method he was using was to fish behind the reeds. make the mouse plop loudly on the water and then slow retrieve caught 10 in under an hour smallest 4lb the fish smashed it!!
Day time too. I think it was like a soft bait or something similar.

[Miliwolf]

Interesting, wonder if the trout were taking it as a mouse (or frog) or just a extra over size Cicada.

[Miliwolf]

Only heard a few Cicadas while out on the river today, fished the same section of a river I did a few weeks back. Then I saw around 20 trout, today I saw two trout. One of these two tried to take my Cicada fly but either my strike or the current pulled it free, the trout chased it down a rapid, there was so much drag on the fly but the moment it slowed down for a second the trout rose to take it.

So the trout are still looking for them, although would be getting harder from now.

[yellowfin]

Cicada time is a great time to have a go at spots that are notoriously hard to catch fish.They seem to lose a lot of their
fear and cunning behavour.Last year I had a go at larrys ck , that has a good head of sometimes spooky trout.The lamposts near the
creek were covered in cicadas and the noise was deafening.Over the next two hours I caught 11 good sized trout on a umpqua
pattern.That doesnt happen in this river at other times of the year, usually.Good casts and bad casts ,they smashed into them all.

[Miliwolf]

Went trout fishing again, heard a few clicks from the trees so had to use a cicada again. First spot a couple of fish showed interest but did not take. Went further downstream and scouted out a new spot, had one take but stuffed up the strike, looked like a small fish. At the bottom of the next pool hooked up to a well condition brown which put up a long fight, she went 1.6kg. So the Cicada’s are still working, probably would of done better on nymphs but Cicadas are more fun to fish.

[yellowfin]

Was up in The Canterbury high country a few weeks back with a mate and the cicadas went mad. We got over 20 mostly on large cicada drys

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