Fish Schedules

Conventional wisdom says that the first and last hours of daylight are the best time for fishing. Bugs are most abundant during those times. The sun is gone or at a very low angle, covering most of the water in shadow (fish don’t like being exposed in direct sunlight). In other words, dawn and dusk are ideal for fishing.

Unfortunately dawn and dusk are not ideal for me. I never could quite get motivated to rouse myself before dawn to get out on the river in the early morning cold. And in the later evening hours I’m probably a) hungry and b) having a difficult time seeing my fly on the ever-darker water. The best time for me to fish is in the mid-afternoon.

Perhaps it is just convenient for my laziness, but I think the idea that “early bird gets the fish” isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Am I really that lazy? Am I a black sheep in a world of fly fishing purists for whom sleep and hunger mean nothing? Might I just as well have a lawn chair, a six-pack, and a tub of ‘crawlers?

I don’t think so. Sure there are more bugs at dawn and dusk, but I don’t think that fish are only feeding when there are tons of bugs on the water. Fish might be looking up at the surface more during a hatch, but that also means that there are lots of bugs for the fish to choose from, with my fly getting lost in the crowd. I like attractor patterns anyway, and I like to think that even in the midst of their afternoon siesta most fish still have one eye out for something attractive.

I also think that the idea of direct sunlight on the water isn’t a big deal, especially for mountain rivers and streams. First, mountains and trees block a lot of the light. Second, I rarely fish in flat, slow water, so I rely on riffles and swirls and the like to provide the cover that fish require.

Am I just rationalizing here? I’ve been fishing for a lot of years and I’ve caught a lot of fish in the mid-afternoon. So, go ahead and call me a lightweight or a fair-weather fly fisherman. But next time your alarm clock rings at 5:30 and you groggily slip on your wading boots, think of me. I’m still getting my beauty sleep.