# Cicada



## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Anyone fishing the cicada hatch on the Green River this year?


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

HighNDry said:


> Anyone fishing the cicada hatch on the Green River this year?


That has been on my "someday to do" list for a while, but it won't happen this year as my annual sturgeon trip is scheduled around the same time. I've heard it is epic but also sometimes hard to hit at the exact peak time.

Have you ever done it?


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

It can be really hit and miss, but not it is fun when it’s hit! 

I will be out there probably just after it wraps up. So likely to miss it.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

I went down in a drift boat several years back (the only time I've been in a drift boat). We started out with nymphs because the "guide" told us the green was a nymphing river. All of a sudden we saw some fish breaking the surface. He then saw something on the water and told us to reel in. He oared over to a bug and brought it in with his net. It was a cicada. He said, "Watch this!" He threw the cicada back in the water. It floated about 10 yards or so and a nice fish came up and slurped it off the surface.

He told us to rip off the nymphs and gave us some black foam cicada patterns. The rest of the day was spent casting and catching so many trout that my arm just ached by the time we got to our take out.

So, yes, it can be good. I don't remember seeing another cicada while we were fishing, but I wasn't looking for them either. The fishing was just plain good. I often wondered if fishing a cicada even when the naturals are not around still produces good fishing because the fish just like big bugs? Do fish remember from year to year or does it take a few bugs being around and a few samples being eaten for them to hit imitations?


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

HighNDry said:


> We started out with nymphs because the "guide" told us the green was a nymphing river.


I didn't think you liked to fish with nymphs? ;-)


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Catherder said:


> I didn't think you liked to fish with nymphs? ;-)


I don't mind nymphs--just not my preferred way.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

HighNDry said:


> I often wondered if fishing a cicada even when the naturals are not around still produces good fishing because the fish just like big bugs? Do fish remember from year to year or does it take a few bugs being around and a few samples being eaten for them to hit imitations?


Do they remember from year to year? Perhaps. But either way, fish are opportunistic feeders. They see food, and if it's presented in a way they expect it to be, they eat it. Even when there are not large numbers of cicadas on the water, fishing with cicada patterns can still be very good. And it can also be really slow.

June 2003 was an epic year for cicadas. That was a fun, fun time to be on the Green.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Vanilla said:


> They see food, and if it's presented in a way they expect it to be, they eat it.


I feel like this describes my feeding habits accurately too......

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

This is the one area that leaves me hope that one day I will be able to think like a fish.


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