Ah, the summer Trico!

by Mike S. Ropter

Dark cold swirling eddies echoing the melodic Vltava, yet untouched by the streak of pink above the tree line, offer sharp contrast to the sirocco which later will burn through the dog day summer afternoon.  No visible rises call the very catholic Adams to the tippet to ride the countless currents of the run.  No response dictates change to the elk hair caddis, which produces no better, but wait.... a ripple of activity.  Perhaps the PMD, which appeared on all the local fly shop menu boards, will yield the anticipated tug of line, but increasing rises leave the PMD untouched. 

The run starts to literally boil with rising fish, but no ephemera are visibly hatching.  An upstream glance into the rising sun discloses the glimmer of thousands of tiny reflections marching in closed rank precision down the current tongue, which has now warmed to a golden hue.  A spinner fall of epic proportion.  A swoop of the insect net snares several dozen tiny three tailed Tricos.  The ebullient revelation is short lived, the Trico box having been left by the hearth.  No matter, a tiny Baetis spinner can be easily mistaken for a Trico male.

Still no strike!!  Another close examination of the insect net appreciates a thin white, almost translucent, abdomen attached to the thick black thorax holding rather oversized wings. The fall continues, producing splashing rises, easily mistaken for a caddis hatch, but explainable by the competition of the piranha like frenzy.  Trout within a rod length visibly porpoise to inhale a dozen spinners at a gulp.  At last a white micro caddis surgical patient is ripped from the 7x tether.  Another small caddis surgery produces a very nice 6 incher.... problem solved by streamside expediency, but then it's over, the river returning to its idyllic Moldau melody, the stifling hot breath of summer noon to follow.

Back in town, the fly shop menu boards bespeak of all manner of attractors, caddis, PMD, Callibaetis and even BWO, notwithstanding the summer heat, but no mention at all of Trico.  Examination of the fly bins does reveal four niches for Tricos, but none with white abs.  The commercial Thai-ties are uniformly thin bodied, but lacking the robust thick thorax and oversized wings of Trico. Also overlooked, is the fact that, while abs of Lady Trico initially may be dark green, brown, or black, as are their macho counterparts, the egg mass is squeezed in pastry bag fashion to the swirling depths to produce future generations.  The thin empty abdomen of the completely spent female Trico then pales in the presence the relatively large dark thorax and larger transparent wings.  Sure, tie all variations of dark Trico bodies but don't overlook the fully spent version, usually found on the run below the riffle in which the eggs are deposited.  If you're seeking out the male spinners you'll find most of them in the leaves of trees and bank side webs.  Spent Lady Tricos usually produce the real feasting.  In summer, don't leave home without 'em.