OK, so for my June trip I have put together a collection of the usual BW patterns like Dahlberg Divers, Clouser Minnows, Barr's Meat Whistles, Wolly Buggers, Bunny Leaches, Crayfish, and other things. I've heard and read that there are some heavy hatches of mayflies in the BW. Have any of you had any experience with this, and if so what flies to you carry to match these hatches. I have a Flambeau fly box that has compartments for dry flies on one side, and ripple foam for hymphs and wets on the other. I would like to take along some traditional patterns and was thinking of Adams' and Hares Ear soft hackles in mostly larger sizes. Is there anything else I should include ?

A few years ago there was a huge may fly hatch and in the late afternoon we paddled to a small cove that was covered with dead mayflies and bass eating them as fast as they could. I had one fly and it was a buck tail streamer #8 with barbell eyes. It was a quick sinking fly but it never sank. A SM Bass would hit it almost as soon as it would hit the water. I caught and released approximately 20 bass before the line was cut and I lost the only fly I had with me. This is the only time I have seen this happen in over thirty trips to the BW and Quetico.

I saw a lot of Hex's hatching there once, I think in mid-June. I don't recall surface action though; I think fish were taking them below surface.

Well, my experience is to the contrary. Often when there is a big bug hatch the smallies target the real bugs and not the flies, even if you try to match the hatch. The last thing I want to see is a mayfly hatch when small fishing.

OK, I guess I should report on my experience last year. We went in at Moose River North and eventually camped on Boulder Bay. It was early June and we saw no Mayflies at all. In late May my wife and I were at the Fall Lake Campground for several days and I went out a few times. In the mornings in several places there were huge rafts of spent Mayflies that had apparently hatched during the night or very early morning. I never saw a fish rise to any of these. Perhaps it would have different had I been there earlier. I'm going again this year on June 14, putting in at Fall Lake and going up to Pipestone Bay for several days. We'll see what it's like then, we'll be about a week later than last year.

Bill