Colder weather sets back angler's midge hatch

This week’s cold weather will interrupt early spring’s ideal fly fishing conditions — the midge hatch.

“The sun and warm water temperatures are what stimulate the hatch,” said Jerry Wallace, a fishing specialist at Al’s Sporting Goods. “The past weeks have been ideal for midge fishing but now that it’s getting cold again the midges will stop hatching.”

Midges spend the beginning of their lives at the bottom of a lake or river as larvae until they float to the surface level. Then, a midge larvae will stay in the surface level film of the body of water until it breaks through its shell, emerging as a flying insect — similar to a caterpillar escaping its cocoon as it metamorphoses into a butterfly.

“It’s a great time to fish because there’s so much activity. The midges are rising to the top. They’re hatching and as they hatch they’re creating more surface level activity, ideal for dry fly fishing,” Wallace said.

Wallace recommends fishing at Blacksmith Fork or along the Logan River as water temperatures increase.

“Fishing at Blacksmith Fork was really good last week. I was getting bites on my midge flies every couple casts. Once it warms back up, I’ll be back up there every spare second I get,” said Trevor Zubeck, a local angler.

Zubeck plans to take advantage of the hatch as soon as temperatures warm up. “My buddies and I love this time of year. It sucks that the snow put a pause on good fishing, but it’ll be good again here pretty soon,” he said.

The hatch will continue as long as the water temperatures are conducive and until snow run-off lowers water temperatures. Midges are one of the few insects that will hatch several times per year.