Terrestrials are land insects that end up in the water and wish they hadn’t.
Consider fishing terrestrials in the wind, or when the water rises. Terrestrial drift can provide a great deal of food for a fish in a day. Terrestrial drift is largely a surface phenomenon but it can also trigger subsurface feeding.
Grasshoppers and crickets provide lots of nutrition in areas of high grass. Willow Beetles, Japanese beetles, Jassids, and Inchworms find themselves in the water and become trout food.
I helped Fran Gough with his insect study in the Little Lehigh. Fran put nets in a riffle and checked them every hour on the hour for 4 months. We noticed substantial numbers of ants in the drift during the early morning hours.
I believe ants have a flavor fish relish. Cautious, energy conserving trout will turn themselves inside out to get an ant. They love them. I don’t think the color is important as long as the silhouette is right. Fish them dead drift on top or bottom, or in tandem.
Point to remember
Ants are one of a trout’s favorite foods.
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