Year of the Cicada
2024 is a special year when talking about cicadas. This year, in May, we are expecting a massive hatch of these critters that will produce billions, if not trillions of cicadas.
WHAT’S ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT?
Unlike the recent solar eclipse, you won’t need funky sunglasses or a welder’s helmet to witness this historic spectacle.
I’m talking about SERIOUS cicadas! Perhaps several trillion of these floating fish hors d’oeuvres. The emergence of two cicada broods colliding on the same calendar date hasn’t happened since 1803 and if you miss this one, you’ll have to wait another 221 years to experience the “hatch” again.
The highest concentration of this event will be the Midwest and parts of the Southeast with the majority of activity in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.
What exactly does this mean for us, the fly angler? How about casting #6-10 dries, 3x tippet, floating lines, far from delicate presentations (the noisier the fly lands, the better), and 5-7 weight rods to surface feeding trout, bass, and carp for 4-6 weeks beginning in mid-May!!!
Like the much anticipated salmonfly hatch, the emergence of the cicada should be on every angler’s calendar. I know the fish already have it penciled in on theirs…
Fly Suggestions: