Chasing the Cicadas

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Have at it. It's only fair. to submit my own for the flogging! LOL The first two I tied were on sz 6, 2X hooks at the recommendation of another. But when I looked and measured (and compared to a 2008 leftover) it was too short. I started tying on 3X hooks and it made it better. The longer hook also keeps me from crowding the bend and impairing hook ups- although my experience last time is they inhale them. If it is your first time fishing cicadas be sure to crimp those bards and have a good pair of hemostats for hook removal.
I know they catch fish, but I always scratched my head over the Hoover pattern since the bodies are black with orange strips. The body on this one is black foam with fire orange thread bands and the foam folded over for the top. It looks segmented but this is not visible in the picture One wing is s little bit too long, I see looking at the picture now.
full disclosure: I tied 2 full hoover style and will test them both.
 
Here is a photo of what I have recently tied. I have several larger alternate versions as well.
 

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sixfootfenwick said:
I like that first one, very nice
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Thanks. That's the Loren Williams pattern and it has worked well for the past few periodical cicada hatches I've caught. Haven't tried Flagler's pattern yet, so we'll see which one they seem to prefer. I didn't tie any "sunken" patterns, as I likely won't be able to fish the tail end of the emergence.
 
brookieteeth said:
I'm up around Penn's now, as it happens. But Monday is my last day of fishing, and it may still be too early for the trouts to be noticing cicadas. A few were crawling all over the bankside this morning. And yeah, a lot of singing. I didn't see any big bugs on the water, though.The predicted rain showers (hopefully just showers) should help to shake the cicadas out of the trees on to the water, although if it's windy, it would be even better.
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The rain, and even some wind, did not bring any cicadas to the water on the two miles I fished/walked yesterday. I think it was far too cool for the cicadas to be active. They just clung to the trees and vegetation.

It was a somewhat strange experience. I had a phenomenal afternoon swinging soft hackles and left feeling a little disappointed because I really wanted some cicada eats.
 
It's been all chasing and no finding so far for me. I'm out of town from the 13th to the 24th so I fear I may have missed it entirely. I got out last Friday and yesterday but no luck - both times in Blair county. I heard them Friday but nothing on the water and no response from the trout. I didn't even hear them yesterday.
 
wgmiller said:
Thanks. That's the Loren Williams pattern and it has worked well for the past few periodical cicada hatches I've caught. Haven't tried Flagler's pattern yet, so we'll see which one they seem to prefer. I didn't tie any "sunken" patterns, as I likely won't be able to fish the tail end of the emergence.
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Wonder who put you on that pattern.... 😉
 
The eyes are red pins I found in a drawer. The body is an orange and black chenille.
 
I packed my bags for an overnight or two, loaded up some drinks and food, and headed to Mifflin/Centre County today. I figured if it was "on", I'd shack up for a night or two and fish til my arm fell off. Needless to say, I'm typing this from home. That's not to say the day was a bust, because it wasn't. Experiencing the roar of cicada mating calls, seeing them emerge from their exoskeleton, and just being a part of 2025 Brood XIV was pretty cool.

I checked out lower Spring and a few other smaller Bellefonte-area streams and found them all thick with cicadas. They were in the trees. They were in the air. They were on the side of the road. The one place they weren't? On the water. I prospected for a while with a cicada fly, but short of a few inspections and refusals, only hooked up (and lost) one medium rainbow.

Bottom line: the fish just aren't on them yet. I liken the situation to a brewing thunderstorm: all the conditions are right. The atmosphere is juiced and ready to pop. One day the dam will break and the fish will step up to the buffet line. Today was not that day. To be quite honest, if I were traveling any distance, I'd hold off for a week or so. My gut tells me we're still looking at a good week or so on many streams before the fish get a clue. If you're lucky enough to live in prime Mifflin/Centre County cicada areas, I'd be on the water as much as possible. The first days when the fish finally figure it out will be epic!

I can't speak for Penns, as I didn't stop there. I did talk with an older couple on one of the streams I fish and they said they live in the "Penns Valley" and they don't have them near Coburn, so I'm not sure what to make of that. Based on PCA FB posts, I know there is some cicada activity on Penns, but am not sure to what extent the fish are truly "on them".

I stopped at Tea on the way home and it too was thick with cicadas. Same story. None on the water and I couldn't tempt a trout with my imitation. The whole Lewistown area is thick with cicadas. Kish. Honey. Tea. It's just a waiting game at this point.


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#molting

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Typical Brood XIV cicada - not large by any means

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A female with eggs, belly up on the water - note the orange bands on the abdomen

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Male Brood XIV periodical cicada - note the lack of orange bands on the abdomen

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Is it real, or is it Memorex?
 
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dudemanspecial said:
I like the Flagler pattern but the body cutter he uses is like 80 bucks. I meant to look for a more affordable alternative but never did.
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TBH, I didn't use that cutter. I ended up ordering a medium round Chernobyl cutter for $12.50. They tied up just fine and binding the foam down to the hook gives it a segmented look.

Spirit River medium Chernobyl foam cutter

Thanks for the compliment, Afish!
 
The stream I had success on Friday was too high and muddy today. Checked a few other local streams and fished one for about an hr and a half. Had a half doz looks but no takes. I may have gotten lucky and had one of the first keyed in days on Friday. The stream I fished, I only saw 2 cicadas on the water and neither got eaten in sight.
 
wgmiller said:
I packed my bags for an overnight or two, loaded up some drinks and food, and headed to Mifflin/Centre County today. I figured if it was "on", I'd shack up for a night or two and fish til my arm fell off. Needless to say, I'm typing this from home. That's not to say the day was a bust, because it wasn't. Experiencing the roar of cicada mating calls, seeing them emerge from their exoskeleton, and just being a part of 2025 Brood XIV was pretty cool.

I checked out lower Spring and a few other smaller Bellefonte-area streams and found them all thick with cicadas. They were in the trees. They were in the air. They were on the side of the road. The one place they weren't? On the water. I prospected for a while with a cicada fly, but short of a few inspections and refusals, only hooked up (and lost) one medium rainbow.

Bottom line: the fish just aren't on them yet. I liken the situation to a brewing thunderstorm: all the conditions are right. The atmosphere is juiced and ready to pop. One day the dam will break and the fish will step up to the buffet line. Today was not that day. To be quite honest, if I were traveling any distance, I'd hold off for a week or so. My gut tells me we're still looking at a good week or so on many streams before the fish get a clue. If you're lucky enough to live in prime Mifflin/Centre County cicada areas, I'd be on the water as much as possible. The first days when the fish finally figure it out will be epic!

I can't speak for Penns, as I didn't stop there. I did talk with an older couple on one of the streams I fish and they said they live in the "Penns Valley" and they don't have them near Coburn, so I'm not sure what to make of that. Based on PCA FB posts, I know there is some cicada activity on Penns, but am not sure to what extent the fish are truly "on them".

I stopped at Tea on the way home and it too was thick with cicadas. Same story. None on the water and I couldn't tempt a trout with my imitation. The whole Lewistown area is thick with cicadas. Kish. Honey. Tea. It's just a waiting game at this point.


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#molting

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Typical Brood XIV cicada - not large by any means

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A female with eggs, belly up on the water - note the orange bands on the abdomen

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Male Brood XIV periodical cicada - note the lack of orange bands on the abdomen

View attachment 1641243067
Is it real, or is it Memorex?
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Thanks for the scouting update
 
I'm going fishing tomorrow, and I'll let you all know what I see. Fish do weird stuff, and just because they wanted to eat something one day doesn't mean they will the next, even despite heavy plague-like numbers of certain critters around.

What works one day might not the next, even under the same conditions.
 
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