While visiting a friend on the peninsula at Mission Lake in KitsapCo., I noticed an incredible midge (Diptera) hatch coming off. There were thousands of adult chironomids, as well as midge pupa all over the water. There were large trout slowly sipping adults, leaving large bubbles.I just happened to have my fly rod and a couple of back up boxes of flies. I attached a 12 foot leader with 6X tippet, and fished a #12 midge imitation. insects hatching were large; some perhaps a size 10. I stalked many fish from the shore and a pram, casting to cruising fish. Nothing. Not even a look. I noticed a smaller hatch of midges coming off also, so I dropped down to a #18 Griffith's Gnat. Nothing. I then put on two different types of chironomid pupa in various sizes and colors. No dice. I casted to cruising fish, I casted to places where I'd seen fish rise, I let the flies sit still, I stripped them slow, I stripped them fast, and I could not get a strike. There were so many adults and pupa available to feed on, my imitations became lost in the croud. Ever hear of a hatch too good? That's what happened today. Big trout cruising all around, eating bugs like mad, just not the ones with my tippet attached to them. Frustrating but educational.Start to check out local lakes. I've heard some reports of feeding fish on some of our local Seattle stillwaters. Good luck and start practicing your Zen meditation; If the fish act the way the did today, you'll need it to keep from using certain unsportsmanlike explicatives in the company of fellow anglers.

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