In the past several years I’ve felt there has been a decrease in hatches (bug life) on many rivers in my region, SW Alberta. Last year it was very noticeable on some of my favorite tailwater rivers which usually have an excess of small mayflies and caddis which hatch all summer long often well into the Fall. People on various fly fishing forums have noticed the same. What has also been observable is that many of the trout I’ve been catching in recent years seem “leaner”; much less robust and energetic.

I’ve attached a brief article and video below called, “no fly zones” regarding bug life decline. Check it out. It is from a fly fishing perspective but there are numerous non-angling articles on this worldwide phenomenon in publications like the Guardian: etc. Google “bug apocalypse”.

Here’s a nice brown trout I caught on a tailwater river where bug life was especially poor last season. It was cycling in the sunny shallows and I caught it on a size 14 black ant. It was more slender than trout I’ve caught at this location in past seasons…lack of bug life?: tough winter?; lower flows?; warmer water?; additional variables?; all of the above?…