The caterpillar and the butterfly
I've been successfully using the oak caterpillar imitations I've written about in these columns for several years now.
Trout can actually attach themselves to these prey, which are pure protein! This lasts about 15 days, but it's a period not to be missed.
I look forward to them every year, as it's a very explosive fishery and brings in some nice trout that take advantage of this food windfall.
But last year, for the first time, I was amazed to see trout feeding on the butterflies produced by these caterpillars. Under the same oak trees where I look for trout with my caterpillar imitations, trout are also waiting for butterflies.
In fact, the butterfly flies rather poorly and ends up in the water, especially on windy days, which we've had plenty of in recent years.
Under certain oak trees, hundreds of individuals fall into the water, sometimes dozens at a time. The gobbling is frenetic when this happens.
Wind gust and butterfly fall:
Since last year, I've been going back about 15 days after the caterpillars have fallen under the oak trees I know well, which are well placed on different rivers in the department, to see if the butterflies have hatched.
I think this phenomenon has amplified, as I see more and more chartreuse butterflies flying over the rivers and even estuaries I frequent.
On windy days, they fall in "bunches" and the trout jump on them as quickly as on the caterpillars that fell a few days/weeks earlier.
As with caterpillars, you need to be in the right place at the right time, and for butterflies, the period is even shorter than for caterpillars. In fact, they don't stay flying over oak trees for long, before, I imagine, coming back to lay their eggs.
Which imitations to use?
I've been reeling in small chartreuse-green butterfly imitations since last year, which seem to interest trout, although last year a white-winged, olive-bodied "peute" caught a few nice trout, including a fine 34 cm specimen (a pretty one for Brittany) on my first try.
I have two rigs which also enabled me this year to catch several fish and have my trainees catch several fish when the opportunity arose.
These are models to have in your boxes if you also have caterpillars and therefore butterflies on the oak trees overhanging your rivers.
Enjoy the show, and don't miss out on these spin-offs!
