For 30 years I tried to match the hatch while fly fishing, but now I barely bother. Here’s why

If there’s one pearl of fly-fishing wisdom known in every corner of the angling world, it’s “match the hatch.” This catchy adage simply means that to trick a fish into eating, you should use a fly that closely mimics natural food sources. In particular, it refers to insects that have recently hatched in or near the water.

This is gold-plated, time-tested fly-fishing advice, but ever since I stopped following it, I’ve been catching a lot more fish. Here’s why I no longer worry too much about matching the hatch…