Just returned from Merrill Lake near Cougar, WA. Great time with Tess and fellow members Mark Paul, Barry Miller and Mike Clancy. Trouting with big yellow bugs in the evening was a huge hit. We fished the Hexagenia hatch on Friday at dusk. Barry had the hot fly Friday before the hatch using a large soft hackle. He netted at least five that we witnessed. Mark had three on a purple wet fly and Tess had one on a similar pattern. And I was skunked. It happens.

I went out solo on Saturday evening at 7:30 to redeem myself and landed six trout — three rainbows and three cutthroat — all on the same pattern, a slim-bodied Hex nymph trolled and stripped slowly on an intermediate line.

The fun happens as soon as the sun goes down over the mountain. As the adults started popping en mass, we switched to emerger patterns. I had three smacks on my dry fly on Saturday without a hook-up. As dusk turned into darkness the headlamps got pulled out. Then the hatch is over as suddenly as it starts. The number of beefy shucks floating on the lake is astounding.

This was Mark's first time with a huge hatch. He said it was one of the most amazing experiences as a fisherman. I couldn't agree more.

Mark Paul on Merrill Lake as the sun goes down.

Barry Miller stalking before the hatch.

Tess releases a trout taken druing the hatch.

14-inch cutthroat with a Hex nymph still attached.

It was great to see Mike Clancy getting to an outing for the first time in a long while.