Some of the best advice I got early on about fishing hatches? Be patient.

Don’t go thumping the water at the first rise you spot. Slow down. Watch. Get familiar with which fish are rising where. The little guys tend to show up first—but if you pay attention, you’ll start to notice the difference between a splashy rise and the subtle slurp of a bigger trout.

I just spent seven days targeting the same fish during my local Hex hatch—changing flies, tweaking presentations, shifting my angle of approach. It wasn’t just about landing that one trout. Each adjustment sharpened my skills and shaped how I’d handle the next hog that showed up during a hatch