We are indeed in the midst of a terrestrial revolution. Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water Creative fly tiers have increasingly turned their attention to a realm that used to be somewhat stodgy and overlooked. Going back to flyfishing’s earliest days, the marquee attraction has been matching aquatic insect hatches—mayflies, caddis flies, stoneflies, and midges. While never entirely ignored, terrestrials were often an afterthought—something to tie on if nothing else was happening. The reality is that even on great trout streams, fishable hatches aren’t occurring most of the time—especially during the summer. Terrestrials, on the other hand, blunder into streams throughout most of the prime angling season. While hoppers are usually associated with late summer and fall, ants and beetles are active whenever temperatures are warm enough to stoke their metabolism. What’s more, terrestrials are often effective during challenging hatches, when a more precise imitation may not clinch the deal. A large brown or rainbow, for example, will sometimes inhale a size 18 ant after studiously refusing the more accurate Trico spinner pattern you’ve repeatedly laid down.
