Year-round big food, available when nothing's hatching. Leeches can stretch to ~25 cm — a serious mouthful — which makes a stripped or trolled leech pattern one of the most reliable stillwater searching tactics, especially deep in summer.
Hatch timing / abundance
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Present year-round; especially valuable in summer heat (fish deep on full-sink) and on the troll along drop-offs gofishbc articles 2026 06creston flyfishing web research 2026 06.
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Can reach ~25 cm fully extended gofishbc articles 2026 06.
Imitated by
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woolly bugger (black/olive) and dedicated leech patterns.
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balanced leech — hangs horizontal under an indicator; the stationary presentation bc flyfishing youtube library 2026 07.