Download Mayflies - FIDALGO FLY FISHERS

Aquatic Invertebrates
• Insects: mayflies; caddis; stoneflies; midges;
damsel flies; dragonflies, & water boatman.
• Bloodworms: midge larvae & tubiflex worms
• Leeches
• Scuds
• Snails
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Flies to Imitate Trout Foods
• Movement: Retrieve to mimic the actual;
• Size: Use hook sizes and shapes;
• Color: Use materials to match the color;
• Shape: Use hook shape and tying
materials to match profiles.
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Mayflies
Order: Ephemeroptera
Mayflies comprise 20 to 80 percent of a trout’s diet.
There are over 700 species in North America.
They emerge from the water surface.
Adult duns and spinners have upright wings.
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This is an adult Pale Morning Dun.
Mayfly Adults
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Mayflies:
Distinguishing Characteristics
• Nymph: Most have three tails; others have two
• Nymph: Gills are along abdomen
• Nymph: One wing pad
• Emerger: Most “hatch” in water surface film
• Adult: Sail-like upright wings
• Habitat: Most species in streams; Nymph
body-type/behavior indicates habitat-type.
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Mayflies:
Behavioral Characteristics
• Nymph: Modes of Movement --- Swimmers,
Clingers, Crawlers, & Burrowers
• Emerger: Duns fly straight upward from the
water surface
• Adult: After laying eggs, spinners lay on the
water surface with spent (out to the side) wings.
• Habitat: Most species in streams; Nymph
body-type/behavior can indicate habitat-type.
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Mayflies: clingers
Green Drake nymphs, Drunella grandis and
Ephemerella doddsi, and fast water, clinging
body type with imitation Hare’s Ear nymph.
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Mayflies: swimmers
Blue Wing Olive adult and nymph with imitation
BWO parachute dry fly and pheasant tail nymph
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Most have three tails and one wing pad.
Mayflies: swimmers
Pale Morning Dun nymph with Pheasant Tail
and Polyback PMD wet flies
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Mayflies: swimmers
Genus: Leptophlebia and Siphlonuidae
Gills are along the side of abdomen.
One wing pad is common.
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Mayflies: crawlers
Genus: Epeorus and Stenonema
Epeorus has only two tails.
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Mayflies: burrowers
Genus: Hexagenia, nymph and adult
One of the few mayflies that can live in lakes.
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Caddis flies or Sedges
Order: Trichoptera
There are 1,200 species in North America.
They emerge on the water surface.
Spotted sedge adult and Elk Hair Caddis fly:
match color, body shape, legs, and antennae.
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Caddis flies or Sedges
Distinguishing Characteristics
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Nymph: Worm-like body usually inside a case
Nymph: Gills along the abdomen
Adult: Long antennae
Adult: Wings are covered with fine hairs
Adult: Wings make a “tent” shape over the
body
• Habitat: A wide range of streams & stillwaters
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Caddis flies or Sedges
Behavioral Characteristics
• Nymph: Crawl on stream / lake bottom
• Pupae: Leave case to emerge
• Pupae: Most swim rapidly to the water surface
to emerge; some swim to shore / vegetation
• Adult: Fly at an angle from the water surface
• Adult: Fly in a fluttering manner
• Habitat: A wide range of streams & stillwaters
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Caddis flies
Adult wings form a “tent” and are covered with
fine hairs.
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Imitations: X-Wing Caddis and Elk Wing Caddis
Caddis flies
Caddis pupa, Hydropsychidae, and imitation
emerger
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Caddis flies
Free living October caddis larva and portable
case larvae with imitation wet flies.
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Stoneflies
Order: Plecoptera
Salmonfly
Stimulator
There are 500 species in North America.
The adult wings fold over their body when at rest.
Adults emerge after the nymphs crawl out of the water
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onto shoreline rocks and vegetation.
Stoneflies:
Distinguishing Characteristics
• Nymph: Gills at the base of legs
• Nymph: Two or three wing pads; Two tails
• Emerger: Exoskeleton dries and cracks
down the back (dorsal side)
• Adult: One to three inches long; wings
that fold flat over body at rest; a bi-plane
flight pattern; females are larger
• Habitat: Cold, fast-moving sections of
streams with rocky bottoms
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Stoneflies:
Behavioral Characteristics
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Nymph: Crawl along the stream bottom
Nymph: Most are predators
Emerger: Crawl to shore & vegetation
Emerger: Water temperature dependent
Adult: After mating, females lay eggs on
water surface.
• Habitat: Cold, fast-moving sections of
streams with rocky bottoms
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Stoneflies:
Skwala stones & flies
Skwala nymph
Skwala
fly
Skwala adult & fly
Most widespread stonefly species in North America.
Usually emerge from mid-March to mid-April.
Black to dark olive on top of body and a dirty yellow
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color underneath.
Stoneflies
Bitch Creek nymph
Kaufmann’s stone
Prince nymph
Nymph require clean, highly oxygenated water.
Nymphs and adults have two tails and antennae.
Nymphs have two or three wing pads.
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Stoneflies: salmon flies
Nymph emergence and adult reproduction
occurs in a few days to weeks. Trout
gorge themselves in this brief time period.24
True flies
Order: Diptera
Di (two) and ptera (wings) are true flies.
There are 3,500 species in North America.
These include flies, mosquitoes, crane flies,
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midges, and gnats.
True flies:
Distinguishing Characteristics
• Nymph: Worm or maggot-like bodies;
chironomids
• Nymph: Most non-mobile with false legs
• Emerger: Gases build-up in body & allow it
to float to the surface; water surface film
• Adult: One pair of wings
• Habitat: Mud or silt stream and lake
bottoms
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Chironomid Pupa
Larval forms or chironomids slowly float to the
water surface to emerge using gases that
gradually build in the exoskeleton as they
pupate. Fly fishing at the proper depth and with
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very slow movement is critical to success.
Midge Hatch
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Midge Hatch
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Midge flies
Chironomid pupa can emerge or “hatch” into
midge flies all year, mainly when the surface
water temps are between 42 and 56 deg. F.
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Midge flies
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Bloodworms
• This is a chironomid (midge) insect larvae.
• It lives on the muddy lake or stream bottom
where the oxygen levels are low.
• It feeds on detritus & bacteria.
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Bloodworms
• This is a tubiflex worm, a true worm.
• Like the midge larvae they have a reddish
blood similar to hemoglobin.
• This is the adult form.
• They live on the muddy lake or
stream bottom & feed on detritus.
• They are used by aquarium
enthusiasts for fish food.
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Bloodworms
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Bloodworms & Flies
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Damsel flies
Suborders: Odonata and Zygoptera
The nymphs are voracious predators that crawl to
aquatic vegetation to emerge as adults. Nymphs
and adults live in the slow margins of streams.
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Damsel flies
Nymphs have long, slender bodies and
three paddle-like gills at the end of the
abdomen. Most nymphs are olive or tan
and most adult males are blue and black. 37
Dragonflies
Suborder: Odonata
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Nymphs or naiads spend 2 years in water.
Can rotate head almost 360 degrees.
Has very large compound eyes.
Lacks a pupae (no emerger) life stage.
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Dragonfly Nymphs & Flies
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Water Boatman
• Aquatic insects of certain ponds & lakes.
• Have two oar-like legs.
• Males & females congregate at a lake to mate
& lay eggs causing a fish feeding frenzy.
• Females trap air bubbles to go to the lake
bottom and lay eggs. (1st half September)
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Freshwater Leeches
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Segmented worms with 5 pairs of eyes.
Two suckers; one at each end.
Can be 2 to 3 inches long.
Swim in an undulating up & down motion.
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Leeches
• They are brown, olive, black,
& maroon.
• Majority of leeches are NOT
blood sucking.
• 650 species
• Lay eggs in a “cacoon” case
on the bottom of lake or
stream.
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Leech Flies
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Scuds
• These freshwater “shrimp” have a
chitinous exoskeleton & require
water with high levels of calcium.
• Both thorax & abdomen have legs.
• Females have a brood pouch.
• Habitat is aquatic plants in shallow
shoals (littoral zone).
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Scuds
• Body color matches habitat & food supply
from light olive to olive, tan, and brown.
• They have two sets of antennae.
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Scud Flies
• Only use this fly when you know the lake
or stream has scuds.
• Tie this wet fly with internal weight.
• Fish it at the deep side of its habitat.
• Fish it with a loop knot under a strike
indicator & floating fly line or with a slow
retrieve and sinking fly line.
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Freshwater Snails
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Have soft bodies covered by hard shell.
Have one large foot.
Have two tentacles with an eye on each.
Live in ponds, lakes, and slow streams.
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Freshwater Snails
• Fish usually feed on snails when other
food sources are limited; i.e. winter.
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Snail Flies
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Terrestrial Insects & Flies
Grasshoppers and Crickets
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Terrestrial Insects & Flies
Beetles
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Terrestrial Insects & Flies
Ants and Termites
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Terrestrial Insects & Flies
Spiders
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Terrestrial Insects & Flies
Butterflies and Moths
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