Photo by Don Douple

 

Traditionalists expect these guys to show up in March but I often saw our first Little Lehigh, Early Black Stoneflies in early February. They hatch in the mornings and afternoons. They emerge by crawling on to land, emergent rocks, and foliage.

 

This little guy is 9mm long, the wing protrudes 4mm past abdomen

 

 

I tie these little guys as follows:

 

I use a size 18, Mustad 94840 hook.

 

Start to wrap black 12/0 Giorgio Benecchi thread three hook eye lengths from the eye & wrap to the bend.

           

          Dub black mole sparsely, wrap tightly to where you began the thread. 

 

          Cover 1 hook eye length in front of body with thread. Tie in  black rooster hackle It can be a bit longer than normal, make

 

          Two winds of hackle, tie off,  trim top & bottom.  Cover  the hook eye length in front of the hackle with thread.

 

          For the wing  take a black  hen hackle, tie it  wonder wing style. The tip of the wing  should extend  the length of  the hook gap behind  the abdomen. Lacquer  the head and wing.

           

I believe these little guys are more important to the angler than they are to the fish, but anglers seem to enjoy fishing them.