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Anchor 3

Baetis levitans, Minute Blue Wing Olive

Nymphs are active swimmers.  Duns emerge in late May through late June; sporadic hatches from late June through July.  Hatches begin late morning until dusk.  Spinner is brown; males have white on segments 2-6.  Spinner falls begin in the late afternoon and last until early evening.  Body size 4-5mm.  Sizes 20-22. See More information below

levitans

MAYFLIES

BWO
Baetis tricaudatus    Little Blue Quill or Blue Wing Olive 
Blue Wing Olive
Duns emerge in March-April and in late May through June.  Sporadic hatches in May and August into early September.  Nymphs are swimmers.  Hatches occur in late morning until dusk.  Spinner falls in the afternoon or early evening.  Body size 6.5-8mm. Sizes 18-24.
 

EMERGENCE. Hatch with water temperature as low as 46.These bugs are multibrooded   (Three broods per year.)They emerge by crawling, or on the surface, in all types of water. They appear in the morning and afternoon with the main activity around mid day.

DISCRIPTION                

Light to medium olive-brown, Sz 16 to 18.Hatch noon till evening. Nymphs are streamlined vigorous swimmers

HEAD- Brown with pale patches on each side of mid-line.

WING CASE-Use pheasant plumage for wing case.

GILL-Slender, small gill plates

TAILS-3 tails...center is shorter (half the size of the outer 2.) Tails are banded at midlength and tips.

EMERGER

 

A properly dressed emerger with little or no weight will usually out fish a dry fly. Try shallow riffles and weed beds.

              

DUN

Avg. Body Length: 6 to 8 mm

Standard Equivalent: Standard Hook, 16, 18

Whole Body Recommended Hook Number: 18-20  18-2XL

Wings: 2, Med. Gray

Underbody: Abdomen.-Med Olive Thorax- Golden Brown

Body,top: Dark gray brown

Legs: Pale yellowish, Olive/Tan

Other: Males have rust eyes

SPINNER

The spinner phase is unimportant to the fisherman.

vitreus

Epeorus vitreus, Little Sulphur Dun

NYMPHS are clingers.

DUNS emerge in June through July, somewhat sporadically.

SPINNERS are tan with an orange tint, and fall in the evening.

Body size 9-12mm.  Size 18-20.

Ephemera varia, Yellow Drake

Nymphs are burrowers, in silt or fine gravel. 

Duns emerge in mid-June through July (sporadically in August) at dusk.

Avg. Body Length- 13-19mm

Hook-#10

Tails-3

Wings- creamy yellow with black blotches

Body (under)-creamy pale with black "apostrophy”

Body (top)-cream with specks, dark bands

Legs- cream, dark marks on forelegs

Other- blackish marks, ginger thorax

Spinner falls in the evening.  Body size 13-16mm.  Size 12-2XL.

varia

Ephron leukon, White Mayfly

Nymphs are burrowers.  Duns emerge sporadically in mid-August through September in the evening.  White spinners fall in the evening.  Body size 13-14mm.  Size 14.

Ephron leukon,
hendrickson
Ephermerella subvariaHendrickson

 

Nymphs are crawlers. Hatch in mid-May in mid-afternoon.  Brown spinners fall in the evening.  Body size 10-12mm.  Size 14

Duns Avg. Body Length. 9-12mm, Hook sz 12-14, 3 tails, Med gray wings, Under body; Male- pinkish tan, female- reddish tan, Body (top) brown , Legs tan.

Males are smaller than females

Spinners

Brown fall in the evening.  Body size 10-12.  Size 14

DOROTHEA

Ephermerella dorothea, Pale Evening Dun-Ephermerella invaria, Ehermerella rotunda-Sulphur Dun

Ephemerellidae has only one genus-Ehermerella. Sulphurs

rotunda

Nymphs are crawlers and are quiet water dwellers found in flats and runs. They flourish in limestone especially silt. Nymphs swim laboriously with a peculiar wiggle. Seek appropriate sites along banks, behind boulders and deadfalls. Some hatch into sub-imagos a foot below the surface. Use deep running, weighted nymphs during hatchless hours.

During emergence fish in the surface film. They may also be fished with stiff hackle and pontoon tails-dry style. When nymphs are emerging trout can be extremely selective to cream-colored wets just under the surface, i.e.Little Marryatt and Light Cahill.

Joe Kohler introduced us to a nymph pattern which is a killer.

THREAD-Olive.

TAIL-Tie in a few wisps of Lemon Wood Duck, 1/3 the length of the hook.

BODY-Dub a cigar shaped body with dark brown angora rabbit. You’re finished.

 

DUNS

Duns have three tails and emerge May  15th through the end of June. In 1995 we saw our first important Ephemerrella activity on May 25, in 1996, May 26, 1997 on May 24 and in 1998 on May 26. Hatches are usually between 7 pm and dusk. Hatches usually last ½ hour. The best fishing is after sunset. The first activity is usually caused by invaria & rotunda, not dorothea. Trout are extra selective to silhouette, size & color. We suggest Dorothea Compara Duns.

 …..No Hackle, or Parachute patterns.

 

Size difference is considerable. Be careful - are they taking duns or spinners? Use #16 and if you get refusals go to #18. If the dun is pale yellow and about #16, species doesn’t matter.

 

Duns take off quickly so Spinners may be better fishing. Tie some orange at the Thorax, try to wind the hackle so the orange is apparent. Be observant - are Trout taking dorothea or the larger invaria and rotunda?

 

SPINNERS

Spinners are pale yellow, have three tails and fall at dusk.  Body size 6.5-7.5mm.  Size 18. They jettison their eggs a safe distance above the stream above riffles,trout love the egg sacks.

Earlier hatches and cloudy days result in spinner falls sometime after 7 pm. As the season progresses, falls occur at dusk or after dark. Since duns take off quickly so spinners are better fishing.

 

TACTICS

Leaders that are too thin can result in twisted tippet. Many people like to use a 3, 4 or 5 weight, double taper, florescent, or light-colored line to enable them to judge the position of the fly in fading light.

Position yourself to cast into the fading light. A little twitch will sometimes put an extra “something” into the drift. Cast up and across or position yourself downstream.  Cast to one side or the other so the fish has to turn his head to suck in the imitation.

Heptagenia hebe, Little Yellow Dun

NYMPHS are clingers. 

DUNS emerge between July and October. 

SPINNERS have a yellow-brown body, and fall in the evening. 

BODY SIZE 6-8mm.  Size 18-24.

hebe

Heptagenia minerva Little Sulphur Dun

NYMPHS are clingers. 

DUNS emerge sporadically in August through October, in afternoon progressing until just before dusk.  

SPINNERS fall in the evening.  

BODY SIZE 7mm.  Size 18-24.

minerva
hex

Hexagenia atrocaudata Big Slate Drake or Hex. THE LARGEST MAYFLY

Body size 15-24mm.  Size 8-10 2XL

 

Nymphs Get some by clicking here

Natural                                              Strip Nymph, Gary Borger,

Nymphs are burrowers in silt or sand, fish w/ swimming, twitching retrieve. My favorite pattern is the Strip Nymph. 

Duns Get some by clicking here

Hair Wing Dun, Gary Borger                             natural

Duns emerge in late August through early September sporadically throughout the day, increasing in late afternoon and early evening. 

SpinnerGet some by clicking here

Parachute Spinner, Gary Borger n                 atural, a Don Douple Photo

Spinners fall is in the evening.  Body size 15-24mm.  Size 8-10 2

My favorite patterns appear in Gary Borgers “Designing Trout Flies” (rgr)

Spinners appear out of nowhere, approximately. 8pm. above the riffles.

Most of the bugs I’ve collected were females. The abdomen of the females appears to rip open to lay eggs about 2 or 3 segments from the tip of the abdomen. Females die immediately after laying eggs.

Male tails are twice as long as females. Claspers are prominent

Isonychia
isonychiaa.jpg

Isonychia bicolor, Mahogany Dun, Slate Drakes, Leadwings, Leadwing Coachmen

All the species of Isonychia are similar in appearance and behavior

They may be abundant on one river, and be absent from a neighboring river.[1]

In Pennsylvania mountain Freestones look for Isonychia in early to mid-June, the Catskills in mid-June through early July and the Midwest and Appalachians from late June through mid-July.

This is an evening hatch occurring in light numbers. It is important because of the hatches duration and the size of the flies.

 

The second peak usually comes in September, and those flies are more likely to emerge at midday and be smaller than their Summer brethren. They are offspring of the previous autumn. During the Spring emergence they appear as half grown nymphs.[1] [2]

 

A few Isonychia may be found in light numbers between the Spring and Autumn emergences.

 

NYMPHS

Nymphs feed on plankton and sometimes other aquatic insects. They swim easily through medium to fast currents over a gravel and boulder bottom.

Isonychia are tolerant of pollution and marginal temperatures

Point to remember

Fish them with fast twitches.

 

DUNS

Depending on the weather or location Isonychia may emerge on the surface in riffles or crawl out of slower water.

 

SPINNERS

The duns molt into spinners within a few days of emergence. They swarm twenty to thirty feet above the riffles where females jettison their eggs then join the males, in death, on the surface film.

The swarm provides more action than the emergence.

 

NOTES FOR THE TIER [2]

Dun average body Length-13-17mm

Standard Equivalent, Standard Hook-8, 10

Tails,  2

Wings, Dark Gray

Underbody, Medium Gray Brown

Top of Body, Med. Gray Brown  (Spinners are reddish Brown)

Legs, Cream  Front Legs Dark, Light colored feet

 

NOTES

[1] hTtp://www.troutnut.com/hatch/649/Mayfly-Isonychia-bicolor-Mahogany-Dun

[2] Don Douple, March 2003

blue quill

Paraleptophlebia debilis, Blue Quill

King  (kingdom) Paul (phylum) cried (class) out (order) for (family ) good (genus) soup (species)

Todays soup was prepared  with paraleptophlebia debilis.

The common name of this soup (species) is Blue Quill*.

This delicacy is served up in the flats where nymphs crawl around in moderate current.

NYMPHS are 5/16,” dark winged with a mottled head and yellowish-olive mottled legs.

Widespread, it can produce memorable hatches in the East, Midwest, and West.

Soup’s on at midday from July through October; peaking in September and October.

Served in 50 to 55 degree water, It is most important in the fall, when the hatch is at its greatest concentration and there are few competing insects on the water. It occurs across the continent and may be reinforced by Paraleptophlebia praepedita in the East or Paraleptophlebia bicornuta in the West.

 

DUNS

Hatches begin in late morning and run through the afternoon. They occur in or just under the film.

Body sizes are 6-8mm, Size 16-22

Hook:            Standard Dry Fly Hook

Thread:         Grey

Tail:        Medium Blue Dun Hackle Fibers

Body:             Stripped Peacock Herl

Wings:           Natural Mallard or Duck Quill Segments, Upright and Divided

Hackle:          Medium Blue Dun

 

SPINNERS.

Spinner falls are in the late afternoon.  Body sizes 6-8mm.  Size 16-22

Common Names:

Blue Quil, Paralep, Mahogany Dun, Slate Winged Mahogany Dun, Blue Dun, Blue Winged, Dun.

p debilis is the most reliable paralep Rocky Mountain hatch.

 

REFERENCES

Nymphs and the Trout

Art Flicks New Streamside Guide

Fishing Small Flies, Engle

Mayflies

Anchor 1

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva. Iron Blue or Mahogany Dun 

Nymphs are swimmers  Duns emerge mid-March through mid-April during late morning and early afternoon.  Spinners are dark dun, with falls in the late afternoon.  Body size 6-8mm.  Size 16.

adoptiva
blue quill npov 28
debilis
blue dun debilis

Paraleptophlebia debilis

Nymphs

In the flats nymphs crawl around in moderate current.

Nymphs are 5/16,” dark winged with a mottled head and yellowish-olive mottled legs.

 

Widespread, debilis can produce memorable hatches in the East, Midwest,and West.

 

Hatches occur at midday from July through October; peaking in September and October in 50 to 55 degree water. Debilis are most important in the fall, when the hatch is at its greatest concentration and there are few competing insects on the water. It occurs across the continent and may be reinforced by Paraleptophlebia praepedita in the East or Paraleptophlebia bicornuta in the West.

 

Duns

Hatches begin in late morning and run through the afternoon. They occur in or just under the film.

 

Body sizes are 6-8mm, Size 16-22

 

Spinners.

Spinner falls are in the late afternoon.  Body sizes 6-8mm.  Size 16-22

 

Common Names:

Blue Quill, Paralep, Mahogany Dun, Slate Winged Mahogany Dun, Blue Dun, Blue Winged, Dun.


P debilis is the most reliable paralep Rocky Mountain hatch.

 

References:

 

Nymphs and the Trout 

Art Flicks New Streamside Guide 

Ed Engle's Fishing Small Flies,

Mayflies 

blue winged dun

Paraleptophlebia guttata, Blue Quill

Nymphs are swimmers. Duns emerge in the third week of June into September, late morning through the afternoon. Spinner falls begin in the late afternoon.  Body size 6-8mm.  Sizes 16-22

guttata

Paraleptophlebia mollis, Blue Quill  (false tricos)

Nymphs are swimmers.  Duns emerge in June and July, beginning in late morning and running into the afternoon.  Spinner falls in late afternoon.

Avg. Body Length- 7-9 mm

Size 16-18.

Whole Body Recommended Hook Number- 18-2XL

Tails-3

Wings- Med to Light Gray

Underbody- Tan to Med Brown

Body top- Dark Gray-Brown

Extremely Slender

Many people confuse these spinners for Trico’s. Most fly fishers find this spinner relatively unimportant

mollis

Paraleptophlebia strigula, Blue Quill

Nymphs are swimmers.  Duns emerge in the third week of June into September during late morning through the afternoon.  Spinner falls begin in late afternoon.  Sizes 16-22. Nymphs are better described as a cross between swimmers and crawlers

strigula
stenocron

Stenocron [Stenonema] interpunctatum canadense, Light Cahill, Yellow Cahill, Orange Cahill

AVG. BODY LENGTH, 9 to 12mm

NYMPHS are clingers. 

DUNS emerge in mid-June through mid-July

hook-12-14.

tails-2

wings- yellow or chartruese leading edge specks

body, under- yellow to dull orange          

body, top- with thin segment bands. row of black dots

thorax- ginger

legs- yellowish    dark bands on front legs

cream cahill.jpg

Stenocron [Stenonema] pulchellum, Cream Cahill

NYymphs are clingers. 

Duns emerge sporadically in June through August, in later afternoon and early evening. 

Spinner falls occur in the evening.  Body size 8-10mm.  Size 14

pulchellum
gray Fox.png

Stenonema Sp, Gray Fox

These critters are 11to 14mm long (Standard Hook 10-12).

 

They have pale gray wings with fine speckling, the

under body is pale yellowish tan with no markings, the top of the body is tan with dark bands. The legs are pale tan with dark bands. This bug looks like a small, light March Brown.

Don Douple  Hatch chart, March 2003

gray fox
trico

Tricos are my favorite hatch. Click here to find out why.

caddis

CADDIS

Caddis have three stages: larvae (free, case-building or net spinning),  pupae, and adults. You should imitate all, including emergers which can bring explosive action.

 

During my years on the Little Lehigh I found them unimportant. The prevalent ones were Black Caddis. I never saw one in the water. I assume the crawled in and out of the water (rgr)

Hydropsyche alternant, Spotted Sedge or Tan Caddis

Emerges from late afternoon into early evening during the summer into early autumn.  Sizes 14-22.

Rhycophila abosalis, Olive Sedge

Emerges in the morning, continuing into early evening during the summer into autumn.  Sizes 14-22.

 

Dolophiloides nigrita? or Chimarra atterima, Black Caddis

Emerges in the late afternoon into early evening during the summer; *

spotted sedge
black caddis
olive sedge

IMIDGES , Diptera

midges

Chironomidae

Several species, many minute in size (down to size 28).  Black, grey, white etc.  Look for them all year round, but intensely in the summer through early autumn.

Patterns Al's Rat , Griffith's Gnat.

rat

Mosquitos

You know them. You despise them. They are there, often plentiful, and trout do take them sizes vary from 12-18.

Hemiptera

 Waterboatman

Small, active, plentiful and a potential food source.

mosquitos
WATERBOATMAN
CRANE FLIES
cranefly

Tipula bucornis, Orange Crane Fly

Emerge in April and May; same or related species from late August through September.  Size 18.

FISHES
suckers

Catostomidae, Suckers
Aptly named, owing to their cranial morphology and mode of feeding. Unjustly maligned in most cases, however.
Some species are excellent indicators of good water quality.
Also, suckers have coexisted with North American salmonids for thousands of years so don’t blame them for trout problems.
The pods or aggregations of large adults you sometimes see in pools or long flats are briefly reminiscent of resting bonefish schools, that is until you get a hold of yourself and recover your senses.  Some species provide a respectable, deep-boring fight (absolutely no pun intended) when hooked on a caddis pupa imitation.  If that doesn’t interest you, keep in mind that, like everything else, suckers start out small. 
Trout appreciate this. 
Fish weighted imitations near emergent grass, shrubs, and boulders. Sizes 6-12 2XL thru 4XL The head of the pattern should be relatively large (e.g., Muddler style). Likely genera include  Catostomus (suckers), Hypentelium (hogsuckers) and Moxostoma (redhorses).

 

OBSERVATIONS
 

1. If you've ever eaten "Mullet", you've had Sucker on your plate! That's the commercial name used when Sucker is sold.

2. Suckers will eat almost anything, most commonly small invertebratesalgae and plant matter.

3. Predators prey on Suckers.

4. Spawning occurs in shallow water in April and May; initiated by temperature changes.

5. When spawning the males develop a distinct lateral band.

6. You should care about suckers because trout LOVE sucker spawn!

 

Among the Little Lehigh Fly Fishers, John Coxey was the crown prince of sucker spawn.

sucker spawn

Brandishing his favorite sucker spawn pattern, John would prowl the banks searching for pods of spawning suckers.

He would spot a pod of suckers with prominent lateral lines, invariably there would be a big fat trout down stream dining on eggs.

Sucker spawn seems to work all year. I wonder if there is something genetic about a trout’s love of eggs.

References

http://www.naturenorth.com/spring/creature/whsucker/Fwhsuck.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_sucker

Cyprinidae, Carp, Dace, Minnows, Shiners, etc

Various species inhabit riffles, runs, flats and pools among vegetation, rocks, boulders, and open water.  Juveniles abound through summer into autumn.  Likely genera include Notropis, Pimephales, and Semotilus. 

Cyprinidae

THE OBJECTS OF OUR DESIRE

trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus, Rainbow Trout

A non-native species originally from the west coast of North America but propagated world-wide.

This is the coastal subspecies, is the most commonly stocked.  Rainbows are doing quite well in our eastern spring creeks.

Wild fish are established and some attain truly large sizes.

You’ll find recently stocked fish, including the albinistic Palomino Trout, in evidence, too.  They enter the stream which is generally too bad for the wild fish gene pool.

Salvelinus Fontinalis, Brook Trout

The original trout, actually a char, and surviving despite inroads made by massive habitat destruction, introduced species and stocking of adult hatchery fish. 

Often found in tributaries and where springs enter the stream

 

 

trout

Salmo Trutta, Brown Trout

A non-native species introduced in the 19th century from populations brought from Europe.

Propagated worldwide. Tolerant of warmer water temperatures.

Some very large browns occur in spring creeks, if you know where to look (and when, and how).

 

Cottoidea, Sculpins

Sculpins occur in many types of habitat, Sculpins are benthic fish, dwelling on the bottoms of water bodies. Their pectoral fins are specialized for gripping the substrate. This adaptation helps the fish anchor in fast-flowing water. 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dons Sculpin

During the life of the Little Lehigh Fly Shop I observed and learned from most of Fly Fishings legends. I also learned from local experts like Don Douple.

Don’s knowledge of Pennsylvania trout streams and their finned inhabitants is unsurpassed

His flies are unique and extremely effective.

I intend to pass on information gleaned from experts like Don.

********

One of our first trips together was to Pennsylvania’s Letort Spring Run.

When we reached the Letort, Don, dressed more like a turkey hunter than a fly fisherman, crawled up to the stream.

I expected to see him fish a tiny fly with a fine tippet. Instead he tied a monster fly on to his 5x tippet.

Instead of an artistic cast he flipped the weighted behemoth, bass fishing style into a large, submerged brush pile and let it sit.

After what seemed like hours he began a hand twist retrieve. After a couple of twists the rod bent, Don was into a huge fish.

The fly was his Dons Sculpin.

Percidae. Perches, Darters

Darters are small relatives of the yellow perch, usually resident in streams.  At least two species of Etheostoma have been collected from riffles, runs

darter
OTHER INVERTEBRATE
crayfish

Arthropoda, Crustacea, Decapoda, Orconectes sp, Crayfish

Variously-sized species occur under rocks, burrowing into bank sides, etc.  Sensible people in the Deep South eat them.  On our spring creeks the trout do to but without cayenne pepper.  Sizes within species tend to increase as summer progresses into autumn.  Smaller, softer, molting individuals seem to be preferred.

 My favorite pattern is Bob Clouser's Crawfish. (rgr)

The best Little Lehigh Brown I ever caught was during a blizzard using Clousers Crawfish. Lefty Kreh told me Clousers is the best Crawfish pattern. I agree. I especially like the durability of the claw design (rgr)

scud
scud pattern
TERRESTRIALS
terrestrials

Insects that are not of aquatic origins. Commonly blown into the water with the wind, or when startled. Others fall in from branches above. There are many different taxa in various sizes.  Population numbers vary through spring, summer, and autumn, often peaking during a species-specific time period.  Look around before you cast.

beetle

Coleoptera, Beetles

Arguably, the most diverse group of multi-cellular organisms on Earth. We have several throughout summer into autumn.  Sizes generally vary from 10-28.  Trout love them, you should too.

Anchor 2
Hymenoptera, Ants
ants

Various species, commonly black or brown in color, some winged, with sizes ranging from 12 to 28. They’re important, especially in summer and early autumn.  Winged ants are likely Monomorium sp.

 

When I fed the pet trout in my springhouse, (shop) the trout would race each other to get them. They loved them.

I believe our slow witted finned friends possess a genentic instinct to take ants all year. (rgr)

Hymenoptera, Bees, Hornets and Wasps

bees

Various species and sizes.  Not infrequent addition to stream drift and a good source of protein. Various colors. Sizes 8-24

inchworm 1

LepidopteraInchworm

Where moths come from, so to speak.  Numerous species.  The most commonly fished pattern  is fluorescent chartreuse in color.  Important where trees or shrubs border the stream.  Size 8-12 2XL.

Pattern, Honeybug Inchworm

Orthoptera, Crickets 

Various species, sizes 8-12 near shrubs and in grass. Thru late summer into autumn.

cricket
hoppers

Orthoptera, Grasshoppers

Various species, some as large as size 4.  In tall grass, especially.  Mid-summer through early autumn.  Very common upstream in meadow areas.

Gastropoda, Mollusca Snails, 

snails

Small snails are present, usually attached to emergent vegetation or rocks and boulders.

Some may float up in the water column, on occasion. 

Light or dark snail patterns in sizes 12-20.

OTHERS

 

Annelida, Oligochaeta, Worms

 

The San Juan River in New Mexico. Is known for worms, famous worms, often imitated. Spring Creeks have worms too. Earthworms seem to be the most common, especially after rain storms. Trout love them, of course.

WORMS

Annelida, Hirudinea, Leeches

Another group of worms. A fact of life and present in our Spring Creeks, especially slower stretches with emergent vegetation or on the side of rocks. Trout love them too; something about all of that protein they usually contain.

Sizes vary.  Rabbit strip and marabou patterns in various colors.

leeches
scuds

Anhropoda Crustacea, Amphipoda, and Isopoda, Scuds

 

Very important, especially in early summer. Species vary.

Olive scuds are common (sizes 22-24) occur on rocks; others in vegetation. They are active swimmers when not crawling about.

Look for traces of  white on segments when scuds are molting.  Trout probably do.

REFERENCES and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Behnke, Robert J.  1992.  Native trout of western North America.  American Fisheries Society Monograph 6.  American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.  275 pp.

Caucci, Al. And Bob Nastasi.  1984.  Instant mayfly identification guide.  Comparahatch, Ltd, Publisher, Tannersville, PA.  64 pp.

Fegely, Tom.  1993.  Allentown’s gem:  The Little Lehigh.  Pennsylvania Angler, November:  16-19.

Little Lehigh Flyfishers.  (undated).  Local emergence chart.  Little Lehigh Flyfishers, Allentown, PA.

Meck, Charles.  1993.  Pennsylvania trout streams and their hatches, 2nd ed.  Backcountry Publications, Woodstock, VT.  397 pp.

Pobst, Dick.  1990.  Trout stream insects.  An Orvis streamside guide.  Lyons & Burford, Publishers, New York, NY.  81 pp.

Don DoupleMayfly Dun Emergence Chart

Most of this information was compiled by Terry Donaldson, Ph.D. Terry is a “Fish Biologist,” now located in Asia. His comments at the time of his original study are as follow:

Terry discribed his work as “An informal descriptive guide to the commonly known invertebrate and vertibrate inhabitants of interest to trout and the angler. This guide provides only general information.

Since the Creek remains to be rigorously studied, errors and omissions are likely.”

We welcome your comments.

****When The Little Lehigh Fly Shop opened I met Terry Donaldson, Ph.D. 

Terry, a laid back friendly asset to the cadre' associated with my shop was a practical, friendly, cerebral Doctor Of Bugs.

Being associated with him was a privilege.

Terry was kind enough to provide the fly data and emergence charts for my use.

With the exception of a few additions and comments, this is the work of Terry Donaldson.

The last I heard of Terry he was heading for a career in Asia.

I hope he is hooking fish and checking out the bugs where ever he is.

Donaldson

UNDER CONSTRUCTION \/

Little Yellow Dun (Heptagenia hebe)

Nymphs are clingers.  Duns emerge between July and October.  Spinners have a yellow-brown body, and fall in the evening.  Body size 6-8mm.  Size 18-24.

 

Minute Blue Wing Olive (baetis levitans)

Nymphs are swimmers.  Duns emerge in late May through late June; sporadic hatches from late June through July. Hatches begin late morning until dusk.Spinner is brown; males have white on segments 2-6. Spinner falls begin in the late afternoon and last until early evening.  Body size 4-5mm.  Sizes 20-22. 

STONEFLIES (plecoptera)
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Black Stonefly, Capnia vernalis


Hatches begin in morning and continue into the afternoon after crawling to land, emergent rocks, and foliage in early March, usually the second week.  Size 16.

Early Brown Stonefly (Strophopteryx fasciata)

Infrequently seen, with hatches in early to mid-April, commencing late morning into the early afternoon.  Size 14.

 

A large perla or isoperla sp.  Has also been collected and is likely a brown stonefly, hatching in late morning.

capnia

Hymenoptera, Bees, Hornets and Wasps

bees

Various species and sizes.  Not infrequent addition to stream drift and a good source of protein. Various colors. Sizes 8-24

Rainbow, Brown and Brook Trout Streamers are my favorite trout fry imitations.

This series of streamers was developed by Sam Slaymaker to represent the young fish found in waters where natural reproduction of gamefish occurs.

The patterns can be found in Farrow Allen and Dick Stewart's Tying Flies For Trout

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