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Light Cahills

Scientific Names

Like most common names, "Light Cahill" can refer to more than one taxon. They're previewed below, along with 9 specimens. For more detail click through to the scientific names.

Mayfly Genus Stenacron

These are pretty much always called Light Cahills.
In this genus only one species, Stenacron interpunctatum, is important to fly fishermen. See its page for details.
Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly NymphStenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly NymphView 7 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected Jun 5, 2005
Added May 25, 2006
Male Stenacron (Light Cahills) Mayfly DunMale Stenacron (Light Cahills) Mayfly DunView 13 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected May 27, 2005
Added May 22, 2006
Male Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly SpinnerMale Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly SpinnerView 8 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected Jun 10, 2005
Added May 26, 2006

Mayfly Species Maccaffertium ithaca

These are often called Light Cahills.

Mayfly Species Maccaffertium pulchellum

These are often called Light Cahills.

Mayfly Species Cinygma dimicki

These are sometimes called Light Cahills.

Mayfly Species Epeorus vitreus

These are sometimes called Light Cahills.
This is the second most common Epeorus species in the East and Midwest. Most anglers will encounter sporadic hatches of Epeorus vitreus once in a while, and sometimes a more concentrated emergence causes a good rise of fish.
Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly NymphEpeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly NymphView 6 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected Feb 7, 2004
Added Jan 25, 2006
Female Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly DunFemale Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly DunView 6 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected May 28, 2005
Added May 24, 2006
Female Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly SpinnerFemale Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly SpinnerView 9 Pictures
Region: Northeast
Collected Sep 19, 2006
Added Oct 4, 2006

Mayfly Species Ephemerella invaria

These are very rarely called Light Cahills.
This species, the primary "Sulphur" hatch, stirs many feelings in the angler. There is nostalgia for days when everything clicked and large, selective trout were brought to hand. There is the bewildering memory of towering clouds of spinners which promise great fishing and then vanish back into the aspens as night falls. There is frustration from the maddening selectivity with which trout approach the emerging duns--a vexing challenge that, for some of us, is the source of our excitement when Sulphur time rolls around.

Ephemerella invaria is one of the two species frequently known as Sulphurs (the other is Ephemerella dorothea). There used to be a third, Ephemerella rotunda, but entomologists recently discovered that invaria and rotunda are a single species with an incredible range of individual variation. This variation and the similarity to dorothea make matching this hatch exceptionally tricky.

As the combination of two already prolific species, this has become the most abundant of all mayfly species in Eastern and Midwestern trout streams.
Ephemerella invaria (Sulphur) Mayfly NymphEphemerella invaria (Sulphur) Mayfly NymphView 8 PicturesThis small Ephemerella invaria nymph was at least a month away from emergence.
Region: Catskills
Collected Apr 19, 2006
Added Apr 21, 2006
Female Ephemerella invaria (Sulphur) Mayfly DunFemale Ephemerella invaria (Sulphur) Mayfly DunView 6 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected May 28, 2005
Added May 24, 2006
Male Ephemerella invaria (Sulphur) Mayfly SpinnerMale Ephemerella invaria (Sulphur) Mayfly SpinnerView 12 Pictures
Region: Upper Midwest
Collected Jun 3, 2005
Added May 25, 2006
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