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Paraleps

Scientific Name
MatchScientific Name
***Paraleptophlebia


This common name refers to only one genus.

Mayfly Genus Paraleptophlebia

These are often called Paraleps.
There are many species in this genus of mayflies, and some of them produce excellent hatches. Commonly known as Blue Quills or Mahogany Duns, they include some of the first mayflies to hatch in the Spring and some of the last to finish in the Fall.

In the East and Midwest, their small size (16 to 20, but mostly 18's) makes them difficult to match with old techniques. In the 1950s Ernest Schwiebert wrote in Matching the Hatch:

"The Paraleptophlebia hatches are the seasonal Waterloo of most anglers, for without fine tippets and tiny flies an empty basket is assured."

Fortunately, modern anglers with experience fishing hatches of tiny Baetis and Tricorythodes mayflies are better prepared for eastern Paraleptophlebia. It's hard to make sense of so many species, but only one is very important and others can be considered in groups because they often hatch together:
In the West, it is a different story. For starters the species run much larger and can be imitated with flies as large as size 12, often size 14, and rarely smaller than 16. Another difference is the West has species with tusks! Many anglers upon first seeing them think they are immature burrowing nymphs of the species Ephemera simulans aka Brown Drake. With their large tusks, feathery gills, and slender uniform build, it's an easy mistake to make. Using groups again:
Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns) Mayfly NymphParaleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns) Mayfly Nymph View 6 Pictures
Collected February 7, 2004 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on January 25, 2006
Female Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns) Mayfly DunFemale Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns) Mayfly Dun View 4 PicturesI really hoped to catch some good blue quill specimens on this trip, but they are very fragile mayflies and this one was in the best condition of the few that I caught after I drove them home to my camera. It may not be pretty, but you get an idea of the size/shape/color anyway.
Collected April 19, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on April 21, 2006
Male Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns) Mayfly SpinnerMale Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns) Mayfly Spinner View 15 PicturesI wasn't actually fishing the river where I caught this one. I was just scouting, didn't like the look of the water, and as I was walking back to the car this little dun landed on my vest. Why can't they all be so easy to collect?
Collected September 8, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on October 4, 2006
Female Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns) Mayfly AdultFemale Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns) Mayfly Adult View 1 PicturesThis female exhibits the dark chocolate color so common in this genus.
Collected June 5, 2011 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on June 26, 2011
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