Spatsizi	September 15th, 2006, 7:09 pm
Posts: 1	Hello Jason - this is a fabulous site. Are you from Ithaca! Anyway, I've been finding what I think are small mayfly larvae in a stream near here. How small can mayfly larvae get? And do they emerge in singles? The trout and shiners are sipping something fairly regularly. I have a little 6 1/2 foot 3 weight, and I'm thinking of trying to find a nymph or fly that would be an imitation of these.

Troutnut	September 15th, 2006, 7:22 pm
Administrator Bellevue, WA Posts: 2457	Hi Spatsizi, Yeah, I'm in Ithaca! I finished Cornell in January and I'm sticking around for a while before heading to grad school in Alaska next summer. Mayfly larvae (nymphs, actually) can get just about microscopic, because they may have just hatched from the tiny egg, especially at this time of year. But if you're seeing trout sip something on the surface at this time of year, it's probably not mayfly nymphs, unless they're full-grown nymphs of a tiny mayfly species just about to emerge (2-4mm Tricorythodes mayflies might be around). Which stream, and have you seen adult insects on the water when the trout are sipping? At this time of year the most likely culprit for that sort of thing would probably be flying ants. It sounds like you might need a dry fly instead of a nymph.
	Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D. Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

Quick Reply

You have to be logged in to post on the forum. It's this easy:

Related Discussions

Title	Replies	Last Reply
Re: What do you think? In General Discussion by Falsifly	3	Mar 6, 2013 by Crepuscular
Re: Indiana mayfly In the Identify This! Board by GLF	2	Jul 23, 2009 by GONZO
Re: Today's exam In General Discussion by Kroil	13	Mar 8, 2008 by Ducfat
West Branch Flies In the True Fly Family Simuliidae by Jpsully	0
Re: What are these?? In the Photography Board by Keystoner	7	Oct 8, 2010 by Konchu
Re: Ironodes sp. (1 more) In the Identify This! Board by Millcreek	2	Nov 21, 2014 by Millcreek
Re: Caddis: without case In the Identify This! Board by Dryfly	4	Mar 20, 2007 by GONZO
Capnia umpqua (2 more) In the Photography Board by Millcreek	0
Re: Another sulphur for comment In Female Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Dun by Martinlf	1	Aug 21, 2007 by Gene
Re: Assorted Nymphs From The Russian River (1 more) In the Identify This! Board by Millcreek	6	Jun 4, 2016 by Creno