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Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

Dorsal view of a Neoleptophlebia (Leptophlebiidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
Some characteristics from the microscope images for the tentative species id: The postero-lateral projections are found only on segment 9, not segment 8. Based on the key in Jacobus et al. (2014), it appears to key to Neoleptophlebia adoptiva or Neoleptophlebia heteronea, same as this specimen with pretty different abdominal markings. However, distinguishing between those calls for comparing the lengths of the second and third segment of the labial palp, and this one (like the other one) only seems to have two segments. So I'm stuck on them both. It's likely that the fact that they're immature nymphs stymies identification in some important way.
27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
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LittleJ
Hollidaysburg Pa

Posts: 251
LittleJ on Nov 17, 2007November 17th, 2007, 11:39 am EST
Why do we tie,fish, and catch fish on black stone fly nymphs. I was looking through the stone fly pics on here and did not see a single nymph that looked like the "black" stonefly that I tie. I originally started looking to try and see if I could improve on my pattern but unless I missed something the best improvement I could make would be to get rid of the black and switch to dark brown.
jeff
JOHNW
JOHNW's profile picture
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452
JOHNW on Nov 17, 2007November 17th, 2007, 1:54 pm EST
Jeff,
I look at it this way: Most of the places we fish stonefly nymphs are pretty rough and toumble and the trout get a split second look and make their decision. So black and dark brown aren't really all that far apart.
JW
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
Flybyknight
Milton, DE

Posts: 82
Flybyknight on Nov 18, 2007November 18th, 2007, 7:38 am EST
There are two species of small dark Stoneflies in the early spring that are of interest here. Black Stonefly: Taeniopteryx navalis, and the Brown Stonefly, with T. hatching around late February, and S. following a few weeks later.
The nymph of the former in 14-16 2XL is a dark brown to black, while the latter in 16-18 is brown to dark red/brown. They are often found together, which quite frankly confuses me sometimes when the adults are on the snow banks.

Dick
Lightly on the dimpling eddy fling;
the hypocritic fly's unruffled wing.
Thomas Scott
LittleJ
Hollidaysburg Pa

Posts: 251
LittleJ on Nov 18, 2007November 18th, 2007, 1:12 pm EST
What about larger black stones? I tie a black in all the same sizes as a golden. Maybe I'm not even imitating a particular species and they just take it because it looks tasty. I don't know? I agree with John in that your fishing riffles so color is less important, I suppose I just figured that this big black stone fly that I always fished with was an actual species. Who knew.
Jeff
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Nov 18, 2007November 18th, 2007, 4:28 pm EST
Jeff, there is a little black stonefly, size 18, that hatches around here in March and April. If you fish the Letort or Yellow Breeches then it's good to have nymphs, wets, and dries to match it.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Flybyknight
Milton, DE

Posts: 82
Flybyknight on Nov 19, 2007November 19th, 2007, 11:30 am EST
Oops! The little brown stonefly that I was referring to above (my home water: East Branch of the Delaware) is Strophopteryx faciata.

The next Stonefly to hatch is the Giant Black Stonefly: with the ferocious name Pteronarcys dorsata. It too is dark brown, but the ventral is sort of yellow / orange. That is what I believe the discussion is about, but this little bugger in size 12 to 16 does not come off till early April.

Another Black Stonefly: Isogenoides hansoni in sizes 12 to 16 follows a week later. It is black, with light green markings around the head and thorax.

I tie in a chocolate color, except for P. in which case the overhand weave keeps me humble.

Dick
Lightly on the dimpling eddy fling;
the hypocritic fly's unruffled wing.
Thomas Scott

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