Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana

Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

Stream photos

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Female Hydropsyche (Spotted Sedge) Caddisfly Adult Female Hydropsyche (Spotted Sedge) Caddisfly Adult

Lateral view of a Female Hydropsyche (Hydropsychidae) (Spotted Sedge) Caddisfly Adult from the Columbia River in Washington

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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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Colorado River Hellgrammites

This topic is about the Insect Family Corydalidae

Hellgrammites are the vicious larvae of the Dobsonflies, some of the only trout stream insects which pose a biting threat to the angler. The pincers of the adult are even more frightening that the larva's, and they're aggressive enough to use them once in a while.

This family's life cycle does not create good dry fly opportunities, but the larvae may be eaten by trout year-round. They are a secret told only by stomach samples of well-fed trout.

Example specimens

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Female Chauliodes rastricornis (Fishfly) Hellgrammite Adult

Lateral view of a Female Chauliodes rastricornis (Corydalidae) (Fishfly) Hellgrammite Adult from Devil's Creek in Wisconsin

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Nigronia serricornis (Fishfly) Hellgrammite Larva

A fishfly larva. This fishfly (genus Nigonia) is closely related in appearance to Hellgrammites

Artistic view of a Nigronia serricornis (Corydalidae) (Fishfly) Hellgrammite Larva from Salmon Creek in New York

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Nigronia serricornis (Fishfly) Hellgrammite Larva

Dorsal view of a Nigronia serricornis (Corydalidae) (Fishfly) Hellgrammite Larva from unknown in Wisconsin

Cougmantx
Posts: 1

Cougmantx on Mar 9, 2008March 9th, 2008, 8:50 am EDT

Often times in March and April on the Colorado River north of Lake Buchanan in the Texas hill country, I will catch a bunch of Hellgrammies and fish them on a drifting line with a small split shot for channel cats. While I release most of them, often times I am stopped and asked what I caught them on. Since some of these fish will be in the 5 to 10 lb range it catches peoples eye. Their great bait for a channels, in swift water and clear rivers.

What really brings me to the area during these months is the White Bass and Stripper runs up the same river for spawn. I do alot of flyfishing for them. What brought me to this web site was trying to find a hellgrammite pattern that I might use to catch the channel cats when the bass fishing slows.

Any thoughts?

Chris_3g
Posts: 59

Chris_3g on Mar 9, 2008March 9th, 2008, 3:09 pm EDT

I think a lot of people use woolly buggers to imitate Hellgrammites. Instead of chenille, you could try wrapping the shank with marabou and giving it a bad haircut. Just a thought.

Chris.

Joec
portsmouth, nh

Posts: 8

Joec on Mar 10, 2008March 10th, 2008, 2:53 pm EDT

Hellgramite patterns can be simple or rather complex....here's one that I found on a steelhead site which I frequent. The wiggle-nymph style adds great action. Good Luck!
http://www.salmoncrazy.com/vforums/showthread.php?p=136651#post136651