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3. Fascinating periodical cicada specimen, Page 2

Hey Lloyd, it's not the dragonfly's lifting power I'm wondering about, it's their jaw capability and stomach capacity. But truth is stranger than fiction, and a friend and I did, after hypothesizing that trout were nipping the abdomens off floating half-sulphurs one day, change our minds as a pair of wings helicoptered down. We looked up to see the slender wolves of the air wreaking havoc with the hatch just over our heads. As for further cicada fishing, I may have tossed my last imitation for 17 years (if I'm lucky enough to make the next one). My family has put up with frequent trips west and there is a long honey-do list now. But for those who can head to the target area, foam imitations and spun deerhair ones are all working, and should for a week or two more, if not longer for trout with lasting memories. The fish generally are not picky, though they are becoming more wary in terms of drifting flies far from shore. I was using a bit of orange deer hair and krystal flash to suggest the wings, but switched from deer hair to orange kraft fur. It's more durable.

OK, despite my best efforts, you all seem determined to talk about fishing. I'll go back to entertaining myself with insect IDs. As you were.

PS--Louis, it certainly sounds like you made the most of both the cicada emergence and your limited time to enjoy it. Good on ya, mate!

Cicada fishing has been good. Shawn, from what I hear there are trout in your own backyard who are susceptible, so no need to travel far. Just spin some deer hair, trim it, and go for it.

Yeah, I know, Louis, but thanks for the reminder. Hopefully I'll get out on Spring once before they're gone. I'm already armed with the Shawnny Cicada that I tied up a few years ago and never used. I think I posted photos of them somewhere on this site awhile back. One of them took a 5-inch brookie the other day on a really little stream (just had to try it). I'd like to see if I could catch bigger fish on them, though. Or maybe a better challenge would be to try to catch smaller fish on them. We'll see.

-Shawn

Shawn,

Have you caught that 13 inch brown I told you about yet? He's probably up to 14 inches by now, and he's in an ideal spot to throw a cicada. Go get him.

okay guys, here's our answer about those cicadas. it's worse than we thought: not some creepy creature, but a fungus amongus. deffinitely creepier, 'fyou ask me! and just as i was getting able to actually touch one...

this quote taken from another site's thread. hope that is okay with everyone. here's the source:

http://www.flyfishersparadise.com/phpBB-3.0.0/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=345

Massosporan fungus--phooey! That's just another governmental disinformation campaign designed to conceal the existence of the chupacicada!

All clowning aside, Casey, that's an awesome bit of research. Way to go! Case closed.

Thanks, Casey, for adding yet another layer to this mystery. I actually thought it was a joke at first.

Louis, every time I go to that spot there's someone already in it. Perhaps the next time I head down there I'll just say to the guy standing there changing his fly, "Excuse me, sir, but do you mind letting me cut in for a few minutes? There's a 13-inch brown over by that piling that I've got to catch to get a buddy of mine off my back. And let me save you an afternoon of frustration - go home and spend a few hours at the vise and come back once you've tied up some of these Shawnny's Cicadas." Or something like that. And wouldn't he be impressed if I stood in his boot tracks and landed that 13-inch brown on my first cast... I'd have the rest of the water to myself after that.

-Shawn