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3. Mayfly Identification

Quill Gordon or March Brown

Keith-

I would say neither. I believe the mayfly photo you posted to be of an Ameletus oregonensis male imago. Where and when was the photo taken?

Upstate SC a few days ago

Keith-

Well, in that case, it may another species of Ameletus, as I believe distribution of A. oregonensis is limited to the NW. The only Ameletus species I know of in SC is A. cryptostimulus, but unfortunately, I don't have access to a description of it, as it was first recognized in 1978, 43 years after publication of The Biology Of Mayflies, the text I most heavily rely on for mayfly species descriptions.

None of the above. It's a "pseudo-gray drake," in the genus Siphloplecton. Compare with this one:

http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/253

I don't know how to tell the species apart. Siphloplecton basale seems to be the one most often mentioned in fly fishing books, but based on the distribution maps it seems some other species are more likely for your area.

The size and very early time of year match the Siphloplecton specimens I've collected.

Keith,

I believe this is Siphloplecton basale. Ameletus would have a sharper costal angulation on the hindwing. The dark areas in the bulla and the stigmatic regions of the forewing and the dark basal 1/3rd of the hindwing are characteristics of S. basale.

Ooh! I win by 4 minutes! ;)

Ah, and I stand corrected.

Calloway, did you have good fishing to this hatch? When I've seen them, their numbers are always too few to provide any action on their own. They overlapped with the Hendricksons sometimes, though.

OK, I see Gonzo is coming out of skiing exile. Glad to have you back on. Check your PM's.