Header image
Enter a name
Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata

The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.

Dorsal view of a Kogotus (Perlodidae) Stonefly Nymph from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington
This one pretty clearly keys to Kogotus, but it also looks fairly different from specimens I caught in the same creek about a month later in the year. With only one species of the genus known in Washington, I'm not sure about the answer to this ID.
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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Billq
Shillington, Pa

Posts: 2
Billq on Aug 2, 2009August 2nd, 2009, 2:00 pm EDT
Hello, I am new to the entomology of aquatic insects. I do enjoy spending time on this site learning about the things I am fishing with. I am confused by the terms used for nymph and larvae. It seems people use the words interchangeably as if they are the same thing. Is this the case? If you take a look at
http://www.flyfishingnc.com/fly-bugs/entomology/caddisfly-entomology
they show a yellow caddis larvae and the little green rock worm they call a caddis nymph. Thank you for your help.
bill
Creno
Grants Pass, OR

Posts: 302
Creno on Aug 2, 2009August 2nd, 2009, 3:22 pm EDT
in general, entomologists in the US use nymph for the non-egg immature stages of hemimetabolous insects. Larvae are the feeding, non-egg immature stages of holometabolous. Stoneflies have eggs, nymphs, and adults (hemimetabolous). Caddisflies have eggs, larvae, pupae and adults (holometabolous). You will still see them both used inconsistently in the fishing literature. And you will often see larva used by entomologists for immature hemimetabolous insects in other countries.
Shawnny3
Moderator
Pleasant Gap, PA

Posts: 1197
Shawnny3 on Aug 6, 2009August 6th, 2009, 3:46 am EDT
I'm certainly no entomologist, but the distinction easiest for me to remember between these is that the insects that go through a larval stage undergo complete metamorphosis in becoming adults, and those that go through a nymphal stage undergo incomplete metamorphosis. As a fisherman this means to me that nymphs generally look like the adults of that species, whereas larva look way different from the corresponding adults. Even more crudely speaking, the more insect-looking ones are nymphs and the more wormy looking ones are larva.

I'm sure there are lots of entomological shortcomings in my assessment, but that's how I think of them from a flyfishing standpoint.

-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Aug 6, 2009August 6th, 2009, 2:57 pm EDT
So, Shawn, most of my nymph imitations are actually larvae imitations. :)
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Creno
Grants Pass, OR

Posts: 302
Creno on Aug 6, 2009August 6th, 2009, 4:58 pm EDT
And all my flies look like worms :)
Billq
Shillington, Pa

Posts: 2
Billq on Aug 12, 2009August 12th, 2009, 2:35 am EDT
thank you so much for your replies.
bill
Cassias
Posts: 1
Cassias on Oct 30, 2018October 30th, 2018, 11:29 am EDT
wow this was a long time ago

do you know what fortnite is?
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Nov 5, 2018November 5th, 2018, 3:42 am EST
do you know what fortnite is?


Yes, I know what it is, why did you ask?



Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.

Quick Reply

Related Discussions

Topic
Replies
Last Reply
1
Sep 15, 2006
by Troutnut
2
Feb 21, 2019
by Creno
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 (email Jason). privacy policy