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.

I like this one. Glacial river, taiga, tundra, and the perpetual ice cover of a massive high ridge dozens of miles away in the Wrangell Mountains.

From the Copper River in Alaska

Stream photos

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Psychodidae True Fly Larva Psychodidae True Fly Larva

Lateral view of a Psychodidae True Fly Larva from Mystery Creek #308 in Washington

This wild-looking little thing completely puzzled me. At first I was thinking beetle or month larva, until I got a look at the pictures on the computer screen. I made a couple of incorrect guesses before entomologist Greg Courtney pointed me in the right direction with Psychodidae. He suggested a possible genus of Thornburghiella, but could not rule out some other members of the tribe Pericomini.

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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.

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.

Green Drake QUig Cripple

JOHNW

Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452

JOHNW on May 14, 2011May 14th, 2011, 5:46 pm EDT

OK so last year during the sulphurs I fell in love with this pattern tied on a Partridge 15BN for fussy fish.
Now as I am gearing up for the big bug time of year I'm trying to figure out the materials for a green drake version. I think I have the thorax, hackle and wing down however the abdomen is proving a challenge. The biggest problem is deciding on the color vs. proportion thing.

For the sulphurs and smaller mayflies I just use mayfly brown staight z-lon and spin it tight and then wrap. However on the drake sized hook (subbing a #8 TMR 200R for the partridge) this leaves tha abdomen rediculously skinny as compared to the real thing and the rest of the fly.
Any suggestions?
JW

"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn

Taxon

Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311

Taxon on May 14, 2011May 14th, 2011, 10:14 pm EDT

Hi John-

Based on your location, I will assume you are interested tying a Quigley Cripple pattern to imitate an emerging Ephemera guttulata nymph whose subimaginal abdomen is stuck in (or has not yet been withdrawn from) its nymphal abdomen, which looks like this:

So, were it me, I would probably use medium tan marabou counter-wrapped with ribbing of light tan thread, or perhaps gold wire for increased durability.

Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com

JOHNW

Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452

JOHNW on May 15, 2011May 15th, 2011, 10:24 am EDT

Thanks Roger!
I suppose I should have been a little more clear on exactly which Green Drake I was referring to; fortunatly your powers of deduction are spot on.

That seems like it would be the ticket.
JW

"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn