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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.

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.
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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Report at a Glance

General RegionWest Branch of the Delaware
Specific LocationUpper and Lower sections
Dates FishedJune 8 and 9
Time of Day3 to dark
Fish Caught4 browns and a rainbow
Conditions & HatchesSee below

Details and Discussion

Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jul 9, 2011July 9th, 2011, 10:47 pm EDT
July 8, 2011 Air high upper 70’s, cloudy with some rain Hale Eddy 3.9 and falling to 3.7 by about 10:00 p.m., 1,200 CFS and falling to about 1,000 by about 10:00 p.m. 9 C falling toward 8.5 C, Fished Lower West Branch. Caught one brown about 12” on olive parachute emerger, then circled upstream to fish two fish feeding near the bank. Stuck one of them (about 18”) that jumped made several runs, and pulled out the hook. Lnnded a 14” brown on a thorax olive emerger, then a 17” rainbow. Left at dark. Flies on water: size 18 sulphurs, 18 olives, 20 sulphurs, 14 sulphurs, 22-26 olives.

July 9,2011 Air high mid 80’s, mostly sunny. Hale Eddy 3.7 and falling to about 32/ by 10:00 p.m., about 900 CFS falling to 739 by about 10:00 p.m. 8 C rising to 13C then falling toward 9 C, Floated the upper West Branch with Wayne Aldridge. Started at 3, Landed a very pretty 13” brown with white halos around red spots, then another pretty brown 15”. All on Wayne’s CDC tan caddis. Cast to a 20+ fish feeding sporadically under an overhanging bush for abut 30-40 minutes. Fun, but no hook up. Flies I saw on water: 18 sulphurs, 18 olives, 14 sulphurs, 16-18 Tan caddis.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Jul 9, 2011July 9th, 2011, 11:38 pm EDT
Hey, Louis, it's good to hear from you! Sounds like that's an unedited excerpt straight from your fishing log. Glad to hear that you're still getting out and catching fish. I assume that all of the "olives" were two-tailed, but were the "sulphurs" two- or three-tailed?
Adirman
Adirman's profile picture
Monticello, NY

Posts: 479
Adirman on Jul 10, 2011July 10th, 2011, 4:40 am EDT
Martin;

Very nice report!! Appreciate the details you provided!!
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jul 10, 2011July 10th, 2011, 9:02 am EDT
Sorry Lloyd, as usual, I was too engaged in fishing to do due diligence on the bug ID. I think the smaller sulphurs were dortheas and the bigger ones cahills, but don't quote me on that--they could have been invaria. As for the olives, well who knows? Larger generic baetids, and the little ones baetids of the acentrella clan I'd guess.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

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