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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.

Dorsal view of a Holocentropus (Polycentropodidae) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
This one seems to tentatively key to Holocentropus, although I can't make out the anal spines in Couplet 7 of the Key to Genera of Polycentropodidae Larvae nor the dark bands in Couplet 4 of the Key to Genera of Polycentropodidae Larvae, making me wonder if I went wrong somewhere in keying it out. I don't see where that could have happened, though. It might also be that it's a very immature larva and doesn't possess all the identifying characteristics in the key yet. If Holocentropus is correct, then Holocentropus flavus and Holocentropus interruptus are the two likely possibilities based on range, but I was not able to find a description of their larvae.
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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PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Feb 21, 2012February 21st, 2012, 10:40 am EST
Hydropsychids exemplify what is so fascinating and rewarding about fly fishing; How greatly a given insect's life cycle influences not only when, where, and how we fish, but how we construct our flies and how we fish each.

The ties below were fashioned from almost entirely "found" materials -not from a fly shop but plucked from nature, the laboratory, even the trash.


Hydropsychid larvae turn up in lots of stomach samples I've taken but, so far, never in any numbers -just one here and there. This suggests to me that, although abundant, they are not terribly available to trout much of the time. I've yet to try LaFontaine's "white rappelling line", but have seen these larvae rappelling in my stream tank (disturbed by another larger Hydropsychid) and on stream at night with a flashlight.


Since I just haven’t seen it, I omit the “gas bubble” in my pupal ties:


Better lighting…


Some Hydropsychid pupae drift a ways at the surface so I’ve tied in-the-film emergers too.


Since adult Hyropsychids are such good fliers upon emergence, and divers attract such attention during egg-laying, I don’t usually tie dry adults. But some Cheumatopsyche can float a ways upon emergence, so I tie some of them.


Divers have been just plain killers for me.

GldstrmSam
GldstrmSam's profile picture
Fairbanks, Alaska

Posts: 212
GldstrmSam on Feb 21, 2012February 21st, 2012, 11:46 am EST

The ties below were fashioned from almost entirely "found" materials -not from a fly shop but plucked from nature, the laboratory, even the trash.


Those are some of my favorite materials.:)
There is no greater fan of fly fishing than the worm. ~Patrick F. McManus
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Feb 22, 2012February 22nd, 2012, 4:31 am EST
"...plucked from...the laboratory..."

Just curious, Paul, to know what laboratory environment you are referring to. Though I am primarily a field biologist, I have had several lab jobs, including arthritis and cancer research, drug product quality control analysis, and even transmission electron microscopy (TEM). I prefer being outside though...and, my Field Biology class is on schedule for this summer! Mondays and Wednesdays 5 - 7:10 p.m. I plan on taking them on at least one field trip per week, perhaps in an "ecosystem per week" format. This area is rediculously rich in various habitats, everything from bog to sand dunes...

Sorry to go a bit off-topic...BTW, VERY nice flies! Especially the first one, high on the realism scale!

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Feb 22, 2012February 22nd, 2012, 6:41 am EST
Hi Jonathan, I was at a university teaching and research veterinary hospital.

Your Field Biology class sounds great.

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