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3. Phantom Crane Fly MI

One summer (years ago) on the Au Sable South Branch (at Truettner's, to be exact) I kept running into these weird-but-beautiful flies - took me forver just to figure out what they were - was wondering if anyone has ever seen a trout take one ??

Yes I have but they were females ovipositing. The technique required would be dapping. Unfortunately they were laying their eggs under a thick very low hanging willow through which it was impossible to gain access. It was interesting to watch and I gave it some thought but had to move on.

The larvae are found more often in still water than running water, although that can include still-water sloughs connected to a river. I wouldn't be surprised if trout take a few, although I've never seen them in numbers that would make a trout selective enough to require an imitation.

Their larvae like iron seeps - places where Iron-rich groundwater comes to the surface, and makes that funky orange-yellow looking flocculent stuff called "yellowboy" (an iron oxide-hydroxide mixture). Find this, dig around in it, and you will find the larvae, and probably a few adults flying around too. They're cool and pretty!

Jonathon

Been fishing the HW and the SB a lot - haven't seen one in years - very cool though :-)