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.
This specimen appears to be of the same species as this one collected in the same spot two months earlier. The identification of both is tentative. This one suffered some physical damage before being photographed, too, so the colors aren't totally natural. I was mostly photographing it to test out some new camera setting idea, which worked really well for a couple of closeups.
Leskorcala on Jun 17, 2020June 17th, 2020, 6:46 am EDT
Hello,
i collected yesterday from Montana's Bitterrroot river drake may fly I believe is green drake Ephemerella grandis , many confused with Gray Drake but in June we do have Green drakes here first and than Gray later towards August. Problem is that you dont see much green tones on the body , more like dark gray in my opinion, Wanted to pick few brains if that is in fact Green drake ?
Millcreek on Jun 17, 2020June 17th, 2020, 8:37 am EDT
It isn't Ephemerella grandis now known as Drunella grandis because it has two tails rather than three. It's probably a Siphlonurus species otherwise known as a Gray Drake.
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein
Partsman on Jun 17, 2020June 17th, 2020, 10:41 am EDT
Thanks Millceek for the identification on that bug, I witnessed a hatch last night that brought up some nice fish. I could not identify the bugs, but the fish liked them. They were very similar to the above bug, but on the water at 9:30 pm who nows
Mike.
Leskorcala on Jun 17, 2020June 17th, 2020, 2:29 pm EDT
thanks for quick replay , appreciate your expertise. I wanted point out that this Gray drake has less bulkier or say more robust body as Green Drake I have seen on Henry's Fork over the years.Green drakes i have seen are quite larger than of Gray drake