Posted: Thursday, February 27, 2003 12:00 am
Although it's only February, I just saw a Mayfly.
Of course that tweaked my fly fishing synapses - the ones that create almost unbearable fishing urges way too soon in the winter.
That leads to reducing the swift passage of the seasons to a snails crawl. Now it'll take warmer weather, that really triggers insect hatches, forever to get here.
The only thing left to do is tie flies in preparation for fishing during those balmy evenings along stream sand lakes.
If you're a beginner, choosing the appropriate fly to stock up on for upcoming hatches, as well as identifying those insects, can be rather mystifying.
Insect identification is a part of the fly fishing process that can be made as complex as you wish.
For those of us who enjoy tying flies to match specific hatches, it can be fun. If you're suffering the frustration of failing to figure out what those madly rising trout are slurping, it can be enough to make you sit under a tree and whimper.
What you need is enough knowledge to pick a fly that fits the hatch closely enough to give you a chance of success.
That's what I'll try and do here - describe some of the bugs most commonly found along streams and lakes. Keep in mind that variations within species can still, even for seasoned fly casters, cause huge amounts of frustration on the catching end of things.
Beginners should be able to recognize four different food groups: mayflies, caddis flies, stone flies, and dragon/damsel flies.
All of these - except stone flies, which need strong currents - can be found in both streams and lakes.
Remember that the key to hooking feeding fish is matching the insects size, shape, shade or color, and its actions in the water.
Often, flies made to suggest an insect can be as effective as those tied to be an exact copy.
What can really drive you crazy are those times when only a perfect imitation will draw strikes. That will either make you want to quit or learn more about insects and fly tying.
So you're on the stream being pestered by hordes of bugs with slender bodies, two or three long, delicate tails, and upright, gossamer wings. These are mayflies and the fish are feeding madly on them.
You've tied on a dry fly that resembles these critters but aren't getting any results. That's because the activity you see associated with mayfly hatches is often, not always, caused by fish feeding on nymphs.
Remember: Prey that is still in the water is easier to catch. Less energy expenditure equals more growth and better chances of survival in the natural world.
Always carry some mayfly nymph imitations and try varying actions - twitches, darts, no movement - until you hit the right one. Remember that most strikes occur as the nymph heads toward the surface, often within the last few inches.
Two good general imitations (there are hundreds) are the Wulff, for adults, and the gold-ribbed hare's ear for nymphs. Always ask local experts what is working best in their area.
Caddis flies often appear in hordes along streams and lakes.
They are easy to identify as adults. They have body length antennae, no tails, and wings that fold back over their bodies like tents when at rest.
Trout, feeding on emerging pupae and adults trigger that feeding activity you see on the surface.
Good imitations of pupae, which have wing pads and antennae, are the pheasant nymph and gold-ribbed hare's ear. They should be brought toward surface, from medium depths, with a little action just before reaching the top.
Adults can be imitated with bucktail caddis, small muddlers, and even properly tied Wulffs, to name a few.
Again, hundreds of species lead to as many types of fly patterns.
Stone fly adults (salmon flies) are easily identified by two tails, two antennae, and (the key) four wings that are body length and, when at rest are folded flat over the body.
Nymphs look similar but have pads instead of wings. Stone flies need current, so fish appropriate waters.
Nymph imitations should be fished toward the bottom with little action since they swim poorly. Adults are klutzy fliers, often crashing in the water.
Fish adult imitations with sporadic twitching motions.
Good adult imitations are bucktail caddis in appropriate body colors while nymphs such as the teeny, Montana stone, and gold-ribbed hare's ear often work well. Don't ignore shallow areas where the nymphs crawl out to finish changing to adult form.
Damsel and dragon flies are most important in lakes and, primarily their nymphs.
The difference between the two? Dragon nymphs are fairly chunky with little tail visible. Damsels are slender with three tail-like gills.
Dragons move in spurts when traveling while Damsels swim slowly with side to side motions.
Damsel imitation: Polly Rosborough's green damsel. Dragon fly? A wooly worm can work well. Vary the retrieve until it works.
This is simplistic but gives you some basics to get you going. If interest grows, you can delve deeper into bugs.
Bill Barker is a freelance outdoor writer from Corvallis. He can be reached at P.O. Box 368, Corvallis, OR 97339 or billbarker@comcast.net