Cicada Flies - Some Thoughts and Observations

By Dave Weaver

With the brood prevalent in central PA emerging this year, it's an auspicious time to tie up some cicada patterns.

I have fished the brood that emerges in SCPA/MD in 1987, 2004, and 2021 and took careful notes on emergence and fishing results. If you have never fished one of these 17 year broods, it's an amazing, sometimes frustrating, experience. Generally, it has been my observation that the bugs are not evenly spread across the regions indicated on emergence maps. Instead, they seem to emerge in great clusters here and there. You can expect to find them very dense on a section of stream, and a half mile up or downstream, there are none. Some sections with bugs see heavy fish feeding and other sections they seem to be ignored. You will have to explore and improvise.

For the 2021 brood, I tied up a large batch of cicada flies in anticipation. As is my preference, I used foam. These 17 year cicadas are different than the typical annual cicadas that are green over white. Instead, 17 yr bugs are smaller and black or dark gray with orange legs, orange abdominal ribbing, and clear wings with an orange tint. Their body length is about 1 to 1.25" so I tied my flies in that size on somewhat long shank nymph/streamer hooks that matched the body size. I secured the body to the shank using glue and orange floss as ribbing, much like a big hopper fly or a pencil popper. This was a mistake.

I had trouble with these flies when the hatch started as the hookup ratio was very poor. Curiously, I found that fallfish were getting hooked as they were more deliberate in taking the fly, mostly coming up from behind and inhaling the rear of the fly. Trout, by contrast, tended to be much more aggressive, often charging from the side blowing up on the fly or simply slashing it, and not getting hooked. There were days when it seemed like I only hooked maybe one in ten trout rises (I'm estimating and did not keep data on this).

Facing this frustrating situation, I re-designed my cicada fly that spring. I wanted a smaller fly with a softer body that trout would get in their mouth and get hooked. What I came up with was a fly with a body made of orange foam and used a black magic marker on the underside to get the colors right. Wings were orange tinted synthetic fibers. These flies were smaller than the naturals but had the cicada shape (see photo). To improve hooking, I tied these flies on double hooks. If you're not a fan of double hooks, I think a traditional single hook would be fine. With this new fly, the problem was solved and I was able to stick the vast majority of trout takes. I will use this pattern in central PA this upcoming summer.

If you're tying cicadas this winter, you may wish to downsize your flies and design them with some sort of softer body.

 

I had pretty much the same experience with the 2021 emergence.
Smaller patterns improved my hookup ratio, although I still missed a lot of the fish.
Think that's just part of fishing large flies like this.
Happens with green drakes at times also

 

I used relatively larger flies in 2021. I had lots of small fish hit the flies and not get hooked, which was certainly all right. After all, I was hoping to find and land larger trout -- and most of the larger trout that took the LOCUSTS (I like the old term for "cicada" much better) were hooked and released. However, I was disappointed that I did not find and land any trout over 20". If my knee replacement heals (it's not going so well so far) and I get on the water, I hope to find some trout bigger than that this year.

As for tying them, all you have to do is get a pre-formed foam body, tie it to the hook, and splay some wings off of it. I know: That's not very imaginative, but it works well, at least it did for me 4 years ago.

 

Generally, it has been my observation that the bugs are not evenly spread across the regions indicated on emergence maps. Instead, they seem to emerge in great clusters here and there. You can expect to find them very dense on a section of stream, and a half mile up or downstream, there are none. Some sections with bugs see heavy fish feeding and other sections they seem to be ignored. You will have to explore and improvise.

That is true. The maps show entire counties as having cicadas. So you might assume that cicadas will be present along all the stream mileage in those counties.

That would be a wrong assumption. Just from my own observations I think that much less than half the land area in those counties has cicadas.

They prefer deep fertile soils. Not rocky, infertile soils. So, they are not found along forested freestone "mountain" streams. They are found in the fertile valleys.

Where soil conditions are ideal cicadas can be present in huge numbers. But there are extensive areas with NO cicadas at all.

 

With the brood prevalent in central PA emerging this year, it's an auspicious time to tie up some cicada patterns.

I have fished the brood that emerges in SCPA/MD in 1987, 2004, and 2021 and took careful notes on emergence and fishing results. If you have never fished one of these 17 year broods, it's an amazing, sometimes frustrating, experience. Generally, it has been my observation that the bugs are not evenly spread across the regions indicated on emergence maps. Instead, they seem to emerge in great clusters here and there. You can expect to find them very dense on a section of stream, and a half mile up or downstream, there are none. Some sections with bugs see heavy fish feeding and other sections they seem to be ignored. You will have to explore and improvise.

For the 2021 brood, I tied up a large batch of cicada flies in anticipation. As is my preference, I used foam. These 17 year cicadas are different than the typical annual cicadas that are green over white. Instead, 17 yr bugs are smaller and black or dark gray with orange legs, orange abdominal ribbing, and clear wings with an orange tint. Their body length is about 1 to 1.25" so I tied my flies in that size on somewhat long shank nymph/streamer hooks that matched the body size. I secured the body to the shank using glue and orange floss as ribbing, much like a big hopper fly or a pencil popper. This was a mistake.

I had trouble with these flies when the hatch started as the hookup ratio was very poor. Curiously, I found that fallfish were getting hooked as they were more deliberate in taking the fly, mostly coming up from behind and inhaling the rear of the fly. Trout, by contrast, tended to be much more aggressive, often charging from the side blowing up on the fly or simply slashing it, and not getting hooked. There were days when it seemed like I only hooked maybe one in ten trout rises (I'm estimating and did not keep data on this).

Facing this frustrating situation, I re-designed my cicada fly that spring. I wanted a smaller fly with a softer body that trout would get in their mouth and get hooked. What I came up with was a fly with a body made of orange foam and used a black magic marker on the underside to get the colors right. Wings were orange tinted synthetic fibers. These flies were smaller than the naturals but had the cicada shape (see photo). To improve hooking, I tied these flies on double hooks. If you're not a fan of double hooks, I think a traditional single hook would be fine. With this new fly, the problem was solved and I was able to stick the vast majority of trout takes. I will use this pattern in central PA this upcoming summer.

If you're tying cicadas this winter, you may wish to downsize your flies and design them with some sort of softer body.

The 2021 17 year hatch was a bust on the local stream I fish. It's a stocked stream but has a decent smallmouth and largemouth population. I didn't catch any trout but I did catch an 18 inch smallmouth. This is what I came with for the 17 year hatch.

It's a pretty large fly. I had to use my 6 wgt to cast it. I use the same pattern for the annual ones, just change up the colors. I found an annual cicada clinging to a tree and used that as the model for both types. The fun part was watching the sunfish try and drag down the ones that had crashed and burned in the creek.

 

Great idea about downsizing your fly for both size and bulk....nothing to add there. But my suggestion for finding cicadas, in addition to the great tips Troutbert wrote above, don't "look" for them at all......listen for them! Sure as heck, if they are present in the area you will surely hear them, and when you don't, move on to another section of stream or to another stream all together. In addition, if you found them 17 years ago they will almost certainly be there again this cycle. Looking forward to this summer.

 

Besides listening, it pays to look for them along the roads - usually dead - as you drive along the stream too.
That orange really stands out

Another good strategy that payed off:
A good friend of mine and I decided to split up at first, so that we could cover twice as much water.
Instead of both of us searching around together.
We did this at the beginning of June.

After that 1st week, we had a good idea of where they were.
And then spent the rest of the month fishing together

 

That is true. The maps show entire counties as having cicadas. So you might assume that cicadas will be present along all the stream mileage in those counties.

That would be a wrong assumption. Just from my own observations I think that much less than half the land area in those counties has cicadas.

They prefer deep fertile soils. Not rocky, infertile soils. So, they are not found along forested freestone "mountain" streams. They are found in the fertile valleys.

Where soil conditions are ideal cicadas can be present in huge numbers. But there are extensive areas with NO cicadas at all.

Not sure I agree with this, entirely. Back in either 2000 or 2001 (can't remember) biggest concentration of cicadas I ever saw was at the pull-off for an overlook somewhere between Confluence and Ohiopyle on Laurel ridge. We were out doing a story and someone radioed and asked for a "weather shot". As soon as I got out of the vehicle to get my camera I could hear the roar. I tricked my reporter into getting out of the car, "c'mere, look at this...!". She got three steps out of the vehicle just they do in horror movies and jumped back in. They were on the underside of every leaf, on every tree trunk and all over the rocky ground. Was amazing.

 

With the brood prevalent in central PA emerging this year, it's an auspicious time to tie up some cicada patterns.

I have fished the brood that emerges in SCPA/MD in 1987, 2004, and 2021 and took careful notes on emergence and fishing results. If you have never fished one of these 17 year broods, it's an amazing, sometimes frustrating, experience. Generally, it has been my observation that the bugs are not evenly spread across the regions indicated on emergence maps. Instead, they seem to emerge in great clusters here and there. You can expect to find them very dense on a section of stream, and a half mile up or downstream, there are none. Some sections with bugs see heavy fish feeding and other sections they seem to be ignored. You will have to explore and improvise.

For the 2021 brood, I tied up a large batch of cicada flies in anticipation. As is my preference, I used foam. These 17 year cicadas are different than the typical annual cicadas that are green over white. Instead, 17 yr bugs are smaller and black or dark gray with orange legs, orange abdominal ribbing, and clear wings with an orange tint. Their body length is about 1 to 1.25" so I tied my flies in that size on somewhat long shank nymph/streamer hooks that matched the body size. I secured the body to the shank using glue and orange floss as ribbing, much like a big hopper fly or a pencil popper. This was a mistake.

I had trouble with these flies when the hatch started as the hookup ratio was very poor. Curiously, I found that fallfish were getting hooked as they were more deliberate in taking the fly, mostly coming up from behind and inhaling the rear of the fly. Trout, by contrast, tended to be much more aggressive, often charging from the side blowing up on the fly or simply slashing it, and not getting hooked. There were days when it seemed like I only hooked maybe one in ten trout rises (I'm estimating and did not keep data on this).

Facing this frustrating situation, I re-designed my cicada fly that spring. I wanted a smaller fly with a softer body that trout would get in their mouth and get hooked. What I came up with was a fly with a body made of orange foam and used a black magic marker on the underside to get the colors right. Wings were orange tinted synthetic fibers. These flies were smaller than the naturals but had the cicada shape (see photo). To improve hooking, I tied these flies on double hooks. If you're not a fan of double hooks, I think a traditional single hook would be fine. With this new fly, the problem was solved and I was able to stick the vast majority of trout takes. I will use this pattern in central PA this upcoming summer.

If you're tying cicadas this winter, you may wish to downsize your flies and design them with some sort of softer body.

Wow. Your powers of observation and adaptation are astounding.

 

Adapted from a number of patterns I've seen online. I'll be sure to carry some in smaller sizes (like #8).

 

Good info here!

Periodical Cicada

Periodical cicadas are native to the eastern United States and occur nowhere else in the world. These fascinating insects emerge in enormous "broods" that are one of natures great wonders but can also be a cause for concern for some people.

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