cicada

[lv2nymph]

Ok thanks Kev, you're right about the google search that's basically what I've found too. I wanted to check with everyone here about patterns given the large amount of talent at the vise here at PAFF. Thanks for the info. think I'm going to screw around with a wet pattern and put it up and maybe between the lot of us one will emerge that might work. Would this even be necessary with this bug? I thinking the fun is in it getting slammed on top.

 

[PennKev]

I'm not sure why you want to fish it wet though. It takes 17 years for this to happen again and it creates dry fly action that is nothing short of outrageous. I never even considered fishing wet when the hatch was on. There were simply too many actively rising fish.

 

[lv2nymph]

Just thought in case they got picky, but it sounds like that's the last thing they get. Besides, I've been known to over think things sometimes.

 

[JackM]

If a cicada was wet it would be drowned. And, I would bet the percentage of drowned cicadas dwarphs in camparison to actively struggling ones. Thus even the dead drifted cicada would be a low percentage presentation/pattern combo. But, I have no idea what I am saying.

 

[blueheron]

I think they sink, immediately.

 

[troutbert]

People put the real cicadas on a hook and fish them deep with split shot and catch big fish and lots of them.

I tried a wet fly imitation and didn't catch a single fish. But I didn't spend much time trying it.

The dry fly cicada fishing is just too fun.

 

[ryguyfi]

The periodic cicada (not the annual ones we have all the time) is a bit smaller and the key to it in a pattern is it has a good amount of orange on it. A size 8 or 10 hook would do just fine.

Here's my pattern

Layer black, orange and black foam. Cut to a cicada shape
Use orange thread and lash it to the hook in segments. super glue optional
Add orange legs
I threw a plastic sandwich baggy in the dryer and it comes out all wrinkled like the wings. Cut to shape of cicada wing and attach on top.
Add an orange sighter of foam or post material.


Thats it.

I planned to hit the emergence around Big Spring and Letort last year but the numbers of bugs never showed. This is one of the MAJOR emergences of cicada's and runs along the eastern seaboard from parts of NY, to I believe NC.

If I was any where near that side of the state I'd be all over this!

btw, they seem to emerge earlier than the annual ones. Might start as early as May.

 

[surveyor06]

What type streams are best for cicadas? Will you guys be travelling to larger streams for the emergence. Will small streams, like the Lehigh Valley limestoners fish well?