Gypsy moths

[colekingx]

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They're really bad this year in Clark's valley. Catterpillars everywhere.
I'm guessing the trout eat them ? Any good patterns ?

 

[Biggie]

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They're really bad this year in Clark's valley. Catterpillars everywhere.
I'm guessing the trout eat them ? Any good patterns ?

Are you sure they are gypsy moths? Seems a little early for them to have any size to them. But when they were bad in this area, I don't think the trout liked them..

 

[wildtrout2]

Are you sure they are gypsy moths? Seems a little early for them to have any size to them.

I agree.

 

[tomgamber]

A lot of people see those brown tent caterpillar webs and think they're gypsy moths. GMs are a bit bigger.

 

[dc410]

It is definitely too early for gypsy moths. The hatching stage for the caterpillars is during the second half of May. The larval feeding stage is usually during June - possibly into early July. This is when the major damage is done to oak stands that have fully foliated by that time of year. During the larval feeding stage the caterpillars develop through 5 or 6 instars depending on their sex.

 

[acesedgley]

Yeah, the tents are out now.

 

[Bamboozle]

About a 1000 years ago (November 1982), the late great Chauncy Lively had a clever tie for them in the fly tying feature he used to write for the Pennsylvania Angler Magazine.

His pattern was a bound cylindrical extended body made of bunched deer hair with an over-wrap of ostrich herl to simulate the legs.

I tied a bunch back then and had some success, however they are fragile. Here is the link to that issue of the Pennsylvania Angler. The Gypsy Moth Caterpillar pattern is on page 18.

If I was inclined to bother with a Gypsy Moth or Tent Caterpillar pattern these days, I'd wrap a size 16 or 18 hook with black thread from the head to the bend, tie in a length of 3/32" or 1/8" of black cylindrical foam, wrap back up to the head and tie off the foam cylinder at the head leaving a slight hump in the middle. No extended body required.

Like this (taken from a package of Bill Skilton's foam cylinders):

This is my pattern for Green Inchworms which float great, work great and you can tie a zillion in no time.

If you felt compelled to add legs, tie in ostrich herl like Chauncey did 40 years ago, omit the hump in middle of the fly and wrap the herl to the head and tie off. I would also suggest tying in a length of thread with the herl to wrap over the herl for durability.

Good luck!

 

[salvelinus]

We drove up to our cabin today. From Brush Valley along Rt. 192 to Lock Haven to Black Forest a lot of trees are decimated. Trees look like it's winter. Nothing around Germania thankfully - yet.

 

[rrt]

Gypsy moths do not have tents.

Good pattern: the old Badger Bivisible dry fly in size 12 or 14.

 

[redietz]

Gypsy moths do not have tents.

Nor are they called gypsy moths any more. If you want to goggle info about them, you need to use "spongy moth" as a search term.

That's just to make you aware, I'll continue to call them gypsy moths.

 

[Sharknado5]

Saw defoliated hillsides in upper First Fork and lower Driftwood this weekend. Germania is just downwind!

 

[tomgamber]

They had a small forest fire in that area yesterday. Between the bugs, the ground fuel and the heat, it may not be the last. Be extra careful with your campfire 🔥.