Isonychias on the Little Juniata?

[Sylvaneous]

When I started fishing the little J maybe 15 years ago, it had a strong Isonychia hatch. Then there was a chemical spill/kill-off some years ago. I forget when. I wasn't fishing it much then.

It is now Slate Drake time. (I saw a good number of them on the Allegheny when I floated it last week. ) Are they still significant on the Little J? Are the late blue Quills still decent? I don't see much mention of them on fishing reports.

Thanks

syl

 

[krayfish2]

To the best of my knowledge, yes. Don't fish there a lot but have done well using g them and seen plenty.

 

[dryflyguy]

Yes, they've seemed to come back quite nicely since the spill - which was in 1995.
I always see some hatching there in the spring time. But they kinda get lost with all of the other bugs that hatch then - sulphers, gray fox, and cahills.
I haven't fished the river very much in the summer lately, but I think that they would still likely be worth fishing.
I do know that in the fall, they become a pretty important hatch again

As for the blue quills - they never seemed to be very worth while in my experience You'd see the spinners bouncing around in late mornings. But they never seemed to bring up many rising fish.
I always seemed to catch just as many - if not more - fish on terrestrials in the summer time

 

[evw659]

I've wondered the same thing, just how much of a slate drake hatch the lj has, because I've just never seen them in substantial numbers for as long as I've been fishing it (roughly 6 years). I have noticed that I see more of them around spruce creek and down towards barree. It might be the case where certain stretches of river just have a lot more of them than others. Ive seen this occur with bwo's on certain stretches. When slates are hatching, even in small numbers, a good iso nymph can produce some good fish though.
If the river dosent ger blown out from this rain event, I'll head over later this week and try to find some. Weather looks promising.

 

[mcwillja]

I think just like most streams and rivers Isos can be isolated to certain stream sections. I don't think it's a progressive hatch that moves up river. I think their are pockets of good hatches. Just my opinion.

 

[afishinado]

mcwillja wrote:
I think just like most streams and rivers Isos can be isolated to certain stream sections. I don't think it's a progressive hatch that moves up river. I think their are pockets of good hatches. Just my opinion.

^ never heard that or thought that....interesting. Need to research.

 

[mcwillja]

Ive experienced this and heard this on the delaware. Some sections are rich with Isos and others are barren. So far this seems to be the case. Probably has something to do with stream bottom structure. I know green drakes hatch best in silty bottom areas.

 

[Sylvaneous]

Gotta be something like that, but what is an isonychia's preferred habitat? Streams like Pocono creek have absurd numbers of Isonychias, I was told. Like a lot of hatches, they probably do better in streams that get a little too warm some times for trout. I know the Allegheny, way down here in Oil City has some really good Isonychia hatches. I've fished the dries to decent smallmouth sipping them like trout. That doesn't happen very often, but the bugs are here. But it has a high pH, is fertile, clear, clean, has big rocks and some parts rip along pretty fast. So about any bug would like that.

Syl

 

[albatross]

I had a couple great days last fall fishing ISOs on the Little J. An emerger (emerging) pattern was the ticket for me.

 

[OldLefty]

I've been fishing Isonychias for a long time and I learned from experience that it's true that, while one section of stream may have good populations, others may not. I have yet to determine the whys and wherefores. Mysteries abound.

 

[moon1284]

In my experience isos are found heaviest in fast water with big rocks the best example I can give is similar water to w. Branch ausable near lake placid.

 

[PAgeologist]

I'm not sure about them hatching from fast moving water, but I have noticed that quite often they will congregate over a faster riffle section.

 

[mcwillja]

good info here. I was wondering if others experienced the same as me with this hatch. If you find a hatch remember the spot.

 

[wjkosmer]

They are one of the fastest swimming mayflies and as such are able to easily move through faster water allowing them to live/hatch in that type of environment more than other mayflies.

 

[greenghost]

wjkosmer wrote:
They are one of the fastest swimming mayflies and as such are able to easily move through faster water allowing them to live/hatch in that type of environment more than other mayflies.

Agree. Back when I fished nymphs I used to do well in the fall swimming an iso nymph like a streamer in faster sections of streams. Trout would SLAM into it.