Question about a mayfly

[DaveS]

OK those of you who are well versed in the bugs. Last weekend on Pine Creek during the Quill Gordon Summit, I saw some Mayflies tht were huge. Yes there were March Browns and I can recognize them pretty well. But in the afternoon, fishing upstream of Blackwell, there were flies that were easily the size of Green Drakes!
'cept they were brown. I tried to catch one but the wind was whippen' pretty good and the other JAMMERS were getting their fair share of fish, so I didn't want to get too outclassed in the fish department, so sorry no Photo. Looking thru "HATCHES II" I think it might be "Litobranchia recurvitia" or Dark Green Drake? Has anyone every seen this bug? Dang I wish I had a pic! Thanks in advance.

 

[sandfly]

most likely a few early brown drakes Dave. They can hatch sporadically this time of year.

 

[DaveS]

Yea, I see that could be right. I meant to mention it to you when I stopped Sunday, but then forgot.

I don't doubt your expertise, but is litobranchia not an earlier hatch?
In ant case they were huge, and there actually were quite a few.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I second the Brown Drake. When dad and I fished Pine on Thursday before stopping in at Bob's, I thought I saw a few as well. I mentioned it to him and he said there could be a few fluttering about.

 

[csoult]

Size 8-10, monstrous flies.

 

[DaveS]

Shoot I was hoping one of you two had gotten a picture. Well no matter, I probably won't come across them again for so long I'll have forgotten where I'd seen them last.

 

[ryguyfi]

Here's a crappy picture of a brown drake spinner from the Neshannock creek a few years back.

Body is about 5/8-3/4 of an inch

 

[The_Sasquatch]

No pics, Dave. I forgot to take pics of bugs haha!

 

[sandfly]

Brown drake spinner from pine;
size 8-14 is average size for the insects on pine..one reason I like it here..

 

[sandfly]

brown drake dun size 8;

 

[albatross]

Check out Dave Kile's blog post from June 2010...

http://www.paflyfish.com/smartsection.item.162/first-fork-and-the-attack-of-the-b-52-s.html

 

[Chooch]

I know of two streams that have a fishable Dark Green Drake hatch. When they hatch on these streams they easily get the attention the shadflies get. They seem to hatch about a week or so before the drakes so given the way the hatches are this year they are certainly a possible suspect.

 

[RickyAyers]

Question seen a yellowish body mayfly today and it had a orangish to yellowish type ball hanging off its rear. Not sure what it was. I couldn't take pictures seen them flying around the prison yard so we are not allowed cameras. These mayflies were flying around the Juniata River at SCI Huntingdon. Again sorry for no pictures. And body was about 5/8ths of an inch to 3/4 of an inch.

 

[David]

Always tough...but by your description it was a female sulpher. The ball would be a cluster of eggs.