What are these bugs?

[Wildfish]

Hey guys,
Still not great at IDing the bugs. These were crawling around today on Hay Creek. Are they small stoneflies? Does this constitute a hatch? And how might you imitate them?

 

[dryflyguy]

Looks like black stoneflies to me. And from what I see crawling around on that rock, I'd call it a hatch.
I tie a dark gray fluttering caddis to imitate those - size #14 and #16.
Did you see any fish rising to them?

 

[Wildfish]

Thanks.
Nothing rising to them. Temps dropped overnight and I didn't see any activity on the surface, though these stoneflies were around.

 

[osprey]

Those are for sure stone flies , a very important trout food , the reason you don't see a hatch is that most stoneflies crawl to a rock or the shore and climb out of the water to molt from the nymph (those in your pics are winged adults) after a period of time those adults will return to the water to mate and lay eggs , this insect is important trout food for a lot of reasons , one of the most important is that they will survive in less ideal water than alot of the other aquatic insects. Take a few of those with you , preserved in alchohol is a good way , and tie some up to look and act like them and go back and fish the creek where you took the pics HAVE AT 'EM AND HAVE A BLAST!!!!!!

 

[dryflyguy]

The only time I've had good fishing to them is in early spring - late feb and march. On occasion then, I've find enough hatching on the water to catch the fish's interest. They flutter and skate around on the surface like crazy, and the fish would jump completely out of the water after them

 

[sundrunk]

Stoneflies can be great when your timing is right..Warm winter/spring days...Unless you are a nymph fisherman, in that case, you won't tie another fly on untill April..

 

[jaybo41]

Those are some nice photos of black stones. DFG, do you fish any other dry pattern for black stones or do you stick with with the caddis?

Sundrunk is right on, stone nymphs during the winter/early spring are a necessity if you are nymphing.

 

[dryflyguy]

jaybo41 wrote:
Those are some nice photos of black stones. DFG, do you fish any other dry pattern for black stones or do you stick with with the caddis?

Sundrunk is right on, stone nymphs during the winter/early spring are a necessity if you are nymphing.

I tie only the fluttering caddis pattern for stonefly hatches.
And it works pretty well, although you have to skitter it on the water surface, just like the naturals are doing.

It's been quite a few years now since I've hit a good stonefly hatch - with fish rising to them. But I always carry some patterns with me in early spring, just in case

 

[jayL]

What time of the year do you usually hit them dryflyguy? I have only caught fish that were rising to them in april.

 

[sundrunk]

JayL,

Thought I'd jump in..I've fished over egg-layers as early as Feb-Mar, in to April...Sunny, warm, winter days in the afternoons, between 12-3 o'clock. They're not all over the water at once, rather drop down from the tree's every 20-min or so..The fishing is good, on and off, through out the afternoon..Look for stretches of water with over hanging trees and branches..Tiny black stonflies #18

 

[afishinado]

Many times, in the winter, there is no problem finding the bugs (little black stoneflies), but finding fish rising to them is another story. As Sundrunk said, sometimes you may luck out on a warm afternoon. If nothing is rising, I ususally tie on my favorite weighted nymph pattern and trail it with a small black SF nymph.

 

[dryflyguy]

jayL wrote:
What time of the year do you usually hit them dryflyguy? I have only caught fish that were rising to them in april.

Late feb and march. I've also seen a few here and there in early april. As the others have noted, sunny afternoons see to bring them on. But whether the fish rise to them or not, is pretty dicey
I hit a good hatch at slippery rock creek on St. Patricks day about 10 years ago. The fish went absolutely nuts on them - and the water temp only got up to 39 degreesthat day. So much for the old adage of fish not rising until the water temp hits 50

 

[tomgamber]

It's almost December and we have had 2 frosts. I wouldn't; be surprised to see anything out there this year.

 

[sundrunk]

Interesting point,

I should mention I've fished over stonflies as late, or early as, Oct-Nov, on the Savage river..

 

[govtmule]

Hey Osprey,
"less ideal water"??....

i thought they needed clean cold water as opposed to crappier water.

jeff

 

[PaulG]

Maurice, ties a good dryfly pattern for stoneflies, he'll have to chime in with the formula. I haven't ran into a good hatch in a couple of years. A couple of streams come to mind, Manada creek, conewago, like I said haven't hooked up with a good one in a couple of years!

PaulG

 

[Wildfish]

It was a strange hatch. Not every rock looked like that one in the pic, but around noon I'd say 1 out of 4 did in a certain area. The day before it was in the 50s, but that day was very cold and windy. Seems like a weird time to hatch.

 

[jayL]

Wildfish wrote:
It was a strange hatch. Not every rock looked like that one in the pic, but around noon I'd say 1 out of 4 did in a certain area. The day before it was in the 50s, but that day was very cold and windy. Seems like a weird time to hatch.

Many species of stoneflies crawl to the banks and emerge in the colder seasons. I've seen it in the dead of winter.

I've never really considered why, but here's a thought:

I saw a bunch of freshly emergent stoneflies one june. About every third bug I saw was taken by a fish, a bird, or a dragonfly.

I've never seen anything but the occasional rising fish take them in the winter.

 

[troutslammer]

anything that hatches on dry land is not worth worrying about in mopinion , i know they gota swim to get their buty .....

 

[jayL]

They also have to lay their eggs on the water...

Of course stoneflies are important.

What about isos?