WHAT IS IT ?

[tobysmom]

Hi All......... I have a quick question maybe someone could answer for me. I was fishing a creek near Bishop this weekendend and was turning over a few rocks and found a mayfly nymph . It was a very dark gray color. I have been looking in all my books and articles trying to find out what it was. So my question is was it a BWO or PMD and what is the difference ? Sorry I don't have pictures . Thanks

[209er]

Hello tobysmom,
Both baetis and inermis are benign appearing nymphs with the latter being a shade lighter and both in sizes 14 to 20 and baetis in 22. Actually, it could be anything depending on which instar the nymph was at when found. Clear as mud, ay?
I fish a river in Montana just as the pmds are disappearing and are being replaced with a 22 clone and the beginning of the infamous trico hatch. I just throw 'em a spent caddis and the trout relish 'em. 209er

[tobysmom]

Hi 209er. I found it in medium to fast flowing water . I could not find a picture that matches the color anywhere.

[209er]

You're not giving us any clues. Was he flat and fragile with a big head and was quick? Or did he appear like a dinosaur with spiney legs and was slow? Or did he look just like a pheasant tail nymph? I'm not good at this guessing game. How big? It's color is irrelevant, it may have just molted. Two or three tails? Gills on the abdomen? Help me. Most likely it's baetis. 209er

[midger]

I agree with 209. Not much to go on without a picture, and he's right--color isn't all that big a deal. I'd go onto this site and search for the one you think you saw, but without a picture to go by and compare it to..............well, good luck.

http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/4/Insect-Ephemeroptera-Mayflies

Here's another good site:

http://www.westfly.com/entomology/entomology.shtml

[planettrout]

Tobysmom,

This book is one of the BEST investments that can be made for Mayfly identification...

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/book ... eview.aspx

I go to it and Troutnut's site when I am in doubt...grey nymph on an internet search is fruitless...heh,heh

PT/TB

[tobysmom]

Hi All. Thanks for the input . I finally found my book (HATCH GUIDE FOR WESTERN STREAMS ) It was a clinger of some type, flat body ,big head . My question then is If color doesn't matter than how do you tell the difference between nymphs.

[209er]

Probably most id's are wrong anyway, they're just a guess on size, color, actions. SIZE. That's what I would focus on. COLOR. They're all more or less brown or black. I'm colorblind. If the label on my dubbing packs disappear, I'm screwed. ACTION. Whether it's a crawler, clinger, burrower, or swimmer. 209er

[Papasequoia]

My question then is If color doesn't matter than how do you tell the difference between nymphs.

You have to lift up those leg/fin type things veeeeeeeeeeeeery carefully and then look closely.

209er, glad to see I'm not the only one with colorblind problems. I just rearranged and cleaned up my flyboxes again. Left to right, copper copper johns, red copper johns, green copper johns, black copper johns, pink copper johns. Now repeat with kern emergers, tiger and zebra midges, etc. Tiresome, but effective if I can remember the order.

[Rollincast]

Probably most id's are wrong anyway, they're just a guess on size, color, actions. SIZE. That's what I would focus on. COLOR. They're all more or less brown or black. I'm colorblind. If the label on my dubbing packs disappear, I'm screwed. ACTION. Whether it's a crawler, clinger, burrower, or swimmer. 209er

Color blind? Well, that explains the whole Bud Light thing. All the bottles in the ice chest look the same. I'm sooooo sorry.


Randy

[planettrout]

Tobysmom,

Go back to my link on Western Mayfly Hatches, click on it, click on the book on the Midcurrent page, go to table of contents on the Amazon page, look under clingers...ie, March Brown( Rithrogena), Pink Albert (Epeorus), etc...Then, go back to Troutnuts page and narrow it down. If you were at elevation on Bishop Creek, I got a feeling it may be a March Brown - especially if it sized out to #14...Epeorus are mostly found on the Western Slope of The Sierras and they are a real treat on the Madison up at $3.00 Bridge late July- August. Both of these May Flies are most important in their emergent stage, they are already out of their shuck as they swim to the surface...

Craig Matthews has done extensive research on the Epeorus see his emerger pattern here:

http://www.blueribbonflies.com/merchand ... gers.shtml

And here are some great photos that may aid you in your quest..

http://www.joshuabergan.com/images/phot ... index.html

PT/TB

[209er]

Randy,
You sorry squid! I was trying to have a educational thread and you thrash me because I'm colorblind. That's cold. What's wrong with BudLite? Wait till all you can drink is Pacifico. Running around in deep soft Rancho Leonero sand chasing roosters. Right! Whoa, only 5 wks. You sorry dog................ 209er