Leptophlebia cupida - 3 tails, large size 12, can tell by looking at fly and size of reel seat. dark wings and body..

yes it is early but so is all the hatches so far, though some are just false hatches ( short, and not as heavy) compared to normal..

Attach file:

---

  blk quill.jpg (17.16 KB)

sandfly, I see that fly as being about size 16 at largest, unless that is a 9-weight reel. Assuming a smaller size, what would you ID it as?

I saw the bugs in question coming off and they were 16/18s. There may have been a bigger one here and there but I had a size 14 Adams on and it looked big to me compared to the naturals. There are quite a few different species of paraleps that fall under the blue quill/mahogany dun heading.

I was with Coty. These flies were size 16-18.

I measured a few reel handles for trout and they average 5/16 in. on a scale. A mustad 98480 size 12 is 5/16 in. from eye to end of shank. making the insect a size 14-12 in size. Also body is to stout for a blue quill and the tails (3) are to short too.

well I just had to look into this. My BBSII reel handle measured .375". csoult may have had a III so the handle diameter might be different. Bob, you measured "some trout reel handles" that came in at 5/16" or .3125". I also measured a size 16 TMC 100 that came in a .325". So my TMC size 16 is bigger than your reel handle measurement. For a frame of reference, a sheet of paper is about .003".

I found some interesting things when I researched Leptophlebia. Caucci and Nastasi wrote of Leptophlebia, "Nymphs thrive instead on more sluggish lowland, coastal waters; those between the high country and the tidal rivers..." also, "it is very difficult to conceive of trout fishing on these bottomland or metropolis rivers, where these mayflies thrive..."

further from Hatches II, "we have never found these mayflies to be a major hatch concern to trout fisherman. Several decades of combined diary notes have confirmed only a few hatches of these species on bonafied trout streams."

Even Schweibert only ever found a hatch of Lepto on the Nissequogue on Long Island.





I even included a pic of Troutnut's Lepto. All I'm saying is that I was there while the bugs in question were hatching and they were 16/18. My best guess based on emergence, stream flow, substrate, location, etc is that they are some sort of common paralep or blue quill. I would say adoptiva.

I think that if this section of PAFF is to be used as a mayfly/caddis/etc resource we shouldn't be so definitive in our judgement of some posts...without seeing venations, gill structure, abdominal plates, hind wings, size, etc, which you can't see in a small picture, and which I have no interest in.
Sometimes its ok to not know. I should know. I never do.

Edit: pcray may have hijacked my account.

I was interested in reading this until I saw a reel handle being measured. :)

+1 on #16 for paraleps

Quote:


Edit of the YEAR! lol

Quote:

Looks like a blue quill to me. No way that is a size twelve. I would say 16 at the biggest.

5/16 inch is about 8 mm, so you size is way off Bob. I'n going to say that a reel seat is at least 1/2 inch or 12.5mm, but I'd say larger.
I'm going with P. Adoptiva.