Bug Info

[Foxgap239]

Not sure if this post belongs here or in the hatch forum, if it belongs there, Mods feel free to move it. Thanks.

We was fishing a Lehigh Valley Limestoner yesterday for the trico hatch. We nymphed our way up to where I like to fish trico dries. Saw the trico cloud in the sky and fish already rising pretty steadily. I'm not talking about a few fish, I'm talking about 15 or 20 fish per pool. We started fishing tricos and I got 1 small wild brown on like the third cast. I then proceeded to fish over consistently rising fish only to have them snub my fly time after time after time. I finally looked down at the water and saw spinners floating by but when I picked one up I was amazed to see it was like a size 28 or even a 30. Does anyone have any idea what they might have been? I'm thinking the fish were keyed on them until the tricos did fall when I was able to get two more.

 

[DJBerg]

sz 24 was too big, should have had a sz 32.

 

[midgeman]

Fox I encountered this one afternoon on the west branch of the D during a sulpher hatch. Fish were rising consistently and they weren't taking the big sulphers. I was dumbfounded! So, I simply stared down at the water for minutes and there it was....BWO spinners laying sideways and wiggling. I removed my sulpher dry and landed a big brown on the first cast! It was an important lesson to learn and I'm glad it happened.

I find it just amazing that trout will snub a larger live insect for a smaller dying insect.

 

[SBecker]

I bet they were Psuedos.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Did they look like this? The ruler is in inches - it's a tiny bug.

Closest I can find to what they look like....

http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/992

 

[Foxgap239]

The one I picked up was pure black and small. I'll put a vial in my vest and get samples next time I'm there. If they are still hatching that is.

 

[afishinado]

Sounds like a garden variety black midge. I guess the fish finally began to figure out the really tiny black ones don't sting back.

 

[Foxgap239]

afishinado wrote:
Sounds like a garden variety black midge. I guess the fish finally began to figure out the really tiny black ones don't sting back.

Tom, from my memory (which can definitely be flawed) they looked more like mayfly spinners than midges. I plan to collect some specimens on my next vist to see if I'm nuts or not.

 

[afishinado]

Foxgap239 wrote:

afishinado wrote:
Sounds like a garden variety black midge. I guess the fish finally began to figure out the really tiny black ones don't sting back.

Tom, from my memory (which can definitely be flawed) they looked more like mayfly spinners than midges. I plan to collect some specimens on my next vist to see if I'm nuts or not.

Interesting. There are dozen (hundreds?) of tiny mayflies that are not even ID'd, even by experts and barely even listed in entomology books.

But at that size, a black thread body with a wisp of CDC tied on top and trimmed should be enough to fool them.

 

[Foxgap239]

Very true and they will be in my box for the next trip.

 

[pcray1231]

Could they have been smaller tricos? I fish a 24 or 26 for tricos because, well, it's easier. But many naturals are 28's. Could have been a male/female thing. Males are all black and hatch earlier, they may fall earlier too. Couple that with really selective fish, and well....

My other guess would be some sort of very small BWO, most in various genus's of the Baetis family. Some are more blackish than olive...