Early Black Stonefy - Aurora Snowfly (Allocapnia aurora)

[blueheron]

Saw several of these stones today on the Lehigh, didn't see any rises but caught them on a dark nymph I tie. What say you Sandman.

 

[sandfly]

Aurora Snowfly (Allocapnia aurora)

 

[Dale49]

I've been recently having success with little black stone soft hackles as the trailing fly with a blackfly nymph as the lead fly. Size 18. I use starling feather as the soft hackle with black ice dubbing as the body. I too have seen the adults but no rises so that's why I went to the soft hackle (emerger).

Dale

 

[Maurice]

Bob,

So is that NOT a stonefly? Or is the Snofly just another name for it because of the time of year.....

I am working along the Little Conowago and have been for weeks and am seeing not only the #18 EB stones but the other day had a bunch of these on my fabric. All with egg mass on their behinds. Must have thought it was the river.

Anyway, their wings are four in number and much longer than their body.

 

[afishinado]

Maurice wrote:
Bob,

So is that NOT a stonefly? Or is the Snofly just another name for it because of the time of year.....

I am working along the Little Conowago and have been for weeks and am seeing not only the #18 EB stones but the other day had a bunch of these on my fabric. All with egg mass on their behinds. Must have thought it was the river.

Anyway, their wings are four in number and much longer than their body.

The Winter black stoneflies are often called "snowflies."

Here is a list I found of snowflies/stoneflies and their scientific name:

http://paaquaticfliesrus.bd.psu.edu/webroot/Stonefly/StoneflyCommonNames.aspx

 

[blueheron]

This is the age of google but I'd rather let sandfly either recall it or look it up in a real book. It's just a better brain exercise. It was almost an inch long and there were not a load of them flying or crawling but I imagine more swimming.

 

[sandfly]

since the adults hatch from shoreline the trout don't get to see them on the surface, that's why a nymph and wet fly works and you don't see risers..When the come back to lay eggs you might see a rise or 2 but rare..try a small tuft of white dubbing behind the dry fly about 4 to 6 inches back trout key in on the egg cases under the surface..

 

[sandfly]

This is the age of google but I'd rather let sandfly either recall it or look it up in a real book. It's just a better brain exercise. It was almost an inch long and there were not a load of them flying or crawling but I imagine more swimming.

Are you saying I need brain exercise ?? lol

 

[blueheron]

We all need some brain exercises when you're in the over 50 club. I knew it as a winter stone, the larger of the two I normally see but was curious about the Latin name. This is a great addition to this site, kudos to DKile, especially for the longtime trout addict. I use the web as much as the next guy but I prefer my fishing info to come first hand or maybe second hand , like my gear.

 

[Maurice]

I find the action to be better on top when the sun is out and the stones are a sktterin. today did not disappoint. Not rare. I fished a nymph and wet for three hours and two on a Pt. then when they rose I got one on a dry stone.

I guess I gotta cal them snowflys now.

 

[blueheron]

Yeah, they were coming in for a hard landing and skidding across the top and I was ready to switch to a dry but it wasn't to be, even with the sun shining it was cold freestone water and the browns are hunkered down.

 

[Chaz]

Oh I've seen them hatch from the water.

 

[jayL]

Me too. Also have seen pretty regular rising activity to them.

I agree with sandfly that it's not the rule (and I rarely depend on the fishing with them), but I have seen both the midstream hatching and rising fish many times.

 

[blueheron]

Maybe it's the nature of the larger water, but no matter how much I try I get more action with nymphs than duns on this size stone. Hey Jay, you tying those foam abominations that pass for terrestrials out there?

 

[jayL]

A few, but I've got oncoming hordes of caddis, baetis, and stoneflies to deal with first.

Last july, I caught some real nice fish out here on a letort cricket, so I'll be tying traditional ones too.

 

[blueheron]

I was in Bozeman in the fall and the boys loved my " sexy" hair hopper ( their adjective) and other natural ties that I prefer as did the natives, much to their surprise.

 

[blueheron]

Oops, I meant Missoula.

 

[jayL]

I'll be making my first trip there for the skwala sometime soon. Hopefully.

 

[Kilwell]

I have been seeing the snow flies or as locally called, little black stoneflies on Penns Creek. They are about #18 in size but later on in April I see some larger #14's, locally called little brown stoneflies.

Is the little brown just a larger version of the little black or are they two separate bugs? My reference book, "Hatch Guide for New England Streams", only lists one called early dark stoneflies but does mention they range in size from hook sizes 12-18.

 

[afishinado]

Kilwell wrote:
I have been seeing the snow flies or as locally called, little black stoneflies on Penns Creek. They are about #18 in size but later on in April I see some larger #14's, locally called little brown stoneflies.

Is the little brown just a larger version of the little black or are they two separate bugs? My reference book, "Hatch Guide for New England Streams", only lists one called early dark stoneflies but does mention they range in size from hook sizes 12-18.

Many anglers lump the early stoneflies togther like the book you mention but they are separate species. From Troutnut, here are pics and info about them:



http://www.troutnut.com/common-name/404/Tiny-Winter-Blacks

http://www.troutnut.com/common-name/388/Early-Black-Stoneflies

http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/347