Seeking a pattern

[gobrock]

I am seek several differnt patterns that could be used to resemble this fly. I do not know the name of it but the rivers are teaming with them and the fish seem to love them. Other than the picture they do not tend to take flight much but they can crawl very fast. Big flies seem to work best in my neck of the woods, # 2 and #4.

All possible patterns welcomed.

[Flyandtie1]

Looks like a stonefly to me.

Search stoneflies into google and check out the results!

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Looks like a stone fly or Skwalla. Try using a search for those two flies. You should get lots of hits.

REE

[Fly Goddess]

Stoner to me.....simple copy a big Pheasant Tail, but stoneflies are easy enough to tie.

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

Looks like a stonefly to me too. I've used a Doc Spratly on a size 12 or 14 when I've spotted similar bugs around. It's worked well enough that I would do it again and recommend trying it.

- Jeff

[ducksterman]

It is the ...

Pteronarcys californica

I wish you would have said where you saw it

[JohnScott]

It is the ...

Pteronarcys californica

I wish you would have said where you saw it

Ducksterman -

Hit the nail on the head. Around here, most fly fisherpersons call them "Salmonflies," and the locals call them "troutflies." ( If you look closely at Gobrock's photo, you will notice some orange / salmon color on the abdomen and thorax area. )

They are a MAJOR hatch on the South Fork and the North ( Henry's ) Fork of the Snake, and lots of other western rivers. Any fast, cold, well aereated water with a rocky bottom will likely hold them. They have a life of three years - two years, eleven months and a couple weeks or so as nymphs and a week or two as adults, so there are always a wide range of different sized nymphs anywhere you find the fly shown in Gobrock's photo.

Once you get the designation right, you can find umpteen great patterns, from a simple deer hair over orange stimulator to a clark's stonefly, to chernobyl patterns, etc. etc. etc.

The golden stone's are a bit smaller ( more like a size 8 ) compared to a size 4 or 6 for the salmonfly, and are often tied, around here, in the same patterns with a color / size variation. The nymphs tend to a soft yellow and dusky olive coloration, and the adults a nice yellow - especially when backlit by the sun on .... oops, I don't give out the name of that one.

I don't personally fish the Salmonflies on the South Fork because they come off during the irrigation season when the flows ( like 15,000 CFS compared to winter flows of 1000 CFS ) make wading a difficult and dangerous proposition. The only bigger hatch on the South Fork during the Salmonfly hatch is the drift boat hatch.

The Henry's Fork is wadable during this hatch -great action to be had for folks without boats.

BUT, the Salmonfly hatch is a rather shortlived hatch around here, maybe a few days on any given section of the river, working its way upstream a few miles per day. I think that is generally true of most of the western rivers. The golden stone hatch usually follows closely to the Salmonfly hatch, and lasts quite a while. It provides some outstanding dry fly fishing in this part of the country.

Is that more than you wanted to know ??? Sorry - but in Snake River Country its a discussion that doesn't want to go away.

John

[JohnScott]

Gobrock -

For some patterns, go to www.westfly.com, go to Idaho, go to entomology, go to stoneflies, go to that name that Ducksterman gave, and go. After the discussion of the salmonfy, there will be a bunch of patterns given. Most of them will have photos / recipes - just click on the name.

John

[Taz]

Kaufmann's Stonefly is a good one. I'm not sure what species the photo you showed was. Maybe Pteronarcys californica or maybe Pteronarcys dorsata? I know here in NC we have at least 3 or 4 species of Pteronarcys. Probably doesn't make much difference. I don't have the ability to ID them to the species level, can anyone else shed some light on what I should be looking for?

[Jayatwork]

It's some type of stonefly. If it's a size 2 or 4, it's probably a Salmonfly. For some reason the picture made me think it was a smaller species like a Skwalla or winter stone. You might let us know when and where you see these and the actual size of the bug.