Fishing was tough on the part of California’s Fall River where I was today. Folks that know the river were worried the lack of plants in the water would hurt the fishing (lots of silt and the water even looked a little murky instead of its usual crystal clear).
I was able to find some bug life in the water though…and I love sticking my camera underwater to snap pictures (much easier than trying to remember the details later when I’m trying to figure out what flies to tie for future trips).
I figured I’d share the best pic of the day for anybody that wants a live model for their future nymph tying…
(if you open the image in a new window and edit the URL to replace the “M” just before “.jpg” with “O” [oh, not zero] and you can see the original, full size version…takes longer to download but shows more detail).
I’m not sure yet what it was but it was much larger than normal for that water (much!)…
The usual sizes for a hare’s ear nymph (one of the suggested patterns for imitating the March Brown in western US waters) is much too small to look like the nymph in the pic.
I should have put a quarter or something in there to give it scale.
Seeing that nymph explains why I’ve had some luck there fishing much larger than normal flies (usually bushy caddis patterns). This thing was not the usual size 18 or 20 you’d want to fish on the Fall River. It was closer in size to the minnows that hang out by the dock.
Not at all, do some research, I think you will find it is a March Brown
at least the small bit I know and have found to be documented.
These nymph are found in the faster waters of the stream. As you no doubt know… These bugs run from 7-12mm not as large as some on the Fall
but good size. The hex hatch can run up to 22++mm
Much of the Fall river under currents do move along quite swiftly
and these clinger nymphs are obviously plentifully this time of year.
They are one our favorite bugs to examine, beautful photo and
example for learning.
We have some samples preserved of the
nymphs, emergers, duns & spinner and your nymph sure looks like a ringer to me.
18 or 20 fly size on the fall river? Seems small maybe that’s why you don’t have much luck? LOL Tim, you always catch fish on the Fall
This year at fish camp Michael and I are going to stalk you!
Let us know what your research tells you… See you at camp!
Steve
ps: maybe a PED? or LC they run 7-15mm as the MB runs smalller
It is definitely not a Rhithrogena… They have eyes and antenna on the top of the head, not looking forward. I brought a new species of Rhithrogena from the Russian River, here in AK, to a friend working on mayflies for his MS. Mainly because of that experience I know the shape of the Genus… He didn’t name it after me!
I’ve been staring at pics on troutnut’s website trying to guess what it might be. I’m thinking one of the various drakes (which matches well with hap’s suggestion of Ephemerella I think).
I’ve seen some sizable nymphs in the water there in prior years and I’ve seen big adults (not necessarily related to the nymph I posted) so fishing 18-22’s isn’t the only option there after all…
Here’s an adult I shot in August '06 in the same general area:
I gotta learn to put something in the pics to give them scale. That grey ugly bug was huge! It’s no ordinary housefly or horsefly…those are tiny wimps compared to that thing…
I posted another picture of the original nymph that started this thread. It’s taken from a different angle and not cropped quite as closely. The stick it’s sitting on was maybe 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter (I didn’t measure it, but I’d say it was maybe the diameter of the average spinning reel or a wee bit bigger which puts it about the numbers I just gave).
You can guess the nymph’s size relative to the stick’s diameter if you want…
Fatman - thanks for the kind words on the pic…I was very happy at how well it came out.
Flyrodde - thanks for the link to LW’s Light Frontliner fly. I’ll have to whip some up and try them (I’m hoping to get back out there later this summer).
