Having noted the discussions on various sizes and colors of Stoneflies in the West I’m wondering if there is anyone who would comment on their popularity in New England? Which patterns (recipes) are your favorites as nymphs etc.?
Ray:
From fishing in Vermont on and off over the last 20 or so years, summer only.
I’ve seen Yellow Sallies and Lime Sallies
in the air along with some large brown or black stoneflies(adults were about 2 inches long)and found some large yellow/golden stonefly nymphs(an inch or so long) turning over rocks.
Not much of a nymph fisherman, so I won’t suggest anything.
For dries
Yellow and Lime Sallies
Size 14 or 16 TMC 101
Body: appropriate color CDC feather wrapped on shank.
Wing: A white artificial hair
Hackle: Grizzly wrapped just behind the eye and trimmed flat on the bottm.
For the large Stoneflies
I just supersized a CDC and Elk on to a 4 to 6 2 or 3XL
Body: CDC feathers of appropriate color wrapped on shank
Wing: Deer hair
In addition to what Philly mentioned are the early brown stones and early black stones that are out now.
They are around a size 14
The yellow stones are common to many rivers and are around a size 10
Around my parts on LI new york, theres not much that hatches but rumor is that we occasionaly have a small yellow sally hatch. Around a #16 or so.
Ray, My nymph patterns for stoneflies: woolly buggers and woolly worms. Match the colors, but if in doubt black or olive work well. Also, match the length. I think the Hare & Herl Buggers I tie work the part for the generally smaller stoneflies in the northeast. You have the recipe, right?
Peter