I believe that is a Baetis Intercalaris (Blue Winged Olive).
Since we have those where I live, I was actually thinking the other night about how to imitate it. My first thought was to tie it like any other mayfly pattern, but mix up the dubbing to match the colors. Dark-Light-Dark.
But,… it taint got blue wings nor is it olive. Is this the male or female? There were some more traditional looking BWO’s there also. I had never seen that particular model before though.
Pretty sure that’s a Blue Quill (paraleptophlebia) spinner:
http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/635
I’d tie it with a tail of cream or light dun hackle fibers, a tag of brown thread, white biot body, dark brown dubbed thorax, white congo hair wing (tied spent) and badger hackle.
Regards,
Scott
I think BWOs have three tails as do Blue Quill (paraleptophlebia) - see ScottP’s link to Troutnut. This one only has two tails. This may be a Stenonema (Cream Cahill). At any rate it looks like a spinner, so I would tie the body like Rcassady says, but tie the wings spent or use a parachute tie.
The BWO duns and spinners here have two tails (the nymphs have three). I think it’s going to be hard to get a positive ID without more info. How big? Where?
In any case tie a spinner the same size and color.
Look at this BWO but notice the size:
http://www.west-fly-fishing.com/cgi-bin/entoEnlarge?file=mayfly/bwo_spinner1_600.jpeg&height=400&width=600
Here is a Paraleptophebia spinner:
http://www.west-fly-fishing.com/cgi-bin/entoEnlarge?file=mayfly/mahogany_spinner2_600.jpeg&height=400&width=600
If you upload that photo to http://bugguide.net and submit
it to the "ID Request’ page, the answer you get will likely come from an entomologist.
Not sure the fish will care what it is as long as the fly is the right color size and shape. And you can get those from the photos. Very good photos by the way!
I agree with jayatwork, he gave some good photos from the Westfly site. Here is the full BWO page and it shows both of the bugs you show in your photos - the male and female spinners: http://www.west-fly-fishing.com/entomology/mayfly/bwo.shtml
Great photos.
kelly.
The photo with the fly on the match put a great perspective into the size of the little buggers. We don’t great the hugemongeous hatches on the Chattahoochee, at least I have not seen one, that occur out west although I have seen small hatches while fishing. I have never had an opportunity to examine one of the little fellows up close. The males are so transparent (I am thinking all the ladies are think “ain’t it so”) I wonder that on a bright day they don’t really sparkle with the sun coming through their wings and body.
Thanks for all of the responses gang. The strange thing about the sighting is, i’ve been going to this spot for about 40 years now and have never seen them here before. They were fairly prevalent for about three straight days and the fish weren’t gaga over them by any means. Almost as if they weren’t used to them either. Kind of odd.
Thanks again everyone.
Rich
Wow a bunch of great photos and I must admit that I have never really studied the bugs close up like that and now I just have to. I have been mostly tying crappie jigs and some flies, but want to do more and more. Anyway thanks for the good info and great pictures.
I do have a question, does anyone have any pictures of these when they are under water? I just want to see what they look like after dying I suppose if they are under huh?
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