The Life and Death of a Mayfly

Have you ever wondered where your fly fishing flies got their inspiration from? Of course from real life insects! Fly tying experts combine imagination and realism in creating their masterpieces. Fly tying is all about attracting and stimulating the fish. The materials used range from natural hair and feathers to flashy synthetic materials. The more eye catching for the fish, the better the results.

I have yet to discover the wonders of mayflies. Their lifetime is spent mostly underwater as nymphs for 1 to 3 years, burrowing in sediment and eating algae, and other organic matter. When they decided that enough time has passed and temperature conditions are right, the nymphs transform into sub-imagoes, popularly known as Dun and ascend to the water surface. The dun, not yet an adult but is fully winged, rests on the surface of the water until its wings are dry. They transform into an imago or Spinner then sets flight.

You would think that after all that waiting something exciting was bound to happen next. Their sole purpose is to mate and procreate. No flowers and movies, less time and hassle free. Mayflies fly in swarms, and mate in flight. Yes, how exciting. The male dips up and down in the air, while female mayflies nonchalantly fly straight through the swarms until hopefully gets caught by a male mayfly. After which, they mate. After mating, the female mayfly gets knocked-up and lays up to 8000 eggs in the water. The eggs then sink to the bottom and will soon spawn into the next generation of nymphs. After all that excitement of mating, procreating, mayfly adults die. Their remains fall back into the water, true to the rules of the cycle of life, they become food for fish, frogs, insects, and other aquatic life. The adult lives less than 24 hours, many mayfly species don't even have mouths and digestive systems, because they don't live long enough to need them. Now isn't that a less complicated life?