Aquatic Insects

Entomology, the study of insects is a huge part of fly fishing. Finding out when a hatch is about to start can surely land you a ton of fish. Half of fly fishing is finding out what fish are feeding on in the river, creek or stream your wetting a line in. Here's a break down of what insects you will find on the water.

MAYFLIES

This group of insects belongs to the order Ephemeroptera. This group has an incomplete life cycle that maybe as short as a few months for some species or as long as a few years for others. Example of a short life cycle include Blue Winged Olive (BWOs) which produce more then one generation per year. There usually is a winter generation of (BWOs) which can produce good fly fishing opportunity during the winter months. The Hexagenia (Hex) is an example of a mayfly that can live for up to several years. However, each year brings a crop of mature second year nymphs that hatches to adulthood, while the younger generation of first year nymphs remain in the benthic community for another year to wait their turn. Mayfly nymphs are easily recognized by their abdominal gills, which can be used to identify them from stonefly nymphs, very similar in appearance but with the gills located on the thorax. Mayfly nymphs are vegetarian and, as such are often referred to as herbivores of the aquatic insect ecosystem. These insects are often referred to as grazers/collectors that feed on algae, periphyton. Consequently, they are a major component of a trouts diet. Their population in the drift increases as the time approaches when emergence occurs, because the nymphs are more active in perpetration for emergence and more likely to be displaced by the current.

CADDISFLIES

Caddisflies belong to the very large order of insects called Trichoptera. Caddisflies are an important food source for trout, and fortunately for anglers identity of the specific species is not always essential. At rest, the wings of an adult are held over the back of the insect referred commonly as tent wings. One special characteristic of Caddisflies is the ability of the larvae to produce silk, similar to spiders helps the insect to stick to rocks in swift current. Caddisflies are an important food source for trout in all stages of the insects lives: larvae, pupae, and adults. The adults are a food source for emergence and egg laying process.

STONEFLIES

The order Plecoptera contains the insects commonly known as stoneflies. The nymphs have claws on the end of their appendages (legs) which enable them to grip to the substrate. As a result they are able to tolerate areas of water that have stronger current. The brisk current is essential to their survival, since they lack the sophisticated gill apparatus to survive lower oxygen conditions in areas where current is slower. As a result stoneflies tend to favour a clean, cool streams with high turbulence where oxygen in the water is abundant. Stonefly nymphs can be identified by claws at the end of each leg and by the presence of the thoracic gills that are located near the legs on either side of the thorax. The nymphs typically migrate along the bottom to the rivers edge prior to emergence then crawl onto the shoreline rocks and structure to emerge there. Since the emergence occurs on shore, they are not exposed to predatory trout during that time.

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