Photo by Thomas Ames, Jr.
Nothing gets the attention of a fly fisher like the word "stonefly" and large stoneflies really get our attention! I'm talking about the BIG guys like the Pteronarcys. A few words of note are in order.
Our response depends on our geographic location because the eastern angler will not see the stonefly blizzards that greet our western friends. In fact, our hatches (May and June mostly) are rather sparse by comparison.
Unlike many aquatic insects these big stones have a life cycle that doesn't span just a year but will live in that nymph form for up to three years and grow up to two inches long. That means that they are a constant presence in that large form all year long. I've scooped them up on the EB in September when conventional wisdom proclaims that only the small insects are in the stream.
Rivers like the EB and the Millers are jammed with big stoneflies while the Swift has very few if any. I've seen some nymph skins down in Bondsville but they are still fairly rare down there.
Stoneflies crawl up onto rocks and logs to hatch so your imitation needs to be heavy and hugging the bottom to be successful.
Save The Date
I'll be at Charlie Shadan's Evening Sun Fly Shop on Sunday, March 4 at Noon for a presentation on the Millers and any of the other rivers that I fish. Even though my name is misspelled on the notice I will be there.
Ken
11 comments:
In all my years of fly fishing (50+) I have never established a favorite stonefly. I use big nymphs, and Pat's rubber legs is working ok, but what do you use?
Anonymous 7:55
Neither have I as far as a large pattern goes. The largest insects are the hardest to imitate. I have used "rubber legs" but stones don't have goofy legs like that so I'm a bit turned off by that fly although it does work. I'm trying to come up with a LARGE soft hackle that could do the trick in imitating a stone but as one guy said "It looks like a crayfish". Just keep trying!!!!!!
Ken
Ken,
That big soft hackle looks like it would work!
GW
I never got into stoneflies until I moved out west. They are money year round out there. The Bitch Creek, George's Montana Stone, Large copper johns, and Pats Rubberlegs are proven producers for me. My favorite is a Brooks Stonefly which is tied in the round...great pattern.
Since I moved back east I kept using them because they did so well for me out west and they still work really well out here...better than I would have thought. There are some fairly significant stonefly hatches in Maine, both the Rangely area and the upper Kennebec have hatches that don't quite the west but are quite substantial and worthy to be prepared for. My top dry last June was a yellow Stimulator as the golden stones were blowing up for a few weeks. I will throw the stonefly nymphs year round; often to get a smaller fly down but they catch quite a few fish at the same time so you know they have to be very present in many river systems.
Almost forgot. The Mercer poxyback stone works very well for me too. My top three are 1. Brooks Stonefly 2. Mercer Poxyback 3.(tie) Anderson's Montana stone & Pats Rubberlegs
Bob T,
I always carry a dark Montana nymph but seldom fish it. I also have some large, weighted generic nymphs that have the mayfly profile but can double as a stonefly.
Ken
Bob t
What do you consider upper kennebec
Harris dam?
Ken, how do you make those segments along the body of those stoneflies? I tried doing it with peacock herl tonight and it didn't come out too good. It might still fish, but whatever you do looks better.
Thanks, Sam
I am going to conscientiously fish the brooks stone more in the early spring this upcoming season. I carry it in gold and black. I will report back. I think it will go well.
Sam,
One is with ostrich and thin copper wire and the other is with clipped hackle.
Ken
Thanks, Ken. No ostrich in possession so I tried the clipped hackle version and really like the looks of it. I will go after Ol' Walter with that fly come spring.. :)
Sam
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