I found this fly and as it was damaged ie no tails which would help with the ID. I think it is a Male Pale Water Spinner and ideas

The light coming through its wings was incredible the picture doesn't do it justice

Ideas? Yes; but as I've had some mistakes lately I'd prefer to speculate what it isn't instead.


The hyaline wings and shape give several clues. Pale watery? No I'm afraid not - the fairy large rear wings rule out Baetis and both spurwing Centroptilum species.


Clwydspecial - is it another sample from your river? If so, what part? The localized Ephemerella notata can be found there, as well as the BWO, but rear wing shape is again probably wrong for them also.

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Save the softmouth trout

Hi Ephemerella,
Yes these pictures were taken on the R Clwyd last night about 21.30 hrs there was the odd individuals of these flies in with a large hatch of BWO, have posted another pic of what I think is a BWO male spinner in the thread "Stumped with this Olive"

The BWO were in the field adjacent the river you could see them dancing in the air and also coupling in flight as they mated. There were clouds of them.

The what I thought was a PW I found on or rather just above the surface of the river. I knocked it with the tip of my rod and probably damaged the tails then.

Difficult to see much in the way of detail, but it looks like the female spinner of thr Pale Evening dun ??

Grannom.

I would say looking at the front legs and the eyes your looking at a female spinner not a male.
I am going fishing will see if i get chance to get my head into some books later.

Yellow May Spinner (female) (Heptagenia sulphurea) perhaps.

The only other one I can see coming close is the female spinner of the Olive Upright (Rhithrogena semicolorata) which are called the Yellow Upright.

The Yellow May dips the surface while laying where the Yellow Upright oviposits below the surface using stones etc.

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Don't worry, be happy.
Sandy
Carried it in full, then carry it out empty.

I can see where your coming from but the eye colour should be a dark dull yellow/green , ( on our water) and not sure about the hind wings.

I'd go with Fishtales the suggestion of female Yellow May Spinner; it doesn't have the streak in the femurs for an Olive Upright (Rhithrogena semicolorata).

Pale Evening Dun (Procloeon bifidum) will have 2 tails and no hindwing
Pale Watery Dun (Baetis fuscatus) will have 2 tails and small oval hindwing
Yellow Evening dun (Ephemerella notata) will have 3 tails and upright hindwing.


OB

Yes Fishtales, Oldbull too, this is what I had in mind. The large hind wings are clearly visible on this thread.
The fore wing shape is correct. I was hoping that clwydspecial would have identified where on his river.
I'm guessing a faster flowing stretch just above St.Asaph rather than a lower reach.

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Save the softmouth trout

I am pretty sure I have seen the yellow may spinner on the Elwy at Treffnant, but it seemed much brighter yellow and the rear wing appeared bigger in proportion to the front wing and the eyes were much paler... I am not saying it isn't this, just asking if my memory is playing tricks.