been looking through the waterside guide heres what we should have coming on this april. just what im preparing for... i hope to catch on dries this is my interpretation, apologies for any mistakes made. the photos were just googled. i would have posted some pics of flies but no camera at the min

rivers

large dark olive - baetis rhodani. medium to large size, hatches in the daylight hours. it emerges at the surface in open water, and hatches tend to be large. spinners are not very crucial, as they hatch so early on that swarms rarely occur. a nice dark olive parachute should do the trick for the dun. very common throughout the isles.

nymph


dun (sub-imago)


grannom sedge - brachycentrus subnubilis - medium size, hatches in daylight hours. large hatches, noon onwards. very widespread, but localised. a grey mottled cdc and elk should do the trick. try coastal deer hair

pupae


sedge adult


small yellow sally (stonefly) - small size, common throughout the isles barr ireland. yellow and thin in appearence. daylight hatch. decent hatch sizes.

adult


early brown stonefly - protonemura meyeri small-medium size, about 8mm. goddard doesnt rate stonefly as very important mind- but this one seems to be likely on the trouts menu. very dark brown, like a skinny sedge.



there also may be a few large stonefly about, apparently quite common, and there are a few species. very large. theres also a mention of the february red stonefly, widespread but localised. small-medium size, thin and dark brown.

male large stonefly note; they are so damn big they have little use for wings..... hence, evolution in process


february red


look out for large brook duns (uncommon with sparse hatches) and march browns (uncommon) which are both large, thickset, dark and very mottled. large brook duns emerge by cralling out of the water, so dont bother with emerger patterns- you want an out and out dun pattern. however feel free for the march brown.

large brook dun


march brown



stillwaters


grey boy midge - chironomus plumosus group medium size, daylight hatch, dark/silvery grey segmented body orange wing buds. common, large prolific hatches. emergers all round methinks....

pupae


adult


blae and black midge/duckfly/harlequim fly - chironomus anthracinus - medium size, all black, hatches in the day/towards evening, large hatches.

pupae

(cracking pick eh?)

adult


large stonefly possibly on stony waters... see above....

sepia dun - leptophlebia marginata - hatches during the day, but is rather uncommon and hatches are sparse. very dark brown colouration, medium to large size.

sepia (spinner?)


terrestrial

hawthorn fly - bibio marci - short period of flight, but they often occur in large swarms, close to bank side vegetation. 10-12mm size. black, slim and what i can only describe as... fuzzy!

do i get my PHD yet? hope it was useful.

p.s. it wouldnt let me post over 20 images... so here is the hawthorn

Nice post Jonnied...
You've got to love entomology.
I have a question for you...
I believe that the midges do occur on rivers but are mainly a still water insect.
Is that right? That most of them come from still waters?

Cheers

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from what i have read your dead right. i think there just more of a major food source to trout in stillwaters, especially deep and silty waters, where it is ideal for them.

im not really an expert on this but im learnin

What a nice collection of images to study.

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The large brook dun is actually a picture of a March Brown - it's a picture I took last April on the Teifi at Abercych.

Thank you for reminding me to change the alt. tag.

Here's a mayfly nymph close up from a kick sample in the Afon Cych this month

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i cnt tell them apart....

nice pic!!! extreme close up...

Midges - They are quite prevalent in Rivers as well, but look for them in the slower water, people do quite well on the rivers I fish using small shuttlecock flies, they can a be a saver of a days fishing if you can work out what the fish are taking and have some smaller patterns in your fly box

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http://chrisaldred.blogspot.com/

Same here.........

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Hi Dionysus

A little conjecture!
Chironomid (midge) form just as important a role in rivers as stillwaters.( just doesn't NEED oxygen rich habitat)

Even in fast running water they will take refuge in the correct habitat that provides the shelter as I demonstrated recently on one of the 'Calderdale fishing' weekends......the habitat....a crisp packet firmly lodged in a very fast riffle. Showing perfectly that 'pocket' water can be formed so easily.
They tend to prefer the slower moving pools though for ease of hatching and free movement which leaves the more oxygenated water to those that need it( like baetis).

Don't rule out a buzzer on a river.....it has its place.

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