hi.

im new to fly fishing and just learning the cycles of the different kinds of flys (e.g. larva - pupa - fly).

I understand these cycles, and how different flys have different stages in life, but at what time on year can I fish using each kind?

e.g. Can I fish with a mayfly nymph all year??? Can I fish with a mayfly all year? Can I fish with midge larva all year? Buzzers? Midges??????

Im confused!!!

please could someone enlighten me?

andy

Roach, well done that has to be the best first opening question ever presented. (I am being serious.)

I have had too much beer and wine to even attempt a sensible answer, that could take several hours of considered thought to even come near to giving you the information required.

thanks cranefly!!!

maybe you can have a go in the morning???

haha

Ask your self 'Is there anything hatching ? (and more importantly is anything being eaten by trout on the top)?

If there is, fish dry flies or pupas.

If there are no visible signs then fish under the surface with nymphs or lures.
Nymphs will be present most of the time as will daphnia. Dries and pupa will be there or taken during hatches or days when hatches should but can't occur due to the weather etc..

Ok this is really general (I've been at the vino too) and a good starting point but, like life, everything in trout fishing may prove you wrong

Just keep ringing the changes until something happens...
keep changing the fly colour, shape, profile, size, depth, speed, location (near the bank or out), direction (fan cast in front of you to cover all the water)...

Neil (ruddy roach: definately the best first question!)

thanks for the help.

are all species and forms present throughout the year? Just in larger numbers at certain times?

no is the simple answer,but you will get buzzers in all their forms and coria.and damsel nymphs. plus caddis,all year,but they change shape and form at different times.so i 'll stick with no.

jim

__________________
The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

hi mate

having been fly fishing for over 25 years i have came to conclusion that if fishing stillwaters it will not matter what fly you put in the water some daft troot will take it. however when fishing river troot it will almost certainly matter. try and learn insect life it will make a difference.

cheers

gus

Sober but bleary eyed but here goes. (I will be generalising)

The pupa is what most fly fishers would call a nymph, when it hatches it is called a dun and when it changes to its final, adult, stage it is called a Spinner.

Nymphs tend to be more active close to their time of hatching so specific imitation of a nymph is best fished close to the expected time of the hatch of the Duns. But most nymphs do not require a specific imitation, the mayfly is one of the few exceptions, a general pattern of the correct size is usually fine. Bare in mind that the nymph is by far the longest life stage of the insect so that is what trout have available to them for most of the time, so they eat them most of the time.

The various species of fly hatch at different times of year and some at different times of day depending on physical factors such as day length and temperature. Some hatch in open water and some hatch by climbing out onto the bank, instream vegetation, or other objects with their 'feet' in the water. The former are what dry fly fishermen are waiting for. Most duns find some bankside vegetation almost immediatley to shed their final skin and turn into the spinner, adult. This phase is when they mate and return to the water to lay their eggs and die. The males return the water to die as well, probably to act as 'chaff' for the females.

Some adults return to the open water and dip their eggs under the surface and others climb under the surface on vegetation to lay the eggs on it or into the water. Guess which ones the dry fly fisher prefers.

That was the briefest step into a fascinating subject that you can not know enough about to get the most out of your fiahing and bankside enjoyment.

To get to know some of the detail of the specific flies that will come accross I can thoroughly recommend that you get "Matching The Hatch" by Pat O'Reilly (other recommendations will be forthcoming!)

Welcome to the forum and fly fishing, there will never be a dull moment in either.

Cranefly,

P.s you are allowed to ask dumb questions as well!

Thanks for all the replys!!!

Ill get hold of that book too, cranefly.




I suppose its all about experience!!!

One last thing, is there a physical difference between a mayfly dun and spinner???

Ive read about different species of mayfly and most seem to have "dun" in their name?

There is a clear difference between the two, as there is between duns and spinners of all species.

www.first-nature.com/insects/ephemeroptera/ephemera_danica.htm

It is even clearer when you see them in the fleash.

There are two main species of Mayfly; danica and vulgata. Don't get too hung up on the details! Also Americans refer to all up winged (epehemerotera) as mayflies so watch out for that if you are reading a book or website from accross the pond.