tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61991029438809831852024-03-13T12:10:47.918-06:00TroutFodderRob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-54406514104339354602021-12-29T12:13:00.000-07:002021-12-29T12:13:55.234-07:00Overtime Strategies for Extended Hatches<div><span style="background-color: #1c1c1c; color: #cccccc; font-family: times;">This is an article I wrote for the 2015 winter issue of </span><i style="background-color: #1c1c1c; color: #cccccc; font-family: times;"><a href="https://www.flyfusionmag.com/" style="color: #ff9900; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Fly Fusion</a></i><span style="background-color: #1c1c1c; color: #cccccc; font-family: times;"> magazine. Fly Fusion is probably the most informative and artistic fly fishing magazine in print. I have not written for them lately but I do still have a paid subscription - something I would suggest to anyone with an interest in fly fishing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> There are defining moments in every aquatic insect’s life-cycle when they are at their most vulnerable; nymphs caught in the drift and tumbling with the current, pupa rising to the surface to emerge, emergers in the surface film struggling to get free of their shuck, crippled adults that have failed to get free of their shuck, and fully emerged adults floating helplessly as they wait for their wings to dry so they can take flight. Both trout and fly angler alike are well aware of these key moments and are quick to capitalize on them. But there are other vulnerable stages in some aquatic insect life-cycles that many anglers are unaware of. If you know what to look for, these stages can provide additional opportunities for some exciting action by extending the hatch into extra innings. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> One such stage for some aquatic insects is the act of oviposition (the process of laying eggs), or more specifically their behavior surrounding oviposition. Many adult aquatic insects lay their eggs using a rather haphazard approach, fluttering on or over the water and randomly dropping eggs individually or in clusters. The eggs settle to the bottom, or get trapped among aquatic vegetation, where they may reside for a few hours to a few weeks before hatching. Other aquatic insects have evolved egg laying strategies that take a more controlled approach, where eggs are carefully placed in locations that are relatively safe from hungry scavengers and where environmental conditions are most likely to result in successful development and hatching. Some of these strategies can involve laying eggs on overhanging vegetation – as the eggs hatch the juveniles simply drop into the water (a few species of caddisflies are known to do this), while others have adults hiding eggs in rotten logs using a modified ovipositor designed for drilling (this one is common in dragonflies). But many of these behaviors do not result in significant exposure to feeding trout. The egg laying behaviors that are of greatest interest to trout are those found in insect species where the adults physically <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM76HRqQpfo" target="_blank">crawl under water</a> to deposit their eggs. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCIQ-ApuZenM8bxStgnTna7YcZlSTY_XWwyBo68WwopFRY_czErOuPOLxe4E_UbYgS2H2Rd_LxmvH7fifb3qvJzfX9YKfLeb2R2GdpE9P1pVayS5BFTwnxXK6O3H1ukwMhqccClxiPYDPM2hQFqyeOKNyWSUlB0pwW1Zq-eDj5rsM_wgG1IDz3ibzgHA=s4320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCIQ-ApuZenM8bxStgnTna7YcZlSTY_XWwyBo68WwopFRY_czErOuPOLxe4E_UbYgS2H2Rd_LxmvH7fifb3qvJzfX9YKfLeb2R2GdpE9P1pVayS5BFTwnxXK6O3H1ukwMhqccClxiPYDPM2hQFqyeOKNyWSUlB0pwW1Zq-eDj5rsM_wgG1IDz3ibzgHA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blobs of caddisfly eggs (<i>Nemotaulius sp.</i>) laid on a willow branch overhanging the water along a wetland.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Underwater oviposition is known to occur in at least 50 species of Baetis mayflies (blue winged olives), along with over 100 species of caddisflies in the groups Brachycentridae (Grannoms), Hydropsychidae (Spotted Sedges), Rhyacophila (Green Sedges), and Glossosoma (Turtle-case makers). This behavior can also be seen in a few other groups including some species of damselflies, but the best fly fishing opportunities are generated by the afore mentioned groups found in rivers and streams. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghNmB6QCWxXaVRSRt-IjftLXf_cUNcqgCut77nnK5_oe9IvDvb3c8-KIA_QTyaEnwD0KBTAvp32pC_vP4IQfeYwxrkzzCUZP6SdCCLBFBkVqeeZxbp1HSuhngauSns2C8FmeN-5vdaAZlhqdxq6t0vbvWPIwWG1MEXSljne4gL0AinYNUQqtq7WRsUow=s3600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghNmB6QCWxXaVRSRt-IjftLXf_cUNcqgCut77nnK5_oe9IvDvb3c8-KIA_QTyaEnwD0KBTAvp32pC_vP4IQfeYwxrkzzCUZP6SdCCLBFBkVqeeZxbp1HSuhngauSns2C8FmeN-5vdaAZlhqdxq6t0vbvWPIwWG1MEXSljne4gL0AinYNUQqtq7WRsUow=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An adult Caddisfly (<i>Brachycentrus sp.</i>) making its way under water to lay eggs.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> This unique egg laying behavior presents the adults to feeding trout in ways not often considered by most fly anglers. Shortly after mating, adult females return to the stream and seek out riffles and runs with larger rocks or logs that are partly protruding from the water. As they climb down the side of the object and enter the water air is trapped on or under their wings. This air bubble will sustain them while they crawl to the underside of the object to deposit their eggs. Once a suitable location is found, eggs are laid in small clusters. Oviposition can take just a few minutes, or the adult may be submerged for an hour or more. When egg laying is complete the adults will either swim back to the surface and fly to nearby vegetation, or simply release their hold and drift with the current. It is these swimming or drifting adults that trout will often selectively feed on in the days following a hatch. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRGxkBCFVOYq8imf9iNMlOvu7AfaFm43zl-QUMxvTIFhRYJaSezAnA5tGjp_Yl1CXfmZ2CXsqQHGCkcDihjfuOwjyDnoN6775-rdheJ4B9vakEUPwemNvTJOceW9fj9FVfqsZkm0azFaVyZWe7RERB_3VxorNtaY_6Hewby5q1C3snOK0Of1RKlzX4ug=s3600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRGxkBCFVOYq8imf9iNMlOvu7AfaFm43zl-QUMxvTIFhRYJaSezAnA5tGjp_Yl1CXfmZ2CXsqQHGCkcDihjfuOwjyDnoN6775-rdheJ4B9vakEUPwemNvTJOceW9fj9FVfqsZkm0azFaVyZWe7RERB_3VxorNtaY_6Hewby5q1C3snOK0Of1RKlzX4ug=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An adult <i>Baetis </i>mayfly spinner penetrating the surface film as it makes its way under water to lay eggs. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn_b0jbb8A_ZewRvm9RIXnSIJtVzSlD50wPpbGoCLBVjKHBz-Xx4JRsUKQYLcxG2Qv0EcUiBlsmNtUma7hQQypJg8vQPGrZjZllnYyLmLmcorIaWED11zaYgteIJBYhJl8Be72yxgZAqoXvvBVJhiM6i-5Yrn7Zg_21XHLXjvUjkz4qBFaBW1jT9pqZw=s3600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn_b0jbb8A_ZewRvm9RIXnSIJtVzSlD50wPpbGoCLBVjKHBz-Xx4JRsUKQYLcxG2Qv0EcUiBlsmNtUma7hQQypJg8vQPGrZjZllnYyLmLmcorIaWED11zaYgteIJBYhJl8Be72yxgZAqoXvvBVJhiM6i-5Yrn7Zg_21XHLXjvUjkz4qBFaBW1jT9pqZw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Since much of the activity takes place below the surface this extension of the hatch often goes unnoticed. As usual, careful observation is required to determine when this opportunity presents itself. It helps to know what has been hatching (or was expected to hatch) in the day or two preceding your time on the water. If hatches included groups that are known for underwater oviposition, look on the undersides of rocks or logs to see if any egg masses are present (be sure to carefully replace objects exactly as you found them so the eggs can complete their development). Egg masses will be seen as either thin opaque sheets (usually Baetis), or small gelatinous masses (most common in caddisflies). Of course the presence of eggs alone will not be enough to tell you that egg laying is actively in progress – also look for adults entering the water, or clinging to the underside of those same objects. Most egg laying activity will take place in the morning hours although some species will lay eggs at any time throughout the day. Baetis will typically return to the water to lay eggs in the mid- to late afternoon on the day following the hatch. Active egg laying means that submerged adults will be present in the drift.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUxupYMphmz4pItVACfgrv-ruX_0i1LPSaiL2UCqmJge8HMVfXolKM50lM7QW1kfG1TC9USd-UjqLVjAFyAH-14H35TYAXrCfIvDcqXx4VLNI1b4xs0Id3v9XkHWVcnr26psZV4ioAgTkwqwt9O6xhaEkRTso55Qgv3QyCuTEAFkLnwZ_GBLzZMcVVOg=s5184" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUxupYMphmz4pItVACfgrv-ruX_0i1LPSaiL2UCqmJge8HMVfXolKM50lM7QW1kfG1TC9USd-UjqLVjAFyAH-14H35TYAXrCfIvDcqXx4VLNI1b4xs0Id3v9XkHWVcnr26psZV4ioAgTkwqwt9O6xhaEkRTso55Qgv3QyCuTEAFkLnwZ_GBLzZMcVVOg=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An adult <i>Baetis </i>mayfly spinner in the act of laying eggs on the underside of a log.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Matching submerged adults drifting in the current can be a simple matter of selecting a wet fly pattern in the appropriate size and color. March Brown, Hare’s Ear, and Blue Quill wet flies in various sizes will cover just about any situation you may encounter. While these traditional wet fly patterns will certainly catch fish there are some modifications that will improve upon the fly’s ability to elicit takes. For larger caddisflies, wet fly patterns tied with more realistic mottled turkey feather wings tied tent style seem to get a little more attention (one could even trim most of the hackle off a Quill-wing Caddis dry fly and fish it wet). The addition of a few strands of silver Flashabou tied over the wings and a rib of fine silver wire will add that sparkle that the trapped air in the natural creates. For smaller caddisfly and Baetis patterns (#16-20) replace the wings entirely with two strands of fine silver tinsel. Because these flies are fished subsurface, matching the body color of the natural becomes more important than when fishing dry flies, where the fly is seen by trout as more of a silhouette. This is an especially important consideration in Baetis where the color of the spinner will be different than the blue winged olive color of the dun (Baetis spinner body colors are usually rusty-reddish-brown or bluish-gray). In all cases it is important to keep the size of the fly consistent with the size of the naturals – many anglers are reluctant to fish the smaller Baetis and caddis patterns, thinking them too small to be noticed by larger trout, but all trout have excellent vision and they will pick out tiny flies in the drift even in somewhat murky conditions. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIkfIL61K_LxARUGPpy_Pq9YvPyIFP4DQ213W4b5g2a1SbCO21ZTqRCs4XcIei0j2PmhjyRPiUQpGudbxcKuh0fpVqdLepQ3voFGnWIrOzfdgFPruvoB8X8R0ApxVIEJY2c_cxVW0kEqTa7v6FmBmhTaHfPE1jJ2ON-5k6g60YXSVkpaHzYYM1l_73eQ=s5184" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIkfIL61K_LxARUGPpy_Pq9YvPyIFP4DQ213W4b5g2a1SbCO21ZTqRCs4XcIei0j2PmhjyRPiUQpGudbxcKuh0fpVqdLepQ3voFGnWIrOzfdgFPruvoB8X8R0ApxVIEJY2c_cxVW0kEqTa7v6FmBmhTaHfPE1jJ2ON-5k6g60YXSVkpaHzYYM1l_73eQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With egg laying complete, this <i>Baetis</i> mayfly spinner is destined to become a part of the drift.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> In fact many fly anglers are often reluctant to fish wet flies in general, thinking of them as old school, or no longer relevant in today’s world of modern fly gear and advanced fly tying techniques. We may have advanced in terms of high-tech gear and modern materials but fly anglers in the early half of the last century were well aware of underwater oviposition and did not hesitate to develop flies and tactics to imitate this behavior. These flies and techniques have for the most part fallen by the wayside in recent years, and for those who shun them, they are missing out on some spectacular fishing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXZvA5lCzZ0CMaGE6jnZBLX3Uxy3mkIKZo6mLUukD8rQCWf0jYGlzmfiJIErY5YU75JDATTn13oTusWJ-YTnU5uDnMfeTOKnW2mpdLmTopZs5YD_iKlUSyCBUOKK_zLEklyMeHpcNxVNBOysECp40t_H_e0slvco0euRARApyagq2nhDgNkjOHz3bZ7Q=s5184" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXZvA5lCzZ0CMaGE6jnZBLX3Uxy3mkIKZo6mLUukD8rQCWf0jYGlzmfiJIErY5YU75JDATTn13oTusWJ-YTnU5uDnMfeTOKnW2mpdLmTopZs5YD_iKlUSyCBUOKK_zLEklyMeHpcNxVNBOysECp40t_H_e0slvco0euRARApyagq2nhDgNkjOHz3bZ7Q=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selection of size 16 and 18 wet flies to imitate tiny Baetis spinners in the drift.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Most of the time you will be fishing these patterns on a dead drift using standard nymphing techniques but there are a couple of special situations to watch for. Trout feeding on submerged adults will sometimes move into surprisingly shallow water; often lying in the skinny edge-water of a run, or nosing right up onto a riffle to feed. Here, shallow water nymphing with a tiny yarn indicator a few feet up the leader can be a very effective method. This situation is quite common on the Bow River and other tail water fisheries the day after a Baetis hatch. Also, if you notice that submerged caddisflies are not just drifting, but are actively swimming back to the surface, position your cast so that the tail end of you drift ends up in the seam or slightly deeper water where the fish are holding. Dead drift the fly off the riffle and then stop the drift and allow the fly to ride the current to the surface. Takes on the rising fly are often very aggressive so you want to avoid pointing your rod directly at the fly – keeping the rod at a slight angle will absorb the impact of the take. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrKUvxZZBi-uQp0S3AS8CCqFyUaytdRNt8oqvYG67YUF98ubay_Pqr2-60xbV6J95xgxmGPdCDhOwMSKK4O2Qbo4tyiuAQGBN_35grQ3vJTwSFR-dLL6-g5l6F5E9v9g4NzDeZU29-e8CjRIxLy1Ul2PFDKhZPZ_GW6zBZVbxKOY14E4_ejuPI-oXeWg=s4320" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrKUvxZZBi-uQp0S3AS8CCqFyUaytdRNt8oqvYG67YUF98ubay_Pqr2-60xbV6J95xgxmGPdCDhOwMSKK4O2Qbo4tyiuAQGBN_35grQ3vJTwSFR-dLL6-g5l6F5E9v9g4NzDeZU29-e8CjRIxLy1Ul2PFDKhZPZ_GW6zBZVbxKOY14E4_ejuPI-oXeWg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day after a Baetis hatch - hundreds of egg patches on the underside of a small, single piece of in-stream wood, a testament to the numbers of Baetis spinners in the drift on the day following a hatch.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Like a hatch, underwater egg laying events draw the attention of feeding trout by virtue of the number of bugs in the drift. The day or two following a hatch may see thousands of adults crawling underwater to deposit their eggs. The reliable Baetis hatches we have grown to anticipate, that never seem to result in fishable spinner falls, do produce spent spinners. It’s just that the spent spinners are drifting subsurface, wings swept back and looking more like wet flies. Caddisflies also return to the river <i>en masse</i> to complete their life cycle, quickly skittering underwater and laying eggs, before making the trip back to the terrestrial realm – a journey that is often interrupted by hungry trout. These feeding frenzies can produce some fantastic fishing at a time when hatches may be absent and most anglers are plying the water with searching patterns. For the observant fly angler this is all a virtually untapped resource. It’s almost like fishing a new and unknown hatch all-together. Consider it a hatch that has gone into overtime.</span></div><div><br /></div>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-46609607865238066222021-12-20T19:24:00.001-07:002021-12-29T12:43:08.433-07:00Caught in the Act<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A scene that normally plays out underwater, I flipped this log to find an adult caddisfly laying its gelatinous mass of eggs on the underside.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVI7dJsGDrqg5clht9xL-UwyskCeuaPHLnh-e1LxGVYL-aiSUvmHBObLferxfIDxfAaT6HvdIvvc84qg7LsR2cTbUi4RyKj6N70-23W2fJ0fNPSmYp94UE7etM-UdQHNs_tfn7yNlf_3IPPOeU1k0WA7V2YuYNHL3V5zE8ybfpGp-y2K2xFL9V4Wl53g=s1893" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="1893" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVI7dJsGDrqg5clht9xL-UwyskCeuaPHLnh-e1LxGVYL-aiSUvmHBObLferxfIDxfAaT6HvdIvvc84qg7LsR2cTbUi4RyKj6N70-23W2fJ0fNPSmYp94UE7etM-UdQHNs_tfn7yNlf_3IPPOeU1k0WA7V2YuYNHL3V5zE8ybfpGp-y2K2xFL9V4Wl53g=w640-h438" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Most fly fishers have likely seen adult caddiflies skittering on the surface as they drop their eggs and allow them to sink to the bottom. Some caddisflies, however, take a more active role in placing their eggs where they are more likely to be safe from scavengers and are more likely to hatch. This video shows adult caddisflies crawling underwater to lay their eggs on the underside of a rock. As they penetrate the surface, they trap air under their wings. This air bubble will sustain them for the 5-15 minutes needed to lay their eggs. Once they have laid their eggs they will sometimes crawl back to the surface and fly away, but many will simply release their hold and drift away with the current. At times, there will be thousands of adult caddisflies in the drift. This is why wet flies can be so effective in the days following a caddisfly hatch.</span></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="496" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bM76HRqQpfo" width="598" youtube-src-id="bM76HRqQpfo"></iframe></div><p><br /></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-39611532645901657292021-12-17T18:05:00.000-07:002021-12-17T18:05:11.373-07:00Still-water Caddisfly Life Cycle<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you are not familiar with the life-cycle of the Caddisfly, this photo series should give you a few fly tying ideas to go on. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKOsit2roc84Eivd7qGayJFgXZUyVqrb-Ak8MASHDqo51YYmdhNA3pRANUvS12NJlWnLILKOpHdUANB7g17IgLjS_Egk2hP5pJ7ViHUCBXbAQC37d3B18Pm926wmu4f66iNSOWPw9UyHL4E_0rbuxjnhW2FSVAZxApi8TDrKLEqxg-cGV-ldBlG0AUYw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="2048" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKOsit2roc84Eivd7qGayJFgXZUyVqrb-Ak8MASHDqo51YYmdhNA3pRANUvS12NJlWnLILKOpHdUANB7g17IgLjS_Egk2hP5pJ7ViHUCBXbAQC37d3B18Pm926wmu4f66iNSOWPw9UyHL4E_0rbuxjnhW2FSVAZxApi8TDrKLEqxg-cGV-ldBlG0AUYw=w640-h486" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical caddisfly life-cycle.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVkGHT168DJ__qw38n8GuWh1uv4zS42vRVWQjS3nckAChva-82Nguv3MC7W1vgZdjfPtNgJSrYMnf897W2boCELPFR-fcnFWamlTWcBTd-fU5xe7YU_SHc7SGhCOtWyIxnu61mVvxsQ4WicIBOhBOZEPQqoMfQXOLy55fDvk5rxL9kUP_9jmgFs5n_Hg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVkGHT168DJ__qw38n8GuWh1uv4zS42vRVWQjS3nckAChva-82Nguv3MC7W1vgZdjfPtNgJSrYMnf897W2boCELPFR-fcnFWamlTWcBTd-fU5xe7YU_SHc7SGhCOtWyIxnu61mVvxsQ4WicIBOhBOZEPQqoMfQXOLy55fDvk5rxL9kUP_9jmgFs5n_Hg=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Anabolia sp. </i>(Limnephilidae) larva - one of the larger caddisfly larvae found in Alberta lakes.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq04bqhSCCw3c7JNwqVaccS9ncA97FrkeqY9tPQo1wNE8WWjzcm-0wGbxkIcDSHKjjLAeU-08Hkwlp34Q22Z_V2bWstTsHsYR6UcIUjT0A--cPGw5_gVVFqrDwGZlmlEdb8hixfOA0HyJOYLlvUWJBkQ7cLWlmt7BcYY13qVxnROoTOTITN0XCP5BQjQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq04bqhSCCw3c7JNwqVaccS9ncA97FrkeqY9tPQo1wNE8WWjzcm-0wGbxkIcDSHKjjLAeU-08Hkwlp34Q22Z_V2bWstTsHsYR6UcIUjT0A--cPGw5_gVVFqrDwGZlmlEdb8hixfOA0HyJOYLlvUWJBkQ7cLWlmt7BcYY13qVxnROoTOTITN0XCP5BQjQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close-up of <i>Anabolia</i> with its cool color pattern. As the larva grows it simply <br />adds on to the front end of the case to make it bigger.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0yzXu1AIsp1gIg62eot8wntviOS8juKBq51iIJUTCZZwD8R00ZiErVQ-qpbPZNM7aDQ7X4bUCTiKnKipYHH7Bp69QAZ6tUxRAw9X55jplhSbrWrfXf5Rjgjcb4qLwfbguLi5Aany_xcWAz6A9a9Y2XuZlTea0pBvzb_eLVoPODL-3lH5GZcU8IJmOwQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0yzXu1AIsp1gIg62eot8wntviOS8juKBq51iIJUTCZZwD8R00ZiErVQ-qpbPZNM7aDQ7X4bUCTiKnKipYHH7Bp69QAZ6tUxRAw9X55jplhSbrWrfXf5Rjgjcb4qLwfbguLi5Aany_xcWAz6A9a9Y2XuZlTea0pBvzb_eLVoPODL-3lH5GZcU8IJmOwQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When ready to pupate, the larva seals off both ends of the case with a sieve-like plug made from silk extruded from glands near their mouth. This allow oxygenated water to circulate through the case as the transformation takes place.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4-V6GGTEqeuzXzc-bGSXHB2S5_VDSysiVcROlTJE05pNDFifK9h_8gx1NxE-puUt49MKfVGXyPFtQgELO_JvYD9fgP5-5gtjRYeD89kd0aeWsy0JZp8uNh_9CthaC0qbNMydr3Jtkqud4zfyuxEzamZfeIswdaEewplwZeE15vqeo98bzCWEn_2iesQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4-V6GGTEqeuzXzc-bGSXHB2S5_VDSysiVcROlTJE05pNDFifK9h_8gx1NxE-puUt49MKfVGXyPFtQgELO_JvYD9fgP5-5gtjRYeD89kd0aeWsy0JZp8uNh_9CthaC0qbNMydr3Jtkqud4zfyuxEzamZfeIswdaEewplwZeE15vqeo98bzCWEn_2iesQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cut-away showing the pupa developing within the case. If oxygen levels drop too low, the pupa will undulate <br />(similar to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-ouaOHc9uw" target="_blank">cased chironomid larvae</a>) to help circulate water through the case.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYkPPXdm5ZceeRWnWYQHnbI0V5w1NMSP6zkxHWSrcpeXEkeGiGnbYcUiAkKneU1yjeLdx_AOCEd9t0eIVcb1sIfLYsbJDwq2XlTlgJwxV3UBELsGdEJf3P8bbeXIJHPr6K8JZ4efSpDWN6xvzWwr0Kz3-SexV6TywMyGbO_-4Z_BzUDpQ_bSML8MqG5g=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYkPPXdm5ZceeRWnWYQHnbI0V5w1NMSP6zkxHWSrcpeXEkeGiGnbYcUiAkKneU1yjeLdx_AOCEd9t0eIVcb1sIfLYsbJDwq2XlTlgJwxV3UBELsGdEJf3P8bbeXIJHPr6K8JZ4efSpDWN6xvzWwr0Kz3-SexV6TywMyGbO_-4Z_BzUDpQ_bSML8MqG5g=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pupa has almost completed its development. Note the well-developed legs, antennae, and wing-case all bunched together on the front half of the pupa.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjENwSnixBs2JlhevMKFY4RdSmHdGvmIKfd-NzFodl3CP83tiaogHAagia7FVGyusUZkC3-RBgHGYBcT8rC1-4S3cZ_-UQxY1K3od_SWLJTtwZ1SvCu8UzyH4K13FAqZVguDTNovJZ4CYzntSsgtg5JMgrO7oL_kEe0iitTPdFCp5whPkFtnYYWbVRANw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjENwSnixBs2JlhevMKFY4RdSmHdGvmIKfd-NzFodl3CP83tiaogHAagia7FVGyusUZkC3-RBgHGYBcT8rC1-4S3cZ_-UQxY1K3od_SWLJTtwZ1SvCu8UzyH4K13FAqZVguDTNovJZ4CYzntSsgtg5JMgrO7oL_kEe0iitTPdFCp5whPkFtnYYWbVRANw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When ready to emerge, the pupa cuts its way out of the case and makes its way to the surface to emerge. The trip to the surface can be a quick one - with the pupa buoyed by air trapped under the cuticle, undulations of the body, and sometimes a sculling swimming behavior using their hind legs.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDemIJ-cN-wNw1VTZ-BImplURD8-HYiQOBm49v51d902DodfcJ8lQsOq81G0GRyoacrVKJ1xpB5zFM9r32K5E0CndsANOoHofaY5VVSpPPj1kKrsfu_-4wR8NvmICujfT-lprbAhkanz0749XfMgFlQmsLg_c6tTUZIfX58YcLr-x4iyAHkjj4dQyX_g=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDemIJ-cN-wNw1VTZ-BImplURD8-HYiQOBm49v51d902DodfcJ8lQsOq81G0GRyoacrVKJ1xpB5zFM9r32K5E0CndsANOoHofaY5VVSpPPj1kKrsfu_-4wR8NvmICujfT-lprbAhkanz0749XfMgFlQmsLg_c6tTUZIfX58YcLr-x4iyAHkjj4dQyX_g=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once at the surface, the cuticle of the pupa splits along the back and the adult caddisfly crawls out onto the surface. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs2G0A8LYy1Yy_Xk5_muoHUQw9HA57qkeABOZlRVvoePO3THgf5hIo8TW7aLC4ubPU5vRQL0EN4kytpZT2hPzPCi_0uYnsKdzhbC2HAggJPmVwjoFIaKf7Hf91iuf9_Y1xw0yl8b-6dRyiYLfEbIEOSJLKcln_MN5y3y5TF9mVijhKLmvlGmJAvTWkOw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="2048" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs2G0A8LYy1Yy_Xk5_muoHUQw9HA57qkeABOZlRVvoePO3THgf5hIo8TW7aLC4ubPU5vRQL0EN4kytpZT2hPzPCi_0uYnsKdzhbC2HAggJPmVwjoFIaKf7Hf91iuf9_Y1xw0yl8b-6dRyiYLfEbIEOSJLKcln_MN5y3y5TF9mVijhKLmvlGmJAvTWkOw=w640-h396" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you see lots of these on the surface you know that caddisflies have been or are emerging.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiur8-FD-VBASIgpBCr0jtla4SzHjTLQSqmxGdlaWEwcgoOruSLNe-sl5roxexyc4GUk0LMCi7JdZ_XGpDG4gV5D6OuYk5aoYeogXxp9zbaKAP4rKBlMd77_tSTFBMgktNFkBTFvgltv5NJqlBGWqYnyY30mLBssErHE5Lr7tDwT1ABfrTyFWYLdMXxrw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiur8-FD-VBASIgpBCr0jtla4SzHjTLQSqmxGdlaWEwcgoOruSLNe-sl5roxexyc4GUk0LMCi7JdZ_XGpDG4gV5D6OuYk5aoYeogXxp9zbaKAP4rKBlMd77_tSTFBMgktNFkBTFvgltv5NJqlBGWqYnyY30mLBssErHE5Lr7tDwT1ABfrTyFWYLdMXxrw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical adult caddisfly with its characteristic drab color and long antennae.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzc5_T3u2tJahfju2WipIUbc4BbURQp0Gq1EqTKdhfToPPZPgM2A51_0yUaBXjgH6DQnB2wpvCydNPX0U6FmsU6olnS_rPCWlW3crTVRf4cXrUUwxvIy6KxaWocvniPhI7aaGRJct4YuPD_wPylSMJhsBMOP5QuyuVFLAutpX_8E6losWMHtEE9cB49w=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzc5_T3u2tJahfju2WipIUbc4BbURQp0Gq1EqTKdhfToPPZPgM2A51_0yUaBXjgH6DQnB2wpvCydNPX0U6FmsU6olnS_rPCWlW3crTVRf4cXrUUwxvIy6KxaWocvniPhI7aaGRJct4YuPD_wPylSMJhsBMOP5QuyuVFLAutpX_8E6losWMHtEE9cB49w=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caddisfly hatches are more common late in the evening but you will <br />sometimes see an emergence in the middle of the afternoon.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnJsv1QNdqw9P_1AtEW3Q6_auvfV5OwdyNLlC55jHUOxxtz38-tbc1inJmO3euw_lI11G0lkUoB8Hy8qI2ZllXtgxgzMB9A1jtkOm3D5g2WiqmyVxleX6_gXi2kMMJdYZYF8sWHO93HVFmyUMHu3X9UhsBdkywovKVoJXo_KDkHMPRCtovw72oDtl5pQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnJsv1QNdqw9P_1AtEW3Q6_auvfV5OwdyNLlC55jHUOxxtz38-tbc1inJmO3euw_lI11G0lkUoB8Hy8qI2ZllXtgxgzMB9A1jtkOm3D5g2WiqmyVxleX6_gXi2kMMJdYZYF8sWHO93HVFmyUMHu3X9UhsBdkywovKVoJXo_KDkHMPRCtovw72oDtl5pQ=w426-h640" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mating takes place on shore-line vegetation with <br />egg laying taking place a short time later.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-60944630534750663502021-12-12T15:19:00.004-07:002021-12-12T15:33:28.420-07:00Cased Caddisflies in Alberta Lakes<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Most of the larger species of caddisflies found in Alberta Lakes are in the families Limnephlidae and Phryganeidae. Both groups have some interesting case building behaviors, with each case designed to help the larva blend into its environment and avoid predators. Natural materials are scavenged and arranged in ways the enhance the camouflage provided by the case. Note that these photos were purposely taken with each caddisfly larva in an unnatural setting to make them more visible in the photos.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB3tKZNBEo7zfg1FaGI2_LTILYQkvuNiAYQMdjw7zO-gsurl6bcbpQ79OzYU-nQQqvnv9o5ge9nqZ0YWLUK4ncjbAqfV6RHQYVIibtysJFFe99IwdJKz9bGQCoqx-15L4VEEBHsHWK8RB8-4xn8k6tUy_6wMbl2ySWTb1b0--83GBX0u6P78j1H_pe9Q=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1421" data-original-width="2048" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB3tKZNBEo7zfg1FaGI2_LTILYQkvuNiAYQMdjw7zO-gsurl6bcbpQ79OzYU-nQQqvnv9o5ge9nqZ0YWLUK4ncjbAqfV6RHQYVIibtysJFFe99IwdJKz9bGQCoqx-15L4VEEBHsHWK8RB8-4xn8k6tUy_6wMbl2ySWTb1b0--83GBX0u6P78j1H_pe9Q=w640-h444" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Anabolia</i> <i>bimaculata </i>(Limnephilidae) with a case of longitudinally arranged pieces of dead grass. This species tends to prowl along the edges of lakes and ponds where emergent sedges and grasses predominate.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRenPgVXQbNmlmTN7cwhQBDvBi6R0qssgPg3yyEgeEy4msoOoRjaJYmlmdOM_hL2Xgyv5Ypsjy9ajrVTpS1QaoQEsKAXtwd_HroHk7-5gJkZNy-iTyr3aOZo8F_urxL0esebiGC8coW-X6augs6mIpNKJwr821ixF3Z1bTAIwC6MJ1yRNrb0YKrk10Ng=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="2048" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRenPgVXQbNmlmTN7cwhQBDvBi6R0qssgPg3yyEgeEy4msoOoRjaJYmlmdOM_hL2Xgyv5Ypsjy9ajrVTpS1QaoQEsKAXtwd_HroHk7-5gJkZNy-iTyr3aOZo8F_urxL0esebiGC8coW-X6augs6mIpNKJwr821ixF3Z1bTAIwC6MJ1yRNrb0YKrk10Ng=w640-h434" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes case construction is specific to a species and sometimes it will vary. This <i>Anabolia bimaculata</i> larva was collected from a pond lined with spruce trees - case construction using dead spruce needles made more sense than lengths of dead grass.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijqMS5mBoCbeuAU7X2linV41K6KCHIimhcRDZioP6Tt9QthA-pT3i2_4W6F8ZQjG6C1zJX24vRarIo_prF6ltm-XLjGft2nIbqZv7FrEa-nIPUq_cCTlwVPNMUHMEYIkuxu81CgVLcdjaiwiF0GzcNv8m6E_Ws7l_6sV0tpIVTM8P12EUi8kDf2isQZA=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijqMS5mBoCbeuAU7X2linV41K6KCHIimhcRDZioP6Tt9QthA-pT3i2_4W6F8ZQjG6C1zJX24vRarIo_prF6ltm-XLjGft2nIbqZv7FrEa-nIPUq_cCTlwVPNMUHMEYIkuxu81CgVLcdjaiwiF0GzcNv8m6E_Ws7l_6sV0tpIVTM8P12EUi8kDf2isQZA=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div>Members of the family Phryganeidae tend to arrange the case material in a spiral pattern. <i>Fabria inornata</i> uses short lengths of plant stems arranged in a lose spiral (better seen in the next photo).<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQM0B9t4kV73_JxP3AMAAIDO-F3MgYw5LuCOFbq7cws-4N69issc8ix48m2FTJrcsfEx6Q6VNxBSuKKY9iFIKzkUIvU3eHdKfvqbHGwwE0j2lckwmmiEnndpQFocb1Xw01qLvrmN93gO69hh5P4D0KPvT8Br_VS9irWtOf8jcxfNYVvpYqK5mcpZIN4A=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQM0B9t4kV73_JxP3AMAAIDO-F3MgYw5LuCOFbq7cws-4N69issc8ix48m2FTJrcsfEx6Q6VNxBSuKKY9iFIKzkUIvU3eHdKfvqbHGwwE0j2lckwmmiEnndpQFocb1Xw01qLvrmN93gO69hh5P4D0KPvT8Br_VS9irWtOf8jcxfNYVvpYqK5mcpZIN4A=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL04F6uO8ug5rTz-5NA69jhtdatYlbp0htuZN9KEde6NgqH85WGSI-OW-QxEZSSgpnV6ipPTs7itbMn1cVkKQI9Skl4Rv8Ip3CMGB6-BJKAzXAVzhtBXiV1Fg_y6_BFndKryISW7aLbjPd642UaLuKxCT1FfjvCKx0HdABduqPMq8dHehnCGVGFTP8Xg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="2048" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiL04F6uO8ug5rTz-5NA69jhtdatYlbp0htuZN9KEde6NgqH85WGSI-OW-QxEZSSgpnV6ipPTs7itbMn1cVkKQI9Skl4Rv8Ip3CMGB6-BJKAzXAVzhtBXiV1Fg_y6_BFndKryISW7aLbjPd642UaLuKxCT1FfjvCKx0HdABduqPMq8dHehnCGVGFTP8Xg=w640-h416" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Philarctus quaeris</i> (Limnephilidae) larva have a habit of picking up seeds or snail shells to assemble their case. Some cases may be built entirely of small snail shells. This larva has decide to use Daphnia egg cases (ephippia) that have settled to the bottom.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Caddisflies are closely related to the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). And like caterpillars, caddisfly larvae can produce silk from glands near their mouth, which they use to line their case and hold it all together.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you have the patience to fish a cased caddisfly pattern in lakes, it can produce some nice fish. The trick is to keep your fly on or near the bottom, and move it ever so slowly. Fly patterns are usually quite simple - I have seen woolly worms with the palmered hackle trimmed short work well. One of my favorite patterns imitates the larva of <i>Phryganea cinerea</i> (Phryganeidae) with its case of spirally arranged short pieces of grass.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLjsfF9FKZjJOk-kVVtELqkit4xbup-AHwHCTnpGr9Y-7IRmkF42imYZ0HhyYulIM713KfkR_BTGAyR_PjZ95a2Ubjc-F9I34-vMfRh05YCXY-QUPE-0ewyY7w2aF5ONS7YgAb1_dpJwtKqAqlU1a2n4xs3TeUREMGLoMaoVCQfwg8DP-gpRBtZ-mkaQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLjsfF9FKZjJOk-kVVtELqkit4xbup-AHwHCTnpGr9Y-7IRmkF42imYZ0HhyYulIM713KfkR_BTGAyR_PjZ95a2Ubjc-F9I34-vMfRh05YCXY-QUPE-0ewyY7w2aF5ONS7YgAb1_dpJwtKqAqlU1a2n4xs3TeUREMGLoMaoVCQfwg8DP-gpRBtZ-mkaQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-45984706116699239852021-11-30T21:40:00.002-07:002021-11-30T21:42:23.135-07:00A Bug in the Hand Beats Two in the Bush<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When it comes to fly design it helps to have a good idea of what the actual bugs looks like. Being able to take your time to really assess the shape and color of an aquatic insect in its natural environment gives the fly tier a big advantage. But most bugs rarely sit still for very long, and aquatic larvae removed from the water tend to look darker and more clumpy than they actually are. A bug in the hand may beat two in the bush, but a good photo trumps them both.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fptlo5EEREM/Yab11T3lXGI/AAAAAAAADwk/_ZDjCQLb8hQFuOyJ6P7ed-in39WFHrEUACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/016_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fptlo5EEREM/Yab11T3lXGI/AAAAAAAADwk/_ZDjCQLb8hQFuOyJ6P7ed-in39WFHrEUACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/016_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Dragonfly darner nymph (<i>Aeshna sp.</i>). You can tell that this one has <br />more growing to do by the small wing-pads.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--mFiBV3UY8I/Yab2rVhLUiI/AAAAAAAADws/zawYEG4yXIopjMIFS6ZnRei1jjpCp431ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/078_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--mFiBV3UY8I/Yab2rVhLUiI/AAAAAAAADws/zawYEG4yXIopjMIFS6ZnRei1jjpCp431ACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/078_TFP.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">A Dragonfly sprawler nymph (<i>Cordulia shurtleffii</i>)<br />This one has fully developed wing-pads and<br />is ready to emerge.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X3fThVaaPMk/Yab3iQRsnwI/AAAAAAAADw0/vti_F9A8S_kIsehtuQjecu7sG_CAWDQvwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3794_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X3fThVaaPMk/Yab3iQRsnwI/AAAAAAAADw0/vti_F9A8S_kIsehtuQjecu7sG_CAWDQvwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_3794_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">This is what <i>Cordulia shurtleffii</i> looks like as an adult. Its metallic-green eyes earned this <br />species the common name of American Emerald.<br /></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww_h1KNQMg4/Yab76Tzhj2I/AAAAAAAADw8/pjRlvgxDIPU_Lp87CKFp4QJ8Y5LntSySQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/027_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1387" data-original-width="2048" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww_h1KNQMg4/Yab76Tzhj2I/AAAAAAAADw8/pjRlvgxDIPU_Lp87CKFp4QJ8Y5LntSySQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h434/027_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An adult Variable Darner (<i>Aeshna interupta</i>) laying eggs in a rotten log.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-27719759154341443842021-11-26T20:15:00.003-07:002021-11-26T20:18:51.926-07:00Weaving a Deception<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I have been working on some woven-body dragonfly nymphs this week. Reg Denny taught me how to do this many years ago. It makes for a very realistic looking abdomen on any dragonfly pattern - including the longer and darker darner type patterns. The first one imitates the stubby sprawler type dragonflies during the spring <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEgZL32HSxo" target="_blank">pre-hatch migration</a>.</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 28pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGw-la2eMr8/YaGfXw4xg0I/AAAAAAAADwU/8noTp4UJ6PYUkOgGid4JA0eORrZbp6XGACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/006c%2Bcopy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGw-la2eMr8/YaGfXw4xg0I/AAAAAAAADwU/8noTp4UJ6PYUkOgGid4JA0eORrZbp6XGACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h384/006c%2Bcopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A short, stubby woven dragonfly sprawler imitation.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I'm one of those tiers who doesn't always follow a recipe - most of the time I just wing it by memory. This dragonfly patterns start with two lengths of lead free wire laid along either side of the hook shank - this gives the body a somewhat wide and flat appearance like the naturals. Leave enough head space to attach the eyes. The hook for sprawlers is usually a 2XL #8 to keep the fly short and stout. I do up a bunch of the hooks with wire ahead of time and make sure the wire is tied down well and add a little head cement to keep it all in place. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The weave is an alternating over & under using two strands of yarn in slightly different colors - one color for the dorsal side and one for the ventral. If I haven't tied them for a while it seems I need to re-learn the technique and practice a bit before I start on the actual flies. There are a few YouTube videos out there that cover the woven body technique better than I can explain it. My preference is for soft legs using tufts of dyed mallard flank - this allows the legs to sweep back when using a darting retrieve. The thorax is not woven - just a simple wrap spaced to keep the legs in position. I used bead-chain for the eyes on these ones but I also use glass beads on heavy monofilament with the ends melted sometimes. The wing case is traditional turkey quill. Colors for the sprawls range from light olive to olive-brown.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AfwYRkaYKDI/YaGfoY28r_I/AAAAAAAADwc/jFFbDuXC9CMMA6jcb_n0_ysJVQz8TR8iwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1711/004_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1711" data-original-width="1362" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AfwYRkaYKDI/YaGfoY28r_I/AAAAAAAADwc/jFFbDuXC9CMMA6jcb_n0_ysJVQz8TR8iwCLcBGAsYHQ/w510-h640/004_TFP.jpg" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A longer-bodied woven dragonfly darner imitation.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The darner pattern is tied on a 4XL #8 hook using two strands of brown yarn in slightly different shades. Fine "nymph" rubber legs have a good action on the larger fly. Make sure to make the abdomen longer relative to the thorax for this one.</span></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-33680514013810734122021-11-22T19:38:00.001-07:002021-12-29T12:43:30.484-07:00Emerging Dragonflies - a video & photo essay<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Dragonfly hatches are a big draw for larger trout. But many fly anglers fail to notice when a hatch is in progress, or realize that the nymphs will start migrating towards shore in the days leading up to a hatch. If you don't know what to look for, or how to properly work your fly, you are missing out on one of the best hatches of the spring trout season. This short photo essay will bring you up to speed.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="526" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cEgZL32HSxo" width="632" youtube-src-id="cEgZL32HSxo"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: center;">Knowing what happens under water during a pre-hatch migration gives the fly angler a big advantage when fishing a dragonfly hatch. This older, low resolution footage shows how the nymphs make their way to the shoreline, using a combination of crawling and swimming. </div></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1O4b5eitFyo/YZrVFUjnkdI/AAAAAAAADvs/nX8VFBeLSLQwdKyBOIwPbys7-CV-esNMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/007_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1O4b5eitFyo/YZrVFUjnkdI/AAAAAAAADvs/nX8VFBeLSLQwdKyBOIwPbys7-CV-esNMwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/007_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dragonfly nymph (<i>Epitheca spinigera</i>) fresh out of the water and <br />making its way up shoreline vegetation in search of an emergence site.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-al5XiecKYZw/YZrUQPpkrzI/AAAAAAAADvA/Ue8OJCQndggsDJ_1a2xr_HgjsfH8BhwJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/018_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-al5XiecKYZw/YZrUQPpkrzI/AAAAAAAADvA/Ue8OJCQndggsDJ_1a2xr_HgjsfH8BhwJQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/018_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is not easy wiggling out of the nymphal exoskeleton - gravity is used to aid in the process.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NSfowGrkWas/YZrURBvkBhI/AAAAAAAADvI/7qaRfCK-EUgttv0izK-XrPPOcZTq5HSOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/036_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NSfowGrkWas/YZrURBvkBhI/AAAAAAAADvI/7qaRfCK-EUgttv0izK-XrPPOcZTq5HSOQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/036_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once free, it can take up to an hour for the body and wings to fully extend.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kCFf-bpTCqk/YZrUREjOfoI/AAAAAAAADvE/5j0hsscPnSkaTdffOBnyGKYkL7UsavD2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/039_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kCFf-bpTCqk/YZrUREjOfoI/AAAAAAAADvE/5j0hsscPnSkaTdffOBnyGKYkL7UsavD2wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/039_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wings and body starting to take shape.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MguqDKCXQvc/YZrUTRoWvlI/AAAAAAAADvQ/pSsO66GBM90DvtjiIvsIyNmzLBFd5GU-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/067_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MguqDKCXQvc/YZrUTRoWvlI/AAAAAAAADvQ/pSsO66GBM90DvtjiIvsIyNmzLBFd5GU-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/067_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost ready to fly - the wings just need to harden a little more and extend out to the sides.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xem-DGYJJaM/YZrUSz77F1I/AAAAAAAADvM/f5MuuWum1agMKtbclVXTkR_X1cHhLV9XgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/210_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xem-DGYJJaM/YZrUSz77F1I/AAAAAAAADvM/f5MuuWum1agMKtbclVXTkR_X1cHhLV9XgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/210_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close-up of the large compound eyes.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZa6yqd5cWA/YZrUq6Z_UDI/AAAAAAAADvk/xSDicrTVLVEdIQl6RSkWJ-z2O2K3VU7AQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3806_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZa6yqd5cWA/YZrUq6Z_UDI/AAAAAAAADvk/xSDicrTVLVEdIQl6RSkWJ-z2O2K3VU7AQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_3806_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As soon as the adults can fly, they make their way to nearby trees or bushes to <br />rest and allow for any final hardening to take place.<br />(Spiny Baskettail - <i>Epitheca spinigera</i>)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIp4jtjDM9E/YZrTFIfpnvI/AAAAAAAADuo/ws0yZHSDRHgKHvX3PEEW7UMu_1q_I-1xACLcBGAsYHQ/s1763/IMG_3789_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1763" height="444" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIp4jtjDM9E/YZrTFIfpnvI/AAAAAAAADuo/ws0yZHSDRHgKHvX3PEEW7UMu_1q_I-1xACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h444/IMG_3789_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult dragonflies are very territorial - but during a heavy hatch they will congregate on lake-side shrubbery for a bit as they soak up some sun and complete the hardening of their exoskeleton. <br />There are 18 adult dragonflies in this photo.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-80822971513603178752021-11-13T14:32:00.002-07:002021-12-29T12:43:48.917-07:00Cased Chironomid Larva Respiration and Movement<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In my last post I talked about how chironomid larva that build tubes or cases use body undulations to maximize oxygen intake. This behavior is used by not just chironomid larva living in the hypoxic zone on the bottom, but also by chironomid and caddisfly larvae that build portable cases. They do this when oxygen levels are low or they need to refresh the stagnant water in their case. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This video shows how a chironomid (midge) larva undulates in its tube to circulate water to aid in respiration. This particular genus (<i>Cricotopus</i>) builds a portable tube, while other chironomid groups construct more extensive stationary tubes in the mud. The video also shows how chironomid larvae that build portable tubes move by reaching out and pulling themselves forward. In the final scene, the midge larva gets caught on a strand of vegetation and uses a small pebble to leverage itself up and over.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="504" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1-ouaOHc9uw" width="607" youtube-src-id="1-ouaOHc9uw"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-9729267556937419252021-11-11T14:01:00.001-07:002021-11-11T14:20:15.297-07:00Midges, Hypoxia, and Hemoglobin<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Note: This post may not make you a better fly
angler, but it will make you a more knowledgeable one.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One of the pitfalls of living in the mud at the
bottom of a wetland or lake is that there can be very little oxygen present. Oxygen
diffuses much slower through water than it does in air, and even slower through
the mud barrier where the decay of organic debris further depletes what little
oxygen is present. Under these low oxygen (hypoxic) conditions, life is limited
to organisms that are adapted to survive in these extreme environments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some chironomid (midge) larvae have adapted to
exploit these hypoxic habitats through the use of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the
protein component of red blood cells that circulates through our body and is
responsible for delivering oxygen to tissues. It also gives blood cells their red
color. Hemoglobin has a high affinity for binding to oxygen molecules making it
the perfect oxygen delivery system where constant circulation is present.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There are several groups of chironomids that
utilize hemoglobin to aid in survival under hypoxic conditions, but the two
most common ones are in the genera <i>Chironomus</i>
and <i>Glyptotendipes</i> (commonly known as blood-worms). The high concentration of hemoglobin in their body fluids
(hemolymph) gives them their distinctive red color. While there can be some passive
movement of the hemolymph through their body, it does not circulate like our
blood does. Instead, it simply surrounds the organs and tissues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;">Note
that more evolved and larger insects may have an open circulatory system, but
even here, the hemolymph does not circulate very fast and oxygen uptake and
transport is primarily via the air-filled tracheal system.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OB9kGGhK9pE/YY2C8b7FI0I/AAAAAAAADtk/DaJPQsY2D6wqJrmkHxIrqQchfHgrzaG_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/002_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OB9kGGhK9pE/YY2C8b7FI0I/AAAAAAAADtk/DaJPQsY2D6wqJrmkHxIrqQchfHgrzaG_wCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/002_TFP.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <i>Chironomus</i> larva with its typical bright red coloration.</td></tr></tbody></table><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></span></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">So how exactly does the hemoglobin help blood-worms
survive in hypoxic and sometimes anoxic (no oxygen) habitats? If there is
little to no oxygen to bind to the hemoglobin to begin with, what advantage can
there be?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Most blood-worms build extensive tube networks in
and on the mud by tunneling and reinforcing the tube walls with mucus. These
tubes provide protection from predators but they also allow the midge larva to
circulate water through the tube by undulating its body within the tube
(caddisflies also do this). This action pulls water with a slightly higher
oxygen content through the tube. In some cases, the midge larva will also elevate
the tube opening, even by just a few millimeters, to place the tube intake
above the low oxygen boundary layer at the water-mud interface. Of course under
low oxygen conditions they can't spend all of their time undulating to gain
oxygen, they need to feed too. That is where the hemoglobin comes in - as the
larva undulates and circulates water through the tube, the hemoglobin picks up
oxygen (much like recharging a battery) - then when the larva stops undulating
to feed; oxygen bound to the hemoglobin diffuses into the tissue to sustain
metabolic activity. Once the hemolymph oxygen level falls to a critical point, the
midge larva will once again take up its ventilation position in the tube to
recharge its oxygen supply.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dwA4cEGZh9w/YY2Do5XeN-I/AAAAAAAADt0/7a0j2AHMDjYHJ3xod851iFBo5MT9P2cJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/050Ps_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dwA4cEGZh9w/YY2Do5XeN-I/AAAAAAAADt0/7a0j2AHMDjYHJ3xod851iFBo5MT9P2cJwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/050Ps_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <i>Glyptotendipes</i> larva out of its tube and foraging for food.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NopkIeqC-tA/YY2DYPzm_OI/AAAAAAAADts/fO30kvMcqyYhe1CtrI9KVeheZSWBw3hAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/044_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NopkIeqC-tA/YY2DYPzm_OI/AAAAAAAADts/fO30kvMcqyYhe1CtrI9KVeheZSWBw3hAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/044_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This species of <i>Glyptotendipes</i> builds its tube out of mucus and bits of organic debris. Here, it has chosen to establish its tube up in the vegetation rather than on the bottom. Note the red and bright green coloration – this is the impetus for the midge fly pattern known as a Christmas Chironomid.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"></span></i><p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-48739467600365097102021-11-06T19:17:00.005-06:002021-12-29T12:44:13.226-07:00Deep Water Chironomids Feeding and Swimming<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The most productive part of a lake is the littoral
zone where the penetration of sunlight allows for the rapid growth of aquatic
plants and periphyton. Here is where you will find the highest level of bug biodiversity,
including a hundred or so species of chironomid (midge) larvae. But this
doesn’t mean that the deep water areas of a lake are devoid of life. In fact,
there are some genera of chironomids (<i>Chironomus</i>
and <i>Glyptotendipes</i>) that specialize
in hiding in the low-oxygen layer of mud during the day, and coming out at
night to forage for whatever tiny organic particles of food they can find.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">While the diversity of midge larvae living in the
mud 15 to over 60 feet down is low, the biomass (number of organisms) can be
very high. This is because, with very little oxygen to support life in the hypoxic mud layer, there is little competition for food. The midge species that
can live in this layer of mud are able to monopolize on the resources, much
like the mono-culture of a wheat field. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One would think that there is not much to eat way
down there in the depths, but as organisms living in the upper layers of the limnetic
zone die (algae, zooplankton and cyanobacteria), or organic bits get blown onto
the lake’s surface (pollen and organic dust), they settle to the bottom. This
translates into a continuous shower of food for most of the year, even in the
deeper parts of a lake.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This video shows midge larvae foraging for food on
the lake bottom and their swimming behavior when they decide to move longer
distances to find better foraging sites. Their swimming behavior is unique, and
somewhat frantic, and not easily imitated by the fly angler. </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="520" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y9BokJKOM5o" width="626" youtube-src-id="Y9BokJKOM5o"></iframe></div><br /><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span><p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-57742583988985564572021-11-03T20:30:00.000-06:002021-11-03T20:30:04.241-06:00The Curved vs. Straight Debate<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Every fly tier who frequently fishes scud patterns has an opinion on this;
should scud patterns be tied on straight shank or curved shank hooks?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Scuds at rest tend to have a very pronounced curve.
This observation has resulted in a large number of scud fly patterns being tied
on radically curved hooks – what used to be called scud or shrimp hooks. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XlVI4_V8_LA/YYNBQEyGF2I/AAAAAAAADso/DnessD_xlHoNfZICYgwvNlQYukgd40ZIACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/049_TFPjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XlVI4_V8_LA/YYNBQEyGF2I/AAAAAAAADso/DnessD_xlHoNfZICYgwvNlQYukgd40ZIACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/049_TFPjpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Scud (<i>Gammarus lacustris</i>) in a typical resting position.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">But scud patterns are generally fished with some sort of retrieve – imitating a scud in motion. Scuds actively swimming tend to straighten out their bodies to become more streamlined. In this situation, a scud pattern tied on a straight hook makes more sense. But do swimming scuds really hold their body as arrow-straight as a straight shanked hook? The answer is a definite no. While the degree to which a scud holds its body straight while swimming varies, the telson and last few body segments generally curve down a little, and there is usually a slight curve along the back (seen in the photos below of scuds actively swimming).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hek1HiEykG8/YYNCSX_KbtI/AAAAAAAADsw/DH4UX07IT4ktqHYBKu_ytMNqUNvxzFQCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/007Ps_TFP2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hek1HiEykG8/YYNCSX_KbtI/AAAAAAAADsw/DH4UX07IT4ktqHYBKu_ytMNqUNvxzFQCwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/007Ps_TFP2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pW2GhFjYeI0/YYNEvRKPXZI/AAAAAAAADtA/KCwvSZ5p_rARYcA8OvOGjhiadq9ijSd5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/020_TFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pW2GhFjYeI0/YYNEvRKPXZI/AAAAAAAADtA/KCwvSZ5p_rARYcA8OvOGjhiadq9ijSd5wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/020_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2iIi1wv7ejM/YYNECMHbyzI/AAAAAAAADs4/_nd_ln2PBSgJgsnnDKwjm4pO-NwnEROfACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/066crop_TFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2048" height="414" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2iIi1wv7ejM/YYNECMHbyzI/AAAAAAAADs4/_nd_ln2PBSgJgsnnDKwjm4pO-NwnEROfACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h414/066crop_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">So what is the best hook for a scud pattern? You certainly want to avoid the radically curved shrimp hooks. But I am not sure it matters much if a scud pattern is tied on a straight or slightly curved hook. I have done both over the years and find them equally successful. When I do use a straight hook, I tie the body slightly onto the bend of the hook to simulate the turned down telson and last few segments. My preference now is to tie scud patterns on slightly curved pupa hooks. I consider it a compromise when fishing the fly with short slow strips followed by a pause - straight enough to fool the fish on the strip and also curved enough to look natural on the pause.</span><p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-91366197928483103872021-10-23T15:17:00.001-06:002021-10-23T15:36:58.213-06:00Zombies, Ghosts, and Multi-legged Hosts<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Here is an article I wrote for the 2016 fall issue of <i><a href="https://www.flyfusionmag.com/" target="_blank">Fly Fusion</a></i> magazine. Fly Fusion is probably the most informative and artistic fly fishing magazine in print. I have not written for them lately but I do still have a subscription - something I would suggest to anyone with an interest in fly fishing. This article was written with Halloween in mind. I hope you enjoy it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> It was clear from the get-go that something strange
was afoot. Was this really happening? Could I be dreaming? This just didn’t
make any sense...</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strange indeed; knowing what was normal, what
was expected, I was having a difficult time reconciling what I was bearing
witness to. The funny thing was that I was not the least bit afraid. The fact that
it was already mid-morning may have had something to do with my mindset leaning
more to simple curiosity than to morbid misgivings, but with the seemingly
sinister events unfolding before me, I simply had to know more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cautiously waded a little closer to a
small patch of weed growth in shallow water. Three brook trout circled above it
like sharks around a wounded mackerel, their dark olive backs and white fin
edges standing out in stark relief against the verdant background. Every so often
a pale colored scud could be seen spiraling lazily towards the surface, only
to be quickly picked off by the nearest fish. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Suicide</i>, I thought. What would possess these scuds to leave the safety
of the weeds like that, in broad daylight no less? I knew they didn’t hatch
into a winged terrestrial form like aquatic insects do. They really had no
reason to head for the surface. It would be several more years before I would
learn that those scuds were in fact possessed – infected by an insidious
parasite and no longer in control of their own bodies. Yes my friend, zombies
really do exist. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scuds
normally lead peaceful and unassuming lives. Much of their time is spent simply
scavenging among aquatic vegetation and along the bottom for bits of dead
plant and animal material to eat. As scuds grow they periodically shed their plate-like
exoskeleton through a process called molting. Once maturity is reached they
will form mating pairs, swimming in tandem as they propagate the next
generation. The eggs develop in a pouch on the female called a marsupium and
the young are born looking just like their parents, only smaller. There is no
larval stage or metamorphosis. The average lifespan for a scud is about one
year and depending on conditions they may produce from one to several
generations in a summer. That effectively sums up the serene cycle of life for
a scud. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1DdueXIpfwg/YXR1m91pXyI/AAAAAAAADq0/0-9AL9bv1hkok-oDujccWNek3AFlv632gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/473_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1DdueXIpfwg/YXR1m91pXyI/AAAAAAAADq0/0-9AL9bv1hkok-oDujccWNek3AFlv632gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/473_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course being a perfectly packaged piece
of protein means that scuds are a sought after food source. Many birds and fish
will go out of their way to chase down any scuds that have been careless enough
to get caught out in the open. Unfortunately for the scuds they have little to
offer in the way of escape strategies. Even with all of those legs scuds are
relatively poor swimmers – often swimming in slow spirals, sometimes on their
side, and sometimes even upside down. And with their Mr. Magoo-like eyesight they
are constantly bumping into things. With antics like that it’s no wonder that
scuds make up a significant part of a trout’s diet wherever the two coexist. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the slow moving scud staying hidden is really
the only available defense. Cryptic coloration that matches their habitat is a
good start. Being found in the weeds, or prowling in the muck, scuds tend to be
shades of green, olive, or olive-brown. They can’t quite change their color with chameleon-like adeptness but scuds can adapt over time to changes in the
background color of their environment using subtle shifts in shading. Staying
out of sight is another strategy that keeps scuds safe. Scuds are normally
photo-phobic – meaning they tend to avoid the light, preferring instead to frequent
dark and shadowy places. During the day they can be found tucked deep in the
vegetation or hiding under logs and debris. It is during periods of low light that
scuds tend to become more active, sometimes venturing out into the open (even
cloudy days can be enough to coax them out of hiding). Regardless of the lighting
conditions, a scud’s instinct is to always dive for cover when threatened. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w9INVVjThXE/YXR2KPC6jsI/AAAAAAAADq8/LSHlgHfR_RgsD2L5sMUM0W1JfD_k4TbWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/066_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w9INVVjThXE/YXR2KPC6jsI/AAAAAAAADq8/LSHlgHfR_RgsD2L5sMUM0W1JfD_k4TbWgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/066_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing all of this it’s easy to understand
why I was so intrigued upon witnessing the exact opposite behavior on my
earlier fishing expedition. And here is where our story takes an unsettling twist, one that fly anglers
can use to their advantage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parasitism is not uncommon in the
invertebrate world. Small bugs often serve as intermediate hosts to even
smaller bugs looking for a free lunch. One of the most common scud parasites is
a tiny creature known as a spiny-headed worm (Acanthocephala). Scuds become
infected with spiny-headed worms when the scud ingests eggs that are mixed in
with the organic debris they are feeding on. The eggs hatch in the gut and the “larvae”
(acanthella) burrow through the scud’s intestinal wall and into the body cavity
where they continue their development. The acanthella develop into sub-adults
known as cystacanths – at this stage they are fully formed worms but lack
reproductive structures. These tiny worms migrate to a central region, usually
along the back of the scud, where they encyst and wait for a definitive host to
eat the scud. Depending on the parasite species the definitive host is usually
a fish or bird. Final development and reproduction takes place in the gut of
the definitive host and the parasite eggs are released when the host animal
defecates. Scuds feed on the feces and the cycle continues. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the first phase of development has been
completed within the intermediate host, the life of the spiny-headed worm (or
continuation thereof) hangs in the balance. If the scud is not eaten by a
definitive host the scud will eventually die of old age, and all will be lost
for the progeny of the spiny-headed worm. Not leaving things up to chance, the
ancient acanthocephalan has evolved a few clever ways to beat the odds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By manipulating the hormonal system of the
scud, acanthocephalans are able to control the scud’s behavior. Instead of
avoiding the light, infected scuds in the cystacanth stage become attracted to
light and are more active during the day. Infected scuds will also develop a
tendency to swim towards any disturbance in the water (such as feeding fish or
birds) rather than head for cover. Acanthocephalans also make infected scuds
stand out more by altering their coloration. Cystacanths are typically bright
orange or yellow – they can easily be seen in infected scuds as a small spot
along the back. But more importantly, the cryptic coloration of a normal scud often
becomes muted and takes on a pale, bluish-grey, ghost-like hue as the infection
progresses (freshly molted scuds will also exhibit the same bluish-grey color but they will lack the orange spot and will have an even greater tendency to
stay hidden). These two factors combine to make an infected scud stand out like
a neon sign. No guarantee that the scud will be consumed by the correct
definitive host, but quite likely that some sort of fish or fowl will gobble it
up. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-whgilP8HsXI/YXR3AFRQAzI/AAAAAAAADrE/HX7DZ5fPed0TduXZ2tHcCma4gJrcuLbbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/083_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-whgilP8HsXI/YXR3AFRQAzI/AAAAAAAADrE/HX7DZ5fPed0TduXZ2tHcCma4gJrcuLbbQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/083_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scud (<i>Gammarus lacustris</i>) in the early stages of infection, before the natural color has faded.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it has been shown experimentally
that fish will preferentially feed on infected scuds even when both infected
and uninfected scuds are readily available in equal numbers. This should come
as no surprise. Most fish rely heavily on search images to direct their feeding
effort. If they are seeing and successfully capturing more pale scuds than
normal ones, the search image for the pale scuds becomes a stronger feeding
trigger. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GyR1R5ehhqw/YXR3QL3o7BI/AAAAAAAADrM/xBdiGVxz49UapCcMexw-Vw5POCej9Z-dACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/095_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GyR1R5ehhqw/YXR3QL3o7BI/AAAAAAAADrM/xBdiGVxz49UapCcMexw-Vw5POCej9Z-dACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/095_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scud (<i>Gammarus lacustris</i>) with its natural color faded to a bluish-grey due to the infection.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If infected scuds stand out more, and are
eaten more frequently than their uninfected counterparts, doesn’t it make sense
to use a fly pattern that specifically mimics an infected scud? Once I had all
of the facts, it didn’t take me long to answer that question for myself. Several
years ago I tied a bunch of simple baggie shrimp on #10-12 hooks, some
using pale blue dun rabbit dubbing and some with the traditional olive dubbing.
I added a small orange dot to the back of some using a marker pen but left a
few of each color unmarked. After testing these patterns on several local trout
lakes the olive scud with the orange spot turned out to be slightly more
effective than the plain olive pattern, while the blue dun scud out fished both
olive patterns by a wide margin. The presence or absence of the orange spot on
the blue dun scuds didn’t seem to matter. This experiment was all very
unscientific of course, but the results were enough to convince me to permanently
add the <a href="https://www.troutfodder.com/en/listings/1476564-blue-dun-scud-number-10" target="_blank">Blue Dun Scud</a> to my repertoire. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYKPoPKavyE/YXR4LXwshGI/AAAAAAAADrc/zz_Fhfgq3nI8ELfVIOKfhRl2gR79dk0ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Blue%2BDun%2BScud_C49S_10b_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYKPoPKavyE/YXR4LXwshGI/AAAAAAAADrc/zz_Fhfgq3nI8ELfVIOKfhRl2gR79dk0ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/Blue%2BDun%2BScud_C49S_10b_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the intervening years I have come across
fly tying recipes for other scud patterns in blue, light grey, and pearl – all
good candidates for an infected scud imitation. I prefer the simplicity of the
old-school blue dun baggie shrimp but some of the newer synthetic fly tying
materials are certainly worth experimenting with. The goal is to get that translucent
bluish-grey look of a zombie scud. Of course I still carry olive scuds for
those times when olive is what the fish seem to prefer, but more often than not
it is the blue dun scud that is in tatters on the end of my line. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-66887010547698623822021-10-19T16:28:00.000-06:002021-10-19T16:28:50.904-06:00The Eyes Have It<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There is no question that more large fish are caught on streamer type fly patterns than any other fly style. Streamer flies, designed to imitate small fish, are the preferred target of larger fish. Why? By allowing minnows and bait-fish to do all the work of concentrating nutrients from smaller organisms, larger fish are capitalizing on the collective efforts of all the smaller fish that they eat. This is a far more efficient feeding strategy that allows large fish to grow even larger than they otherwise would.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">So what makes a good streamer pattern? It all comes down to <a href="https://troutfodder.blogspot.com/2021/05/trout-feeding-modes.html" target="_blank">feeding mode</a> and search image. If fish are feeding opportunistically, just the darting motion of the retrieve is enough to suggest a minnow in distress – the actual streamer pattern used is irrelevant. If fish are in the <a href="https://troutfodder.blogspot.com/2021/05/matching-non-hatch.html" target="_blank">non-hatch mode</a>, size shape and color will come into play – here, matching the color pattern of the predominant bait-fish is needed to trigger a response. For the more <a href="https://troutfodder.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-fly-selection-probability-curve.html" target="_blank">selective fish</a>, other elements that complete the search image are needed – and the number one element to complete the search image is often the eyes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There are hundreds of different streamer pattern out there, and all will catch fish to some degree depending on target species, location, and feeding mode. But the number one proven streamer that includes all of the search image elements in one package has to be the <a href="https://www.troutfodder.com/en/listings/1610011-handmade-clouser-minnow-rainbow-trout-6-per-pack" target="_blank">Clouser Minnow</a>. This fly can be tied in a variety of sizes and, with its predominant dumbbell eyes, will trigger even the fussiest fish into striking.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4JyD1yr0LE/YW9FAIgB1VI/AAAAAAAADqU/8Ex3tlTWeOcZNh5kTCxPVf_6EzcFkR0LACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Chart%2B%2526%2BWhite%2BPrimary%2B2%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4JyD1yr0LE/YW9FAIgB1VI/AAAAAAAADqU/8Ex3tlTWeOcZNh5kTCxPVf_6EzcFkR0LACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Chart%2B%2526%2BWhite%2BPrimary%2B2%2Bcopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you are looking for solidly tied and durable Clouser Minnows, in a variety of colors and sizes, check out some of Brian’s creations on <a href="http://troutfodder.com">troutfodder.com</a></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DH9GPpTuP0w/YW9E3JBOm1I/AAAAAAAADqQ/ZQrAeoGYv_sQDKgmSQdHf6A3gQvAY6mfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2560/IMG_7942%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="2560" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DH9GPpTuP0w/YW9E3JBOm1I/AAAAAAAADqQ/ZQrAeoGYv_sQDKgmSQdHf6A3gQvAY6mfwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h308/IMG_7942%2Bcopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><div><br /></div>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-50087393723429730702021-08-08T17:22:00.000-06:002021-08-08T17:22:27.236-06:00Hopper Heaven<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One important lesson I have learned as
an entomologist is that yearly weather trends can have a big impact on the
population levels of different insect groups. Here in the east slopes of
Alberta, the summer has mostly been hot and dry. Fewer mosquitoes to be sure,
but the wasp populations are booming. A fair trade as far as I’m concerned.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Another advantage of hot, dry summers
is the inevitable boom in grasshopper numbers. They have literally reached
plague proportions in some communities in the far south, and while the numbers
along my favorite trout streams have not developed into a waking nightmare,
they are numerous enough to draw the full attention of feeding trout.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFYptvadets/YRBl9Smq0zI/AAAAAAAADoY/CKSK1KLQ-r4OJyNtOAk2Irfc_BFkp_OMACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/104_TFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFYptvadets/YRBl9Smq0zI/AAAAAAAADoY/CKSK1KLQ-r4OJyNtOAk2Irfc_BFkp_OMACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/104_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like any other trout feeding scenario,
when specific bug species become more numerous, they inevitably end up in the
drift more often. As trout encounter and feed on these specific bugs more
often, they develop strong search images that drive future feeding behavior.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CbmSEw-tmU/YRBmKNOLMLI/AAAAAAAADoc/gdIe_qqg1TglZvN_DPBU9-SUPQvurxWzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/147_TFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CbmSEw-tmU/YRBmKNOLMLI/AAAAAAAADoc/gdIe_qqg1TglZvN_DPBU9-SUPQvurxWzwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/147_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mature hoppers are a big mouthful for
most trout – and well worth the effort and risk of taking up feeding stations
right along the bank. When I see lots of hoppers diving out of my way as I walk
the stream, running a hopper pattern tight to the bank becomes my MO for
picking up some big fish. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-47415950782656952352021-07-29T20:38:00.000-06:002021-07-29T20:38:34.592-06:00The Observant Angler<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Any time you are out fly fishing you should always be on the lookout for signs of actively emerging bugs and </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">be prepared to adapt to unexpected situations</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. This past weekend my expectations for the usual Green Drake and PMD hatches did not materialize. Rising fish were sporadic at best and my Green Drake and PMD patterns were completely ignored. As the morning wore on I noticed an increasing number of <i>Ameletus</i> exuvia on the stream-side rocks and a few duns fluttering about.</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0YBZEg-TOo/YQIg1WoXV8I/AAAAAAAADoA/M14wPXs1278PeJwszQq4U5bb887AGNwHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/055_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0YBZEg-TOo/YQIg1WoXV8I/AAAAAAAADoA/M14wPXs1278PeJwszQq4U5bb887AGNwHwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/055_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh <i>Ameletus </i>exuvia along the edge of a small freestone river.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">These mayflies crawl out to emerge so there are no nymphs rising to the surface, no emerger stage, and the duns are generally not available to feeding trout. Despite this, the hatch can still provide for some good action on the nymph. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i>Ameletus</i> nymphs tend to inhabit the slower margins of streams but still like to be in proximity to faster flows. Their habit of darting out into deeper and faster water during emergence migrations can get them into trouble with trout lurking along the seams and waiting to pounce.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I switched to a mottled Hare's Ear type pattern in size 14 and targeted the softer water along the edges. The presentation included the usual segment of dead drifting but at the end of the drift I would swing the fly towards shore to imitate the nymphs swimming back to safety. Takes were both on the dead drift and on the swing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I connected with a reasonable number of fish through the afternoon but the catch rate could have been higher if I had not been so focused on what worked in the past or was supposed to work. It is the observant and adaptable angler that sees the most success.</span></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-64764199611182065432021-07-14T20:41:00.002-06:002021-12-29T12:44:57.406-07:00Drunella vs. Pteronarcys<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As I
mentioned in last week’s blog post, competition for resources can lead to more
bugs in the drift as cohorts of individual species reach maturity – this is
what we call intraspecific competition (intra = within, and specific =
species). But competition between <i>different</i> species (interspecific
competition) is also quite common. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In this
week’s Short Shots video, a Green Drake nymph (<i>Drunella grandis</i>) is
feeding on a dead <i>Baetis</i> nymph it has found. Along comes a much larger
and brawnier <i>Pteronarcys</i> nymph who, after a short altercation, claims the
prize for itself. In this case, instead of the loser being cast into the drift,
it just sits nearby and sulks.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="528" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q2o-a2l2zw0" width="635" youtube-src-id="q2o-a2l2zw0"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-61343861664745806472021-07-07T21:28:00.000-06:002021-07-07T21:28:00.748-06:00Taking Advantage of Pre-hatch Migrations<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We often
think of the opportunity to fish nymphs during pre-hatch or hatch migrations as
being limited to insect groups that crawl out to emerge. But for insect groups
that emerge at the surface in open water, like many mayflies and caddisflies, there
are also migratory activities in the days leading up to a hatch that increases
their exposure to feeding trout and imprint search images in the trout’s brain.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As each
generation of each insect species approaches maturity, and the bugs become
bigger, requiring more resources to support final development, competition for
prime feeding spots heats up. This competition can result in more bugs in the drift
through two mechanisms; direct conflict and intentional migration.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In direct
conflict, two individuals battle it out over the most productive feeding spots.
The loser if often cast into the drift, where it may tumble with the current
for a few meters before regaining a foothold on the bottom. I once witnessed two
<i>Brachycentrus</i> caddisfly larvae doing exactly this. It was a hard-fought battle,
but in the end, one was ejected into the current and went tumbling downstream.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idaAMl1OaDU/YOZvdjaLbbI/AAAAAAAADnY/T9SC5-u4KVotVwkuYtpIEFTwWS4U9N_AQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/1134_TFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idaAMl1OaDU/YOZvdjaLbbI/AAAAAAAADnY/T9SC5-u4KVotVwkuYtpIEFTwWS4U9N_AQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/1134_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Brachycentrus</i> caddisfly larvae lined up in prime feeding stations. As the water level changes,<br />the best spots on the rock will change - leading to a game of "musical chairs".</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">While
direct conflict results in sporadic numbers of nymphs and larvae in the drift, intentional
migration results in consistently large numbers of bugs traveling with the
current. If there is too much competition on a particular riffle, or the
resources are being depleted, the most expeditious strategy for moving to
greener pastures is to float downstream a ways and explore new areas. These
migrations, often taking place in the late evening, are far more common than
most anglers realize.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">With
specific species of nymphs or larvae being more common in the drift as hatch
periods approach, trout are more inclined to form search images for, and feed
on, the ones they are seeing most often. I often use this to my advantage by
fishing the corresponding nymph of whatever insect has been recently hatching
during periods when there are no active hatches.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-81261983555412268712021-06-24T16:54:00.002-06:002021-06-24T17:11:45.452-06:00More Migratory Mayhem<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Dragonfly and damselfly nymphs are two of the biggest draws
(or at least the biggest bugs) as far as aquatic insect migrations go in lakes.
But if your preference is to fish streams and rivers, it is the stoneflies that
cause a stir at this time of year with their migratory antics.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Like the Odonates, stoneflies crawl out to emerge and so the
adults are not available to feeding trout until they return to the water to lay
eggs (or get blown onto the water). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite this, stonefly hatches can provide
some fantastic fishing both during a hatch and in the days leading up to a
hatch.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e4SSfDl6s34/YNULDmCvxfI/AAAAAAAADlg/4zSg_SizD1EwxZ3YeCbVWDb52YJOHZaKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/024_TFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e4SSfDl6s34/YNULDmCvxfI/AAAAAAAADlg/4zSg_SizD1EwxZ3YeCbVWDb52YJOHZaKgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/024_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things that lurk in the dark (<i>Pteronarcys californica</i> adult)</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As the time for emergence approaches, many stonefly nymphs
will start to migrate from their preferred feeding habitats to near-shore areas
where conditions favor a smooth transition to the terrestrial world. As they
migrate they become more available to feeding trout; both as they crawl along
the bottom, or enter the drift to surf into back-eddies and slicks. Trout will
station themselves along edges near the shoreline to intercept anything that
wiggles or crawls within range. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5LIbdzgrC8/YNULj1EoEKI/AAAAAAAADls/Xk-igQSrjRcZQlk6eWJiKOnZJF97ReN2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/055_TFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5LIbdzgrC8/YNULj1EoEKI/AAAAAAAADls/Xk-igQSrjRcZQlk6eWJiKOnZJF97ReN2ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/055_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When hatches are heavy, shed exuvia can be found on many surfaces along a stream <br />(<i>Pteronarcys californica</i> exuvia)</td></tr></tbody></table></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">With more trout feeding on these often larger nymphs, search
images are formed and retained as the migrations progress to the actual act of
emergence (often taking place after dark). Knowing what species are present in
your local waters can be a big help in fly selection. A quick search of
shoreline rocks, bushes, or bridge abutments can provide clues as to which
species are active. Golden stonefly nymph imitations are generally a good
choice and can simply be drifted along any shoreline edge or seam, or slowly
worked along the bottom in the slack edge-water below a riffle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are big bugs that bring larger trout to
the feeding trough, so even if the water is a little high and off-color, working
the edges with a stonefly nymph is always worthwhile.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Jacaz-hrSs/YNUMaKuG5LI/AAAAAAAADl4/stX0ez6mGwE7ILbMB-hfuwGVVzYyzR6cwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/379_TFP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Jacaz-hrSs/YNUMaKuG5LI/AAAAAAAADl4/stX0ez6mGwE7ILbMB-hfuwGVVzYyzR6cwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/379_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden stones are common on many western streams and rivers (<i>Hesperoperla pacifica</i> nymph)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-34728551840364207372021-06-14T21:44:00.004-06:002021-06-24T20:55:43.306-06:00Migrating Damselfly Nymphs<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The month of June is prime time for fishing damselfly
hatches on lakes. Although I have witnessed trout specifically targeting the adults as
they perch on overhanging bushes along the shoreline, it is a rare event.
During a hatch, most of a trout’s attention is focused on the migrating nymphs
as they make their way from submerged weedy shoals to emergence sites along the lake-shore. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Depending on conditions, and the damselfly species involved,
migrations can take place along the bottom or just under the surface. I have
only encountered a handful of hatches where I observed nymphs migrating just
sub-surface. Most of the time, the nymphs are swimming along the bottom or just
above the weed-tops. If I see signs of recent emergence, or an active hatch in
progress, I will work a Migrating Damselfly Nymph on a sink-tip line with a slow
or intermediate sink rate. In either case, the mode of propulsion for the nymph
is the typical and somewhat inefficient side-to-side undulation of the body. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aF5h74GLLZg/YMggu_pTRQI/AAAAAAAADj8/rl21TM5IcsQyK96N8F5KEve0J4vrJGh7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/162_mask%2Bcopy_crop_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1355" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aF5h74GLLZg/YMggu_pTRQI/AAAAAAAADj8/rl21TM5IcsQyK96N8F5KEve0J4vrJGh7wCLcBGAsYHQ/w424-h640/162_mask%2Bcopy_crop_TFP.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A multi-exposure strobe photo of a swimming <br />damselfly nymph (<i>Enallagma annexum</i>)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Creating a fly that effectively mimics this undulating
behavior has been the goal of many a fly tier over the years. Strategies have
included everything from long tails of marabou to articulating bodies, and even
the addition of a tiny crank-bait style lip to the fly – but all to no avail.
While some of these fly patterns do provide a small measure of undulatory action
(in the up and down dimension as opposed to the desired side-to-side direction),
I feel the advantages are not sufficient to warrant the extra effort. Instead,
I focus on the more important factors of retrieve rate and search image.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2yj5I2W7sI/YMggkj05JVI/AAAAAAAADj4/QU5KJ3j6lWYweJNX3P2ADgoao_oX8CXugCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/094_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2yj5I2W7sI/YMggkj05JVI/AAAAAAAADj4/QU5KJ3j6lWYweJNX3P2ADgoao_oX8CXugCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/094_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A newly emerged (teneral) damselfly with shed exuvia (<i>Lestes sp.</i>) - a sure sign <br />of a hatch in progress.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If threatened, damselfly nymphs can move at a pretty good
clip – but only for short bursts. During migration, they typically plod along
in a very slow but determined manner, often pausing for short periods to rest. Your
retrieve should follow this pattern. A very, very slow hand-twist retrieve (¼” to
½” per second) with the occasional pause will bring more takes than a rushed retrieve.
It takes a lot of patience to work a fly this slowly, and you will need to use
a line with a slow enough sink rate to avoid constant hang-ups, but the higher
percentage of takes makes it worthwhile.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Search image requirements are fairly simple. There is the
usual size, shape, and color to consider. Beyond that, I like a fly with
prominent eyes and just a short tuft of marabou to imitate the broad set of
gills at the posterior end. A medium olive <a href="https://www.troutfodder.com/en/listings/1503376-migrating-damselfly-nymph-number-10" target="_blank">Migrating Damselfly Nymph</a><span style="color: #ffc000;"> </span>in size 10 gets the
job done under most circumstances.</span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-63289481135810286832021-06-09T21:15:00.001-06:002021-12-29T12:45:28.566-07:00Bait-fish Succession Planning<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you spend as much time prowling along the shallow margins
of lakes as I do, you come across some very interesting scenes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Early June is when most aquatic ecosystems really start to
kick into high gear. Bugs are emerging and fish are spawning – including many of
the bait-fish that larger trout like to feed on. If you have the patience, and
move slowly enough, you can catch a glimpse of the spawning behavior one of the
more interesting minnows in Alberta, the fathead minnow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At this time of year, male fathead minnows start excavating
nesting sites under objects resting on the bottom in shallow water. This
usually includes rotten logs or pieces of wood, but they have also been known
to nest (sadly) under bits of trash discarded by uncaring anglers. Once the
nest is excavated, the male spends a lot of time defending the spot from other
male interlopers intent on taking advantage of all his hard work. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NzvnkmUIJ2Q/YMGCFs9NIPI/AAAAAAAADjI/GQ1Kt2_MRSw60ZOI7e-4zOMSM9d3Z9n3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/099_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NzvnkmUIJ2Q/YMGCFs9NIPI/AAAAAAAADjI/GQ1Kt2_MRSw60ZOI7e-4zOMSM9d3Z9n3wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/099_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Fathead Minnow (<i>Pimephales promelas</i>) guarding his nesting site.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Males are easy to identify at this time of year – they are
thicker through the body and more colorful than the females, and they have dark
heads with white nuptial tubercles. The tubercles are mostly used to tend and
clean the eggs but may also play a role in defence as the male fights off other
males or kicks spawned out females out of the nest to make room for the next
suitor. Yes, the male allows multiple females to spawn in the nest and then
guards all the eggs till they hatch – the better the nesting site, the more
females the male gets. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-74z5-SLUYkU/YMGCtCFWifI/AAAAAAAADjQ/Uc_Oibqvse4NxUv3qYAKwrtVLc3t8geVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/083_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-74z5-SLUYkU/YMGCtCFWifI/AAAAAAAADjQ/Uc_Oibqvse4NxUv3qYAKwrtVLc3t8geVwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/083_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Fathead Minnow (<i>Pimephales promelas</i>) in courtship.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is a short video that shows a male on his nesting site,
followed by a male and female nesting together before the male evicts the
female in anticipation of another hook-up.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="535" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gakGupHPfjk" width="644" youtube-src-id="gakGupHPfjk"></iframe></div><br /><br /><p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-27394654985127425712021-06-06T21:43:00.001-06:002021-12-29T12:47:27.063-07:00A Day in the Life of a Damselfly Nymph<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Recent posts have been getting a little heavy on the theory
and math so I thought I would lighten things up a little. If you like to fish damselfly
hatches, we are right in the thick of things now.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfjQ6QB5zEc/YL2U5--H8KI/AAAAAAAADiE/vpY2a_wl3qcC41d3NQrfNOreIvL3GlOJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/174_TFP.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfjQ6QB5zEc/YL2U5--H8KI/AAAAAAAADiE/vpY2a_wl3qcC41d3NQrfNOreIvL3GlOJgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/174_TFP.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">But have you ever wondered what damselfly nymphs are doing during
their year of development before emerging? If things are going according to
plan, they are spending most of their time lying in wait for unsuspecting
critters to munch on. What’s really cool is how they capture their prey.
Damselfly nymphs have a modified lower jaw (labium) that they keep folded up
between their legs. When a small organism blunders within range, the labium
shoots out with lightning speed and the snags the critter, pulling it in to be
chopped into bite sized pieces as it is eaten alive. Yeah, kind of like
something out of a horror movie (the movie Alien comes to mind). Here is a
short video that shows how it all goes down (without sound):<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="536" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WtvpZdEQWtQ" width="645" youtube-src-id="WtvpZdEQWtQ"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-4171394145665553052021-06-01T21:56:00.002-06:002021-06-01T21:57:35.821-06:00The Fly Selection Probability Curve<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In last week’s post we learned that although most trout will
behave in a certain way under certain circumstances, there will always be some
fish that tend to buck the trend. In a similar way, given a certain set of conditions,
individual trout will have a high probability of taking a fly that matches the
preferred search image, but there is always a possibility that the same fish may
stray from the norm and take a fly that is far from a perfect match. The fly
selection probability curve is a good way to visualize this:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7yKq2Fqj2LY/YLcAyGcPhRI/AAAAAAAADhU/ZpVmB9vbUpQsztbEh6B5Z37nIA7zd_OwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Feeding%2BModes%2B5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="2048" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7yKq2Fqj2LY/YLcAyGcPhRI/AAAAAAAADhU/ZpVmB9vbUpQsztbEh6B5Z37nIA7zd_OwQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h217/Feeding%2BModes%2B5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In this version, the fish is feeding in a somewhat opportunistic
mode. There is a reasonable chance it will take most flies if presented
properly (zones B & C), but there is a somewhat higher probability that it
will grab flies that match the search images of bugs it has been recently
feeding on (zone A). Here, most fly anglers will do well regardless of what fly
pattern they fish, but for anglers who take the time to select a fly based on
recent bug activity, they will tend to catch a few more fish. Unfortunately,
trout feeding in the near opportunistic mode is not very common. A more likely scenario
is the non-hatch feeding mode:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBVzRK2yDSY/YLcA7dA3lDI/AAAAAAAADhY/2pOP1VOR6h8o2oxoJthPR6CpifSlfhvFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Feeding%2BModes%2B6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="2048" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBVzRK2yDSY/YLcA7dA3lDI/AAAAAAAADhY/2pOP1VOR6h8o2oxoJthPR6CpifSlfhvFgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h217/Feeding%2BModes%2B6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In the non-hatch mode, the fish is unlikely to grab a fly
that does not resemble natural food items that it has been exposed to at some
point in its development (zone C). Flies that have a more natural and realistic
appearance will get a little more attention (zone B) but certainly not as much
attention as flies that match food items that the fish has been recently
feeding on (zone A). In a scenario like this, the fly you choose can mean the
difference between catching a few fish and catching a few dozen fish. Even in
the non-hatch mode you can see that knowing a little about bug biology and what
the trout have been recently feeding on can be a significant advantage. That
advantage becomes magnified when trout move to the somewhat selective mode:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lgXDv2ha6Y/YLcBDVxus2I/AAAAAAAADhg/Gggu_FKa-2IiNZm4BJedWszRsZ_cWVvxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Feeding%2BModes%2B7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="2048" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lgXDv2ha6Y/YLcBDVxus2I/AAAAAAAADhg/Gggu_FKa-2IiNZm4BJedWszRsZ_cWVvxgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h217/Feeding%2BModes%2B7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In the somewhat selective mode, the fly selection
probability curve starts to tighten up. Most flies are ignored (zones B &
C) and the fish focuses its attention on what is actively hatching or what is
most active and available (zone A). It will still sample other food items, but
the tendency is definitely more focused on specific food items. The somewhat
selective mode explains why a fish may be feeding on a hatch but suddenly
decide to grab a fly that is not even close to what is hatching, or even your
strike indicator. When trout are feeding in this mode, the average fly angler
who has selected his fly based on what worked well last week, or what his
favorite “go-to” pattern is, will have a tough day – while the fly angler who
selects his fly pattern based on observation and what is active will do well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hc616yUFlYc/YLcBKy8X4PI/AAAAAAAADho/G8Kuo_JVvRc9AVkVB4h-_Of_T0UTtDCHACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Feeding%2BModes%2B8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="2048" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hc616yUFlYc/YLcBKy8X4PI/AAAAAAAADho/G8Kuo_JVvRc9AVkVB4h-_Of_T0UTtDCHACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h217/Feeding%2BModes%2B8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">During selective feeding, the fish is focused on a single
life stage of a specific bug. Other flies are generally ignored but there is
always a very small chance that the fish may grab something out of character.
This is where you need to know exactly what bug is hatching and what stage they
are feeding on if you want to have any chance at hooking a fish. Not quite
hyper-selective at this point but for some fly anglers, the fish might as well
be.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The fly selection probability curve explains a lot when it
comes to why one fly is working well while others get little attention. It also
explains why selective fish may sometimes do the unexpected. But this is not
the end of our journey into how mathematics and probabilities can make you a better
fly angler. Other layers to add to all of this are how individual fly patterns
are aligned on the probability curve, how the curve can shift slightly as
feeding conditions change, and how each individual fish may not be feeding on
the same probability curve as other fish are. </span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-76471675858459293792021-05-23T09:54:00.000-06:002021-05-23T09:54:21.828-06:00The Feeding Mode Probability Curve<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It’s funny; I became a biologist, in part, because I didn’t
like math. But the more I learned, the more I realized that biology is as much
about mathematics and probabilities as it is about the biology.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Take trout length for example. If you were to survey trout
in a lake that all hatched in the previous spring (i.e. they have all been
developing and growing for roughly a year), you would find that trout length varies
within a certain size range. If you measured each trout and plotted the total number
of fish at each size, you would end up with a graph that looks like this:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihpJkf1cClY/YKp4bXmvQdI/AAAAAAAADgE/-gpkEXYSC4c3xy4nRAwx5xxmYZXHitpjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Feeding%2BModes%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="2048" height="331" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihpJkf1cClY/YKp4bXmvQdI/AAAAAAAADgE/-gpkEXYSC4c3xy4nRAwx5xxmYZXHitpjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h331/Feeding%2BModes%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The graph shape is what is referred to as a normal
distribution or a probability curve. If you were to catch 100 of those trout
and measured each one, odds are that most of them would be in the size range
near the center of the distribution (i.e. 15-17 cm). A few trout might be bigger
(17-19 cm) or smaller than the average (15-13 cm), and fewer still would be out
at the tails of the graph – being quite a bit bigger (19-22 cm) or smaller than
expected (10-13 cm). In other words, the probability of catching a near
average sized trout is quite high, but the probability of catching a one year
old trout that is quite a bit bigger or smaller is very low – but still
possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This distribution not only applies to physical
characteristics, it also applies to trout behavior. Under any given set of
conditions, you would expect most trout to act a certain way. But there will
always be a few trout that will act somewhat different from what is expected,
and fewer still that act very different from what is expected. If we place the
normal distribution on our trout feeding mode continuum from last week, we get
a feeding mode probability curve; it looks like this:<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VXfyId-1-mk/YKp4gVL0_YI/AAAAAAAADgI/lTvVg6iYCPEb4ZVLr2btq2I77SIvB7mIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2846/Feeding%2BModes%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1105" data-original-width="2846" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VXfyId-1-mk/YKp4gVL0_YI/AAAAAAAADgI/lTvVg6iYCPEb4ZVLr2btq2I77SIvB7mIwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h248/Feeding%2BModes%2B3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As feeding opportunities or conditions change, the curve
will shift left or right, with most trout feeding near the center of the curve.
Under average conditions most trout will be feeding in the non-hatch mode, but
there will still be a few fish feeding somewhat selectively or somewhat
opportunistically, and possibly the occasional fish feeding in hyper-selective
or opportunistic mode. If conditions change – say in the presence of a heavy
hatch, the curve may shift farther to the right, and tighten up:<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQ_m9lsYiUE/YKp4k2QAzZI/AAAAAAAADgM/WB6uTNWrbrUDSzQVNHsFvGwOjPjTH-3SgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2846/Feeding%2BModes%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1105" data-original-width="2846" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQ_m9lsYiUE/YKp4k2QAzZI/AAAAAAAADgM/WB6uTNWrbrUDSzQVNHsFvGwOjPjTH-3SgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h248/Feeding%2BModes%2B4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here, most trout will be feeding selectively, a few trout
may be feeding hyper-selective or somewhat selective, and the occasional fish
may still be feeding somewhat opportunistically. The interesting thing is that
not only does the trout feeding probability curve apply collectively to groups
of trout exposed to similar conditions in the same water body; it also applies
to individual fish. This leads to what I
call the fly selection probability curve (yes, more graphs are on the way…next
week). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When it comes to biology and animal behavior, things are
rarely cut-and-dry. The best we can do is distill things down to a mathematical
model that predicts behavior under a certain set of circumstances. As you move
away from the peak of the probability curve, the odds on a specific event or
behavior taking place becomes lower. It turns out that fly fishing and fly
selection is also as much about mathematics and probabilities as it is about
biology.</span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-85502465259954448972021-05-15T16:36:00.003-06:002021-05-15T17:10:32.040-06:00Trout Feeding Modes<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Last week’s post was fairly lengthy and contained several new concepts that could benefit from further discussion. In this week’s post I will start by explaining the basic concept of the trout feeding mode continuum. Successive posts will build on this foundation, leading the fly angler to a more complete understanding of just what leads up to the moment when the fish takes your fly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The feeding mode continuum is really quite simple. It starts with fish that are feeding opportunistically. In the opportunistic feeding mode a trout will essentially sample everything that appears to be even remotely edible. Buggy looking things and critters that move in a tantalizing way are at the top of the list but small bits of wood and bright, colorful objects are also tested to see if they might contain any nutritional value. In the opportunistic mode, trout feed without any concern of being caught and are usually found in seldom fished places where food is scarce and organized, heavy hatches are rare.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yh1jmnCA4do/YKBUCLgzCPI/AAAAAAAADZg/TyXuEeaDxCseCEB767_xTpT-djozuRTswCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/1050_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yh1jmnCA4do/YKBUCLgzCPI/AAAAAAAADZg/TyXuEeaDxCseCEB767_xTpT-djozuRTswCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/1050_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At the opposite end of the continuum are hyper-selective trout. When it comes to hyper-selective trout, there are two factors at play. The first one is that trout that are under heavy fishing pressure usually become more selective in the search image they respond to in order to avoid the unpleasant experience of being caught (sometimes a negative search image comes into play – more on this in a later post). The second factor is that in the presence of a heavy hatch, or several hatches taking place at the same time, it becomes more efficient to focus on a single life-stage of a single bug. This narrowing down of the search image allows a trout to feed without having to waste time inspecting each item in the drift and making a decision on each one – instead, the process becomes automated.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The trout feeding mode continuum then, encompasses the entire spectrum of possible feeding behaviors from opportunistic to hyper-selective. Most of the time trout are somewhere in the middle of the continuum – in what I call the non-hatch mode. Here, there are still elements of selectivity where the different search images a trout has been recently exposed to influences which flies they are most likely to take. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ivEkguGDgkA/YKBMPeTvqbI/AAAAAAAADZM/yQ6S1nh_zeMKiA8v193eFvBvwtZJSe31gCLcBGAsYHQ/s3710/Feeding%2BModes%2B1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="3710" height="146" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ivEkguGDgkA/YKBMPeTvqbI/AAAAAAAADZM/yQ6S1nh_zeMKiA8v193eFvBvwtZJSe31gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h146/Feeding%2BModes%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In next week’s post I will super-impose a normal distribution on the feeding mode continuum and explain more fully what a search image is. Then you will start to see what drives an individual trout’s behavior when it is “deciding” whether or not to take your fly.</span></p><div><br /></div>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6199102943880983185.post-29986476538650115032021-05-09T09:28:00.002-06:002021-05-21T10:30:48.620-06:00Matching the Non-Hatch<p> <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> I have to admit that when it comes to fly fishing I am not much of a gambler, so when it comes to deciding what fly to use I prefer to play the odds. During a typical bug hatch, that means selecting a fly to match the insect and life stage that the fish are keyed in on. But what do you do when there is no hatch? You still play the odds – and match the non-hatch.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Njt3XWzbnXY/YJf-4RLc_gI/AAAAAAAADYg/dUr7j-rfhZgF8vmUqa0njM1Evp4PjjyogCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/101_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Njt3XWzbnXY/YJf-4RLc_gI/AAAAAAAADYg/dUr7j-rfhZgF8vmUqa0njM1Evp4PjjyogCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/101_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male and female Golden Stones (<i>Hesperoperla pacifica</i>) in copula. Mating activity usually follows close on the heels of an insect hatch. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Most fly anglers are aware of the fact that during a hatch trout will feed selectively on a specific insect, often to the exclusion of everything else. This selective feeding mode is an evolutionary adaptation that allows trout to maximize their calorie intake by ignoring other potential food items (which would require more time to inspect), in favor of a known food source that can be quickly recognized using an instinctive visual trigger known as a search image. It is important to note that the search image is not a mental picture of the entire prey item (that much information would take too long to process) rather, it is made up of one or more specific characteristics that the trout uses to define an object as the targeted prey item. If trout are in a moderately selective feeding mode they may respond to a general search image that includes size, shape and color (sound familiar?). Hyper-selective fish (those that have seen a lot of fishing pressure) may focus on one or two very specific details that separate the naturals from the artificial. These search images are not static. They change as the feeding situation changes; sometimes day by day, sometimes hour by hour, and in some situations from fish to fish. In many cases a search image is retained in the trout’s memory for a period of time after the food source is no longer present. Think of a non-hatch as the intervening period between hatches where trout maintain a search image for certain prey items, and are more inclined to selectively feed on those prey items, even though there is no active hatch.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> The development of non-hatch search images can come from two sources. The first would be search images formed during a recent hatch. This situation is fairly straight forward; selective feeding results in the creation of search images for the different life stages that the trout have been feeding on. Remember that a hatch can go through several phases where the fish may key in on migrating or drifting nymphs during pre-hatch, rising nymphs or pupae early in the hatch, emergers or cripples during the heat of the hatch, and duns or adults later in the hatch. This can also be followed by feeding on spent spinners or egg laying adults in the day or so following the hatch. The non-hatch search image is therefore not always a single entity. It can be a group of search images retained from the different phases of the hatch. The second source results from sporadic (opportunistic) feeding on the prey items that are most commonly encountered. During extended periods between hatches, trout will tend to forage on whatever prey items are available. Less commonly encountered food items are more likely to be inspected prior to ingestion, and are more likely to be rejected. Feeding on the most commonly available food source can become automated – the search image takes over and the fish spends less time inspecting that particular prey item and instead responds to the instinctive visual trigger to grab the fly. In either case, when responding to a search image the trout instinctively recognizes the item as food, knows exactly what to expect, and there is little or no hesitation in taking the fly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qKW2AcNICHU/YJf-uWn1S9I/AAAAAAAADYc/-Kf-XbWh1DEL83NKwpNrqRFU5Ju5A1E2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/077_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qKW2AcNICHU/YJf-uWn1S9I/AAAAAAAADYc/-Kf-XbWh1DEL83NKwpNrqRFU5Ju5A1E2wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/077_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A male winter stonefly (<i>Isocapnia integra</i>) along with several exuvia on a stream-side rock. <br />Adults and exuvia together – always a good sign of a recent hatch. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> When fishing during a non-hatch there is a clear advantage in selecting a fly that matches one of these search images. This point was driven home one summer when I was fishing a freestone cutthroat stream and having a tough go of it. It was a hot, sunny day; there was nothing hatching, and not a single fish rising. I had tried just about every nymph in my box and hadn’t hit a single fish. Noticing the low, clear water, and thinking the fish were leader shy, I decided to start dropping my tippet size. An hour or so later I was down to 7X and still fishless. Finally I remembered that there was a short Green Drake hatch during a thunderstorm the day before. I switched to a green Drake Nymph and picked up six fish in the same run that I had just covered. Not wanting to risk stressing the fish with an extended fight on a light leader, I went up to 4X tippet and continued to take fish after fish in the crystal clear water for the rest of the day. Tippet size had nothing to do with it. It was the search image of a fly that the fish had been recently feeding on that was the ticket to success.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GHAfvvaPnos/YJf_CO3tEXI/AAAAAAAADYo/R6-Skcn2nQMydulXy4DBwXuofhtLFNtIACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/042_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GHAfvvaPnos/YJf_CO3tEXI/AAAAAAAADYo/R6-Skcn2nQMydulXy4DBwXuofhtLFNtIACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/042_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Green Drake dun (<i>Drunella doddsi</i>) resting on a rock shortly after emerging. Seeing mayfly duns (with dusky wings) are a good indication of a hatch in progress or one that is less than a few hours past. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> To tip the odds in your favor it helps to know what the potential non-hatch search images are. When considering likely candidates there is nothing better than first-hand knowledge of the hatch activity over the preceding couple of days. If you were there and witnessed exactly what the trout were keyed in on, it’s just a matter of selecting the right non-hatch fly pattern based on this knowledge. Things get a little more complicated when you show up on a lake or stream for the weekend, or it’s a quick day trip to a local trout lake. Here, the time spent doing a little detective work greatly outweighs the time wasted experimenting with random fly patterns, or sticking with a pattern that is catching the odd fish but not living up to the full potential of the day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Clues as to which non-hatch search images are in play can be found through careful observation. Your first priority should be to look for signs of a recent hatch. Do you see any adults fluttering over the water or hiding in the bushes? Are there any adults crawling along the bank? Are there any freshly shed exoskeletons (exuvia) clinging to the rocks or shoreline vegetation? Look for exuvia floating along the windward shore or in back eddies where they tend to accumulate. If there are no signs of a recent hatch, try to determine what the most available food items are. Are there any bugs active in the water? Are there any nymphs crawling on the rocks or congregating along the shore? If nothing is active, flip over a few rocks or run a dip net through the aquatic vegetation to see what is present. In all cases pay close attention to the smaller and usually more numerous bugs, and then consider which bugs are more likely to be exposed to feeding trout. These are all simple tactics, but many anglers skip over them, or give it nothing more than a cursory consideration. Do not make this mistake. The clues are always there, but you will need to take the time to find them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bemPyh_v_dg/YJf_KhJZiEI/AAAAAAAADYw/NOr4CLd0BBIphQl7EQ3vjggBSt7arvHlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/024_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bemPyh_v_dg/YJf_KhJZiEI/AAAAAAAADYw/NOr4CLd0BBIphQl7EQ3vjggBSt7arvHlQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/024_TFP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several stonefly exuvia (<i>Claassenia sabulosa</i>) on a stream-side rock. Stonefly exuvia can sometimes remain intact for some time after a hatch; if they look fresh, you’re in business. If they appear to be dusty and old, the hatch likely occurred many weeks ago. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Of course knowing a little bit about the bugs and their life-cycles will be needed to make the connection between the clues you have found and the appropriate non-hatch fly pattern. You don’t need a PhD in entomology, but any knowledge you can gain will go a long way in enhancing your ability to match the non-hatch. If you spot several adults in the stream-side vegetation it helps to know what the nymphs look like, and the habitat they prefer; if you see a bunch of exuvia on the rocks it’s good to know how they got there, and what insect group they came from; if you find active nymphs in the water, knowing their life-cycle and habits will enable you to more accurately imitate them. This is the kind of additional information that will allow you to take full advantage of a non-hatch.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dKElbCmJx7M/YJf_S_eCTUI/AAAAAAAADY4/h9K28QJNUo4rBNoCn41tBLSrOx-SXM3XwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/180_TFP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1691" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dKElbCmJx7M/YJf_S_eCTUI/AAAAAAAADY4/h9K28QJNUo4rBNoCn41tBLSrOx-SXM3XwCLcBGAsYHQ/w528-h640/180_TFP.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A newly emerged (teneral) damselfly (<i>Enallagma sp.</i>) along with exuvia on lakeside vegetation. <br />Teneral adults (those that are pale and not ready to fly) indicate a hatch is in progress. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> Matching the non-hatch is all about playing the odds. Trout feeding modes form a continuum from opportunistic, where anything that appears even remotely edible is sampled, to selective, where their attention is singularly focused on a specific life stage of a particular bug. But most of their time is spent somewhere in the middle – in the non-hatch mode where search images do not necessarily control their feeding behavior, but certainly influence it. Matching the hatch even when there is no hatch is a way to take full advantage of this feeding mode. Random fly patterns and attractor flies will continue to catch their share of fish but in the long run, my money will always be on matching the non-hatch.</span></p><div><br /></div>Rob Hinchliffehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12951994776892775036noreply@blogger.com0