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.
 |
| A Dragonfly darner nymph (Aeshna sp.). You can tell that this one has more growing to do by the small wing-pads. |
 |
| A Dragonfly sprawler nymph (Cordulia shurtleffii) This one has fully developed wing-pads and is ready to emerge. |
 |
| This is what Cordulia shurtleffii looks like as an adult. Its metallic-green eyes earned this species the common name of American Emerald. |
 |
| An adult Variable Darner (Aeshna interupta) laying eggs in a rotten log. |
No comments:
Post a Comment