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In this article, Mo
discusses the May Fly Nymph.
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The mayfly lives in many places; creeks,
rivers, small lakes and large ones.
The
mayfly nymph that we fly fishers should be
interested in lives its short life on the bottom
of our lakes and streams, feeding on plant
material, although some are believed to be
partially carnivorous. Soon the time comes to
emerge, hatch and copulate, therefore continuing
the species; which they have been doing for
millions of years. If we as the custodians of
this wonderful planet do our part, the mayflies
and all other critters will do well, and we will
be the better for it.
The name mayfly as
we call it today is almost incorrect in the book
"The Complete Angler" by "Issac
Walton". Written as long ago as 1653, when
true fly fishing (or dapping) is said to have
started, Issac Walton referred to the "May
Fly" as the "day fly," meaning it
only lives about 24 hours as an adult.
I
have a sixth edition written as long ago as
1797, and this is what Issac Walton had ot say
about the day fly:
There are
creatures, whose life nature intended not to
'exceed an hour,' is, I beleave, not so well
agreed, as that there are some whose existance
is determined in five or six. It is well known
that the Ephemeron that wonderfull instance of
the care and providence of God, lives but from
six in the evening till about eleven at night:
During which time it performs all the animal
functions: for, in the beginning of its life, it
sheds its coat; and that being done, and the
poor little animal thereby rendered lite and
agile, it spends the rest of its short time in
frisking over the waters: the female drops her
eggs, which are impregnated by the male: these
being spread about, descend to the bottom by
their own gravity: and are hatched by the warmth
of the sun into little worms. In
1650, I am sure that Issac Walton really
believed that the may fly did drop their eggs to
be impregnated by the male, and that the eggs
were hatched by the warmth of the sun into
little worms.
Now, some three hundred
years later, we have observed that the mayfly
actually mates, by touching abdomens in mid-air,
and that a very small mayfly (not a small worm)
pops out of the egg... with the help of the
warmth of the sun.
The mayfly then grows
for one year, some 1/8 inch to 5/8 inches. Most
match the colour of their environment, ranging
from shades of green to browns.
Issac
goes on for some ten pages on different may
flies, but what I find interesting is that he
writes about how to tie them from January
through September -- a different one for just
about ever week, for the entire "British
Isles." Here is one for June:
Dubbing, of Yellow Wool, Mixed with Yellow
Fur of a Martern; warped with yellow filk: wings
of the lightest coloured feather of a throstle.
("Wow")
Now it's get back to Mo
time, with one of my mayfly nymph
patterns.
Colours: Brown, Green
and Earth Tones
Hook Sizes: Mustad
12-9672 to 18-9672 (Barbless)
1. Dress
Hook with coloured thread to match body
material.
2. Tie in tail. Few fronds Ringneck
Pheasant. (When fly is finished will trim to 3
fronds).
3. Tie in body, 6 to 8 fronds of
Ringneck Pheasant with tips.
4. Wrap thread
to within 1/8 inch of eye.
5. Wrap body
material to thread and tie off.
6. Now take
thread back to half way, and tie in small amount
for pro-wing. You can use Ring Neck Pheasant,
Mallard Wing, Silver Teal, Snow Goose or your
"pick".
7. Now tie in 'few fronds
Peacock Herl for thorax.
8. Wrap peacock to
within 1/8 inch of eye, tie off.
9. For legs,
tie in a few short fronds of ringneck
pheasant.
10. Now bring wingcase forward and
tie off.
11. Whip finish.
12. Cement
head.
13. Now take fly out of vice and tease
tail (No. 2 above) with thumb nail and index
finger to make turn upwards.
Fly Pattern
Click for Larger
Version
The mayfly nymph. What can I say
about this perfect little insect? What Issac
Walton did not say.
In the past years, I
have hooked and landed many large, Kamloops
Rainbow Trout, on this delicate little
morsel.
The line I prefer when fishing
this morsel is a full floating with a tappered
leader up to 25 foot, as with the Chironomus
Pupa, and a slower than slow retrieve.
I
will show how I build my tappered leader in the
near future.
Tight Lines!
