Bug hatch MF Snoqualmie - what is it?

[Jim Fitz]

Well seeing as how someone else bumped this post I'll add a few comments. I too fished through a hatch of this bug on the MF Snoquolmie. At one point I could look downstream through the falling sunlight and see at least a few thousand of these filling the air. I happened to have a near exact match in my fly box (although the tails were much longer) so naturally I tied it on. I got skunked and noted that I did not see a single rise to these guys. I kept asking myself - If the fish aren't eating the real McCoy, why would they go after my imitation? Should I be fishing subsurface emerger variety of something similar (not that I am smart enough to know what it would look like)? I tried some nymphs but in the end was spanked.

What do you do in the situation where you know fish exist but are completely ignoring (on the surface) a hatch?

Of course, I had fun anyway. Felt like mid July last Saturday.

 

[troutaholic]

I'm sure I saw the exact same fly on Rattlesnake lake last Sat. I just happened to see one adult dead on the water, but it looked stillborn as it still had the clear upright wings. I noted the 2 tails and the "quilled" looking segmented dark brown/red body. I only saw the one fly not a hatch. Interestingly the only "dry fly" I had any luck at all with (the water was really choppy) was a dark red brown softhackle wet fly fished in the film. Everytime I could get it near a rise form, I had a strike, but not on anything else. I wonder if for whatever reason trout only like the emergers of this species. Of course it's impossible to say as there wasn't a significant hatch of this critter.....

 

[Sourdoughs]

Hey, Jim. Interesting that you didn't see or get a fish when you went. Was it the same Friday or the Saturday after?

As I mentioned, my thinking was that some other fisherman had flogged the area, but that may not be the case. If I hadn't seen the two dudes down below, I may have tied on a PT or Hares Ear. Other that that, I have no guess what the fish would come for.

 

[creekx]

Its a spinner, probably Epeorus. They hatch pretty heavily in North Idaho and Western Montana this time of year. Epeorus albertae is common and is often mistakenly called a pmd, or even a green drake (see previous report on the Coeur d'Alene River.) The duns do vary in color from yellow to olive, but the spinners have rusty bodies with hyaline wings.

Also, I think the wide/flat head suggests that this mayfly belongs to the "clinger" category, which includes Epeorus.

 

[Taxon]

I'm sure I saw the exact same fly on Rattlesnake lake last Sat. I just happened to see one adult dead on the water, but it looked stillborn as it still had the clear upright wings. I noted the 2 tails and the "quilled" looking segmented dark brown/red body. I only saw the one fly not a hatch. Interestingly the only "dry fly" I had any luck at all with (the water was really choppy) was a dark red brown softhackle wet fly fished in the film. Everytime I could get it near a rise form, I had a strike, but not on anything else. I wonder if for whatever reason trout only like the emergers of this species. Of course it's impossible to say as there wasn't a significant hatch of this critter.....

troutaholic-

What you most likely saw on Rattlesnake Lake was an expired Callibaetis spinner. The wings of the dun are not clear, but rather, are dark with prominent white veins.

 

[Jim Fitz]

Sourdough,

It was Saturday the 28th. Wish I could use the excuse that someone else just the area but I didn't see anyone else fishing although there were a lot of folks in the area. This was higher up - above the big trail head parking lot - which tends to tougher to fish than lower in my limited experience.