Stoneflies

When cleaning the last catch of trout, I opened up the stomach of one of the fish to see what had been on the menu in the trout lake. I pulled out what seemed to be small bits of dark brown bark and leaf. On closer inspection, I noticed a few legs and mandibles. Upon investigation in a great book that I have (The Complete Fly Fisher's Handbook - Malcolm Greenhalgh & Denys Ovenden - Dorling Kindersley - 1998) I deduced that the insects were stonefly. Perhaps a nymph, but also perhaps an adult. I didn't find any wings.

The stonefly Order Plecoptera is active from April to August. The small nymphs hatch from eggs and live for a year as nymphs (3 to 3 years for the large stoneflies). They emerge onto land and moult from the nymphal shuck. Females return to the water to lay eggs.

Here is a selection of flies that I have that mimic the stonefly nymph. They are fished deep and are sometimes weighted to get to the bottom if the lake or river. They range from black to brown. These are the wingless nymph imitations.





I'll test them on Thursday, which as a public holiday, is a fishing day. Tom and I are going to try the river and see what lurks in the shallows.