| Maine's #13 Mayfly: The Yellow Drake | |
| Family: | Potamanthidae |
| Genus: | Potamanthus |
| Species 6: | Distinctus |
| Common Names: | Yellow Drake |
| Nymphal Type: | Feeble Legged Crawler |
| Hatch Schedule: | June 21 - August 15 6 P.M. until after Dusk |
| Water Temperature: | 60 to 68 degrees with low humidity |
| Imitation | |
| Hook Sizes: | Sub-surface 10 & 10 3XL Surface 8, 10, 12 |
| Nymph: | Distinctus Compara-nymph |
| Emerger: | Distinctus Deerhair Emerger & Light Cahill Wet |
| Color: | Amber-Brown with Ostrich herl gills |
| Dun: | Distinctus Compara-dun, distinctus Hackled Compara-dun |
| Spinner: | Distinctus Compara-spinner |
The large mayflies of the P. distinctus species, along with the cream colored duns of the E. varia, constitute some of the best evening fly-fishing of the season for every angler in the northeast.
The nymphs are very distinct and easy to identify from the other mayfly genera. Their most notable feature is the obvious gills, which extend laterally from the body in pairs on abdominal segments 2 through 7. Another easily recognized feature is the large pincer-like tusks. The obvious amber body is mottled with brown body markings that are arranged dorsally along its entire length.
An interesting fact is that over the years this Potamanthus species was mistakenly classified as a burrower. It was probably due to this species originally classified as a member of the Ephemeridae family. They have been since placed in their own family, Potamanthidae. The reason being that these nymphs are not burrowers at all, they are most definitely crawlers and slower swimming types of the Polymitarcidae family which inhabit the quiet stretches and medium runs as well as the eddies of faster pocket water. These nymphs are quite similar to the E. varia species in size, color, so many tiers will tie imitations that are a compromise between the two species. This nymph shares the same habitat as the Hexagenia and Ephemera genera.
Hatching is usually best on pleasant summer evenings of low humidity and a water temperature of less than 70 degrees. Prior to emergence, the nymphs will move about nervously on the bottom. The emergence starts off rather sporadically a few hours before dusk. The much heavier emergence will take place at dusk. Just about dusk, they will make a quick ascent to the surface, lingering momentarily as they transform into the delicate duns and struggle to get air-borne. If the weather is hot and humid these same hatches won't take place until after dusk. These duns will emerge in slow-to-medium currents.
Like the E. varia species, the mating activity begins at or just before twilight and is at shoulder height rather than, like most other mayfly species, high above the waters surface. Oviposting occurs around dusk and into the dark evenings. Like the E. varia, the P. distinctus females will fly to the waters surface to extrude her eggs into the water. Then both the males and females will fall spent to the waiting fish.
Tactic
One of the best imitations that you can use is the Light Cahill pattern. This is a time-tested design that has not been improved upon since William Chandler tweaked Theodore Gordon's original pattern. The reason for its success is not too surprising because the barred Wood-duck wing and light gingerish hackle blended over the creamish body of the classic pattern is very impressionistic of the S. ithaca, E. guttulata, E. varia and P. distinctus nymphs. All you do is add some motion to create a deadly combination. If your fishing the surface or just below it with your distinctus Deerhair Emerger, be sure to manipulate to simulate the various movements of the dun.
| Maine's #14 Mayfly: The Hex (Michigan Caddis) | |
| Family: | Ephemeridae |
| Genus: | Hexagenia |
| Species 13: | Limbata |
| Common Names: | Hex, Michigan Caddis, Sand Fly and Fish Fly |
| Nymphal Type: | Burrower |
| Hatch Schedule: | Sporadic from June 21 through August |
| Water Temperature: | 60 to 70 degrees |
| Imitations | |
| Hook Sizes: | Sub-surface 4 and 6 3XL Surface 6 & 8 4XL |
| Nymph: | Limbata Compara-nymph or Maple Syrup |
| Emerger: | Limbata Deerhair Emerger |
| Color: | Brownish-Gray with reddish-Purple Ostrich herl mid-section |
| Dun: | Nelms Caddis or limbata Compara-dun |
| Spinner: | Limbata Compara-spinner |
The nymph of the genus Hexagenia and Litobrancha recurvata are the largest mayflies in North America. These burrowing nymphs thrive on marl-rich, siltaceous bottoms laden with detritus. In these slow moving waters, the nymph gets its oxygen by undulating its body and plumage-like gills.
These areas can exist in lakes and ponds as well as areas between rocks, boulders, deadfalls and other submerged structures in rivers and streams.
These large nymphs can take as much as two years to mature enough to emerge as duns. They will moult every 24 days or so and can go through some 30 moults before their emergence.
During the emergence, the nymphs evacuate their burrows and ascend towards the surface reasonably fast considering their rather poor swimming capabilities. Once in the surface film, the newly hatched duns have great difficulty shedding their nymphal shucks. This problem will require them to remain on the waters surface for up to 10 or 15 minutes. You can imagine the commotion made and how it would create easy opportunities for the fish, let alone a number of birds eager to participate in natures banquet.
The mating swarms, nuptial flights and resultant spinner-falls all occur sometime after 9 P.M. Most anglers don't bother because of the lateness but to those of you that feel adventurous, here's the schedule. In some rivers and streams, the hatch and or spinner fall happens usually between 10 PM and 4 AM. This can be as little as a 20 - 30 minute event. This large nymph spends some eighteen months burrowed in the mud and silt, so as it ascends toward the surface, fast and agile, wiggling, sometimes taking over two minutes to get airborne. The final moult will take place usually within 72 hours after emergence. The male imagos are then ready to create the cloud-like mating swarm. When the females arrive and enter the swarm, nuptial flights are developed and mating takes place. The female will then usually fly to a riffled area and land on the water, where she attempts to extrude twin egg sacs containing some 8000 eggs. Having completed their duties the male and female spinners will fall to the waters surface as spent-spinners.
These mays are a yellowish olive to golden olive in sizes 6 - 8.
Tactic
Artificials should be cast and allowed to drift drag-free over the feeding fish. In the case where the fish seem to be taking only the duns that are struggling, imitations must be twitched and moved to look like the natural.
Because these duns appear at night, one casting tip is to pick your casting position during the late dusk and make your various casts. Once you've determined the correct distance, place a piece of tape at the point just beyond the reel. This way during the late night when visibility is very restricted, you can feel the tape and know that you haven't cast beyond the safety zone so you won't cast into problems after dark.
Fish the nymph with a lot of movement, and the dry, across, dead drift and then back up with short twitches.
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