| Ephemera simulans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Imago on rubber rabbitbrush | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Ephemeroptera |
| Family: | Ephemeridae |
| Genus: | Ephemera |
| Species: | E. simulans |
| Binomial name | |
| Ephemera simulans | |
Ephemera simulans is a species of mayfly. It is commonly found throughout the United States. The species is used for fly fishing.
The mayfly can be found throughout the United States in the Rockies, Midwest, and in the Great Lakes region. [2] Out of all the mayfly species in the family Ephemeridae, they are the most common in North America. [3] The nymphs of the species burrow and can be found the same time as the Green Drake (Ephemera guttulata) mayflies, which the species acts similar to; if one trout stream has a hatch of E. simulans, there might also be a hatch of E. guttulata. [2] The mayfly hatches annually at Skaneateles Lake, where fly fishermen arrive from Central New York and further to fish at. [4]
It has been observed that the species have their wings upright after mating, which fish tend to eat while ignoring the mayflies that have outstretched wings. [2] Both hatching and mating occur at night. It hatches from mid-June to mid-July and the nymphs emerge from the sand and silt bottoms of streams where trout are. When the nymphs emerge, they ride on the water until they can fly away to the foliage that is nearby. During this process, the nymphs are easily susceptible to being eaten by trout. [5] [6]
They are used for fly fishing. Artificial nymphs of the species can be used for fishing, including the Wiggle Nymph, Marabou Nymph, and Feather Duster nymph. [7] When using an artificial fly of its adult stage, the silhouette and presentation are more important than it being the same color. [6] It is referred to as Brown Drake, but so is the species Hexagenia atrocaudata . [2] Trout, bass, perch, rock bass, Atlantic Salmon, and bullheads feed on the mayflies. [4] They are considered "nationally important on many of the country's best trout streams". [2]
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used as part of the name of some non-salmonid fish such as Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout or speckled trout.
Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting. The flies may resemble natural invertebrates, baitfish, or other food organisms.
Mayflies are aquatic insects belonging to the order Ephemeroptera. This order is part of an ancient group of insects termed the Palaeoptera, which also contains dragonflies and damselflies. Over 3,000 species of mayfly are known worldwide, grouped into over 400 genera in 42 families.
The brown trout is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, Salmo trutta morpha fario, a lacustrine ecotype, S. trutta morpha lacustris, also called the lake trout, and anadromous forms known as the sea trout, S. trutta morpha trutta. The latter migrates to the oceans for much of its life and returns to fresh water only to spawn. Sea trout in Ireland and Britain have many regional names: sewin in Wales, finnock in Scotland, peal in the West Country, mort in North West England, and white trout in Ireland.
The Hare's Ear or Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear is a traditional artificial fly imitating an aquatic insect larva (nymph) used in fly fishing.
Fly tying is the process of producing an artificial fly used by fly fishing anglers to catch fish. Fly tying is a manual process done by a single individual using hand tools and a variety of natural and manmade materials that are attached to a hook. Although the recent history of fly tying dates from the middle 1800s, fly tyers were engaged in tying flys since at least 200 AD.
The Muddler Minnow is a popular and versatile artificial fly of the streamer type used in fly fishing and fly tying.
Ohio currently has 5 rivers that host populations of either rainbow trout, brown trout, or brook trout. These rivers are the Mad River, the Clear Fork River, Clear Creek, the Chagrin River, and the Rocky River.
Dry fly fishing is an angling technique in which the lure is an artificial fly which floats on the surface of the water and does not sink below the surface. Developed originally for trout fly fishing, it is sometimes regarded as the supreme fishing sport, owing to its difficulty in both manual dexterity and understanding of the fish in its environment.
The Pheasant Tail is a popular nymph imitation used when fly fishing. It is used to mimic a large variety of aquatic insect larvae that many fish including trout feed upon. It is also widely referred to as the Sawyer’s Pheasant Tail, in relation to the original creator of this fly.
An artificial fly or fly lure is a type of fishing lure, usually used in the sport of fly fishing. In general, artificial flies are an imitation of natural food sources that fly fishers present to their target species of fish while fly fishing. Artificial flies are constructed by fly tying, in which furs, feathers, thread or any of very many other materials are tied onto a fish hook. Artificial flies may be constructed to represent all manner of potential freshwater and saltwater fish prey to include aquatic and terrestrial insects, crustaceans, worms, baitfish, vegetation, flesh, spawn, small reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds, etc. Effective artificial fly patterns are said to be killing flies because of their ability to put fish in the creel for the fly fisher. There are thousands of artificial fly patterns, many of them with descriptive and often idiosyncratic names.
Ephemerellidae are known as the spiny crawler mayflies. They are a family of the order Ephemeroptera. There are 8 genera consisting of a total 90 species. They are distributed throughout North America as well as the UK. Their habitat is lotic-erosional, they are found in all sizes of flowing streams on different types of substrates where there is reduced flow. They are even found on the shores of lakes and beaches where there is wave action present. They move by swimming and clinging, they are very well camouflaged. Most species have one generation per year. They are mostly collector-gatherers.
The Woolly Worm is an artificial fly commonly categorized as a wet fly or nymph and is fished under the water surface. It is a popular pattern for freshwater game fish and was a very popular fly in the 1950s–1970s in the west. Charles Brooks in Nymph Fishing for Larger Trout recommends the Woolly Worm as a general purpose nymph pattern in most western trout waters in any fly box. Woolly Worms are typically fished in streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes for trout, bass, and panfish. Today, Woolly Worms are tied in a variety of styles and colors to imitate a large aquatic nymphs such as stoneflies, dragonflies, damselflies or hellgrammites.
Ephemera danica, the green drake or green drake mayfly, is a species of mayfly in the genus Ephemera.
The Partridge and Orange is an artificial fly commonly categorized as a wet fly or soft hackle and is fished under the water surface. The fly is a very well known fly with its roots set firmly in English angling history. It is an impressionistic pattern fished successfully during caddis hatches and spinner falls. The Partridge and Orange is traditionally a trout and grayling pattern but may be used for other aquatic insect feeding species.
Chloroperlidae are a family of stoneflies, commonly known as green stoneflies, with more than 200 species and 22 genera. They appear green to yellow in colour, and are popularly used among fisherman as bait for trout fishing. Green stoneflies live in the benthic zone of the cold streams and rivers of five continents and four zoogeographical regions, emerging from the water to live in the riparian zone as adults. They are sensitive to pollutants, making them an indicator species for determining the quality of water bodies. Chloroperlidae are hemimetabolous, having no pupal stage, but instead hatch from eggs as nymphs and mature directly into adults. They are omnivorous, feeding on small organisms and plant particles, and become more carnivorous as they mature. The classification of Chloroperlidae is contested, with some believing that they should be considered as members of different orders, as opposed to the order Plecoptera that they currently belong to.
Progomphus borealis is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. This dragonfly species is commonly known as the gray sanddragon.
The Fly-Fisher's Entomology, Illustrated by Coloured Representations of the Natural and Artificial Insect and Accompanied by a Few Observations and Instructions Relative to Trout-and-Grayling Fishing, first published in 1836 by Alfred Ronalds (1802–1860), was the first comprehensive work related to the entomology associated with fly fishing. Although the work was Ronalds' only book, it was published in 11 editions between 1836 and 1913 and has been extensively reprinted in the last 100 years.
Hexagenia limbata, the giant mayfly, is a species of mayfly in the family Ephemeridae. It is native to North America where it is distributed widely near lakes and slow-moving rivers. The larvae, known as nymphs, are aquatic and burrow in mud and the adult insects have brief lives. They are often referred to as fish flies around the Great Lakes as they tend to cause the areas around water to smell like rotten fish.
Leptophlebia marginata, the sepia dun, is a species of mayfly in the family Leptophlebiidae. It is native to Europe and North America where it is distributed widely near lakes, ponds and slow-moving streams. The larvae, which are known as nymphs, are aquatic.
Media related to Ephemera simulans at Wikimedia Commons