Peltoperlidae (Roach Flies) are
not the most plentiful stoneflies
in the Smokies but they can be
important in some streams. The
nymph is the only stage that is
important.
not the most plentiful stoneflies
in the Smokies but they can be
important in some streams. The
nymph is the only stage that is
important.
Flyfishingdvd's Imitating Aquatic
Insects: Stoneflies will teach you
what you need to know about
stoneflies and how to imitate
their behavior.
Insects: Stoneflies will teach you
what you need to know about
stoneflies and how to imitate
their behavior.
Stoneflies:
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Fly Fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
A Prince Nymph is one of the
more popular generic stonfly
nymph imitations used in the
Smoky Mountain streams. It is
a pretty good impressionistic
imitation of a stonefly nymph
which probably accounts for its
success.
more popular generic stonfly
nymph imitations used in the
Smoky Mountain streams. It is
a pretty good impressionistic
imitation of a stonefly nymph
which probably accounts for its
success.
Perlodidae Stonefly Nymph:
The Little Yellow stonefly is very
abundant in the Smokies.
Although trout can be taken on
imitations of the adults, the
nymphs are more effective.
The Little Yellow stonefly is very
abundant in the Smokies.
Although trout can be taken on
imitations of the adults, the
nymphs are more effective.
Giant Stonefly Nymph::
This is the huge stonefly nymph
found in most all of the Smoky
Mountain trout streams. It is the
Pteronarcys dorsata or Giant
Stonefly.
This is the huge stonefly nymph
found in most all of the Smoky
Mountain trout streams. It is the
Pteronarcys dorsata or Giant
Stonefly.
You will find that the Smokies has a huge
population and diversity of stoneflies. The park
may have as many if not more species than any
area of the nation. Most of its streams are
perfectly suited for them.
Importance as Trout Food:
In spite of the quantity of stoneflies in the
streams, they are not the most important trout
food available to the trout because of the word
available. They are not usually available. They
are usually hidden down between and beneath
the rocks and stones that make up the streams
substrate. When they feed, in some situations;
when they molt, in some situations; and when
they hatch in all situations, they are available for
the trout to eat.
Nymphs:
Occasionally, stonefly nymphs get accidentally
caught by the streams current and tumble
downstream. Some, mostly the small species,
are a part in the behavioral drift. It is certainly
possible to catch trout on an imitation of the
nymph at times other than the hatch but may,
on the average, produce less than satisfactory
results.
The Hatch:
Stoneflies hatch out of the water, not in the
water like most other aquatic insects. Most all
stoneflies crawl to the shoreline, rocks or other
objects that are protruding out of the water to
hatch. It is during this migration that they are
most available the trout to eat.
Imitating the Hatch:
You should imitate this behavior by retrieving
your nymph imitation on the bottom towards the
bank. Fishing from the bank and retrieving your
fly back to shore is usually more effective than
the typical nymphing on the swing and high
sticking type methods are. Keep in mind that
the stoneflies move to the quitter water along
the shore or pockets where rocks extend out of
the water as opposed to crawling out of fast
water. You want to fish the calmer portion of the
water that is adjacent to the fast water in which
the stoneflies live.
Adults:
Stoneflies live for a relatively long time out of the
water. The mate out of the water. Unlike
mayflies, for example, stoneflies can eat and
drink as adults. Just because you find a lot of
stoneflies in the bushes and trees along the
banks of a stream does not necessarily mean
you can catch trout on an imitation of the adult.
The only time the adults are going to be
available for the trout to eat is when the females
are depositing their eggs.
Egg Ovipositiing:
Most stoneflies deposit their eggs during the
night but some species do so during the
daylight hours. All of them prefer to deposit their
eggs during low light conditions. Overcast
skies and rainy days may offer some
opportunities for anglers to catch trout on
ovipositing stoneflies.
Stonefly Families:
There are nine families of stoneflies in the
United States. All nine families are found in the
park's streams. Unlike caddisflies and mayflies
it is usually not necessary to determine these to
any level below the family level. With only a very
few exceptions, there is very little difference in
the genera of the families. Most all of them are
about the same size and shape. The colors of
the nymphs and the adults within a family can
vary within the family. The best way to choose a
fly to match them in the event you are unable to
identify a hatch is to catch one of the adults and
match it but this is not legal in the park. If you
have patterns of the type we recommend, then
you would have a fly to match them. You can
find the adults by checking the bushes, trees
and grass along the stream side for the
stoneflies. The nymphs are also easy to
acquire. They can be found clinging to the
bottom of stones. Normally, you can pick up the
stones from the bottom of the stream. Picking
up and moving rocks is illegal in the Great
Smoky Mountain National Park. Do not keep
any of the adult insects you find. It is illegal to
kill or to collect them from the park.
Capniidae Family Little Brown or
Black Snowflies
This family of stoneflies are present in the
park's streams and may be observed during
the winter months. They represent one of the
few species of aquatic insects that emerges
and is available to the trout when the water is
extremely cold.
Although these are classified as "Little Brown
Stoneflies" for the most part, they are black.
Most anglers refer to them as "Little Blacks"
and some as "Little Winter" stoneflies.
Trout can be taken on nymph imitations of the
Snowflies but imitations of the adults are rarely
productive. Trout are not very prone to rise to the
surface to eat the egg laying females on the
surface in the very cold water that usually exist
when they hatch.
Leuctridae Family Little Brown or
Black Needleflies:
This family of stoneflies is very prevalent in the
park's streams and especially so in the higher
elevations although they are present at all
elevations. They are most plentiful in the late
summer and fall months of the year. They are
abundant up until very cold weather occurs.
They can usually be found during the months of
August through December.
Many anglers confuse these small stoneflies
with caddisflies because in the air they look like
brown caddisfleis. They look much larger flying
than they actually are.
They are easy to identify because they are the
only stoneflies that are slim, long and shaped
like needles. They have wings that roll around
their bodies rather than lie flat on the top of their
backs.
They deposit their eggs during the daylight
hours as well as after dark and trout can be
taken on flies that imitate the egg laying adults.
Late afternoons provide the best opportunities.
Nemouridae Family Little Brown or
Black Forestflies:
Taeniopterygidae Family Little Brown or
Black Winter Stoneflies:
Both of these families of "Little Brown"
stoneflies exist in the park and like some of the
others classified as "Little Browns". The adults
are both brown and black and all shades in
between. Both families are so similar that
anglers do not need to be able to differentiate
between them. The minute differences are only
important to entomologist and can only be
determined with magnification.
Species of both families hatch during the winter
or early springs months and usually do so in
fair to large quantities.
Imitations of the nymphs work very well just
prior to and during a hatch. Some of the adults
can usually be found depositing their eggs
before dark. Fish can be taken on the adult
patterns during this time but is not a reliable
method of fishing.
You will find several different species of Little
Black and Little Brown Stoneflies. This can be
confusing to those that pay close attention to it.
Technically, there is no such thing as a Little
Black Stonefly. They are all Little Brown
Stoneflies. Anglers call them Little Black
Stoneflies because they are just that-Little
Black colored stonefles. So the bottom line is
that it makes no difference. You should match
the size and color. We are only pointing this out
for those weekend entomologist that are ready
to call our attention to what they would call an
error.
Chloroperlidae Family Little Green
Stoneflies:
The "Little Green" stoneflies exist in the park in
large numbers in a few streams. They hatch in
the summer after many other species have
already hatched. These are usually small
stoneflies that probably average a hook size 16
or 18. The adults of several of the species in
this family are yellow and can easily be
confused with the "Little Yellow" stoneflies but
this is not important as long as anglers
correctly match the size and color
Perlidae Family Golden Stoneflies:
Species of the "Golden Stonefly" family are
probably the most plentiful group of stoneflies
in the park. Most of these are very colorful as
nymphs. Patterns of dark brown and yellow
distinguish them, especially those that are near
maturity. The adults range from a golden dull
yellow color to a solid brown depending on the
species. Imitations of the nymphs can be very
productive prior to a hatch. Most of the egg
laying activity occurs after dark but late
afternoons may produce some activity
especially if low light conditions exist.
Perlodidae Little Yellow
Stoneflies
Species of the Isoperla genus of the Perlodidae
family are usually called the " Yellow Sally" but
several other species are also called Yellow
Sallies, so that depends on what part of the
country you are in. In the Smokies it seems
most anglers call any of the Little Yellow
Stoneflies a "Yellow Sally". The Perlodidae
family is one of two families that make up the
Little Yellow Stonefly group and are among the
most plentiful group of mayflies in the park's
streams. These stoneflies usually hatch in the
afternoons and usually begin to deposit their
eggs late in the afternoon prior to dark and
continue to do for some time in the evening.
This makes it productive in most cases to
imitate the egg laying activity before dark. We
have experienced very good results in the
Smokies imitating the egg laying activity of the
Yellow Sallies.
Peltoperlidae (Roach Flies) Little
Yellow-Summer Stone
The Peltoperlidae family, called Roach Flies,
are also little yellow stoneflies. They are not as
plentiful as the Perlodidae family but do exist in
the park. We have not experienced these in
sufficient enough quantities to cause selective
feeding but we have found many of the adults
and nymphs in several of the streams. Although
they are shaped slightly different (more like
roaches) other imitations would probably
suffice to imitate them should you find them
concentrated.
Giant Stonellies:
Pteronarcella Family: Giant Stoneflies
The giant black stoneflies are plentiful in most
all of the streams in the park. The Pteronarcys
dorsata is common in the park's streams.
These are huge nymphs that live for 3 or 4
years. Trout, especially the large browns, can
be taken on imitations of the large nymphs
during the day during the hatch period, even
though the Giant Stoneflies hatch during the
evenings.
Imitations of the adults fished during the day
are rarely effective. These giant stoneflies hatch
during the night. Imitating the adults is not
effective unless you fish at night and that is
difficult to do effectively in most of the streams.
Spent patterns of the adults presented at the
end of the runs and heads of the pools may be
effective if fished early in the morning just after
daylight.
Summary:
Stonefly nymphs are in every stream we have
checked in the Great Smoky Mountain Park.
Normally, they are very plentiful. Since the
families of larger ones, the Goldens and the
Giants live for 2 or 3 years, they are always in
the streams in all sizes. They are definitely a
very important and abundant trout food in the
small freestone streams of the park. It is true
most of them stay hidden most of the time. Only
a few small species have been found in a drift.
Trout may have a hard time finding one to eat
unless it is trying to crawl to a bank to hatch, or
the stonefly nymph gets careless feeding at
night. There is one thing you can count on,
however. The trout know they are there and they
are ready and willing to pounce on one
whenever they get the opportunity. .
Copyright 2007 James Marsh
population and diversity of stoneflies. The park
may have as many if not more species than any
area of the nation. Most of its streams are
perfectly suited for them.
Importance as Trout Food:
In spite of the quantity of stoneflies in the
streams, they are not the most important trout
food available to the trout because of the word
available. They are not usually available. They
are usually hidden down between and beneath
the rocks and stones that make up the streams
substrate. When they feed, in some situations;
when they molt, in some situations; and when
they hatch in all situations, they are available for
the trout to eat.
Nymphs:
Occasionally, stonefly nymphs get accidentally
caught by the streams current and tumble
downstream. Some, mostly the small species,
are a part in the behavioral drift. It is certainly
possible to catch trout on an imitation of the
nymph at times other than the hatch but may,
on the average, produce less than satisfactory
results.
The Hatch:
Stoneflies hatch out of the water, not in the
water like most other aquatic insects. Most all
stoneflies crawl to the shoreline, rocks or other
objects that are protruding out of the water to
hatch. It is during this migration that they are
most available the trout to eat.
Imitating the Hatch:
You should imitate this behavior by retrieving
your nymph imitation on the bottom towards the
bank. Fishing from the bank and retrieving your
fly back to shore is usually more effective than
the typical nymphing on the swing and high
sticking type methods are. Keep in mind that
the stoneflies move to the quitter water along
the shore or pockets where rocks extend out of
the water as opposed to crawling out of fast
water. You want to fish the calmer portion of the
water that is adjacent to the fast water in which
the stoneflies live.
Adults:
Stoneflies live for a relatively long time out of the
water. The mate out of the water. Unlike
mayflies, for example, stoneflies can eat and
drink as adults. Just because you find a lot of
stoneflies in the bushes and trees along the
banks of a stream does not necessarily mean
you can catch trout on an imitation of the adult.
The only time the adults are going to be
available for the trout to eat is when the females
are depositing their eggs.
Egg Ovipositiing:
Most stoneflies deposit their eggs during the
night but some species do so during the
daylight hours. All of them prefer to deposit their
eggs during low light conditions. Overcast
skies and rainy days may offer some
opportunities for anglers to catch trout on
ovipositing stoneflies.
Stonefly Families:
There are nine families of stoneflies in the
United States. All nine families are found in the
park's streams. Unlike caddisflies and mayflies
it is usually not necessary to determine these to
any level below the family level. With only a very
few exceptions, there is very little difference in
the genera of the families. Most all of them are
about the same size and shape. The colors of
the nymphs and the adults within a family can
vary within the family. The best way to choose a
fly to match them in the event you are unable to
identify a hatch is to catch one of the adults and
match it but this is not legal in the park. If you
have patterns of the type we recommend, then
you would have a fly to match them. You can
find the adults by checking the bushes, trees
and grass along the stream side for the
stoneflies. The nymphs are also easy to
acquire. They can be found clinging to the
bottom of stones. Normally, you can pick up the
stones from the bottom of the stream. Picking
up and moving rocks is illegal in the Great
Smoky Mountain National Park. Do not keep
any of the adult insects you find. It is illegal to
kill or to collect them from the park.
Capniidae Family Little Brown or
Black Snowflies
This family of stoneflies are present in the
park's streams and may be observed during
the winter months. They represent one of the
few species of aquatic insects that emerges
and is available to the trout when the water is
extremely cold.
Although these are classified as "Little Brown
Stoneflies" for the most part, they are black.
Most anglers refer to them as "Little Blacks"
and some as "Little Winter" stoneflies.
Trout can be taken on nymph imitations of the
Snowflies but imitations of the adults are rarely
productive. Trout are not very prone to rise to the
surface to eat the egg laying females on the
surface in the very cold water that usually exist
when they hatch.
Leuctridae Family Little Brown or
Black Needleflies:
This family of stoneflies is very prevalent in the
park's streams and especially so in the higher
elevations although they are present at all
elevations. They are most plentiful in the late
summer and fall months of the year. They are
abundant up until very cold weather occurs.
They can usually be found during the months of
August through December.
Many anglers confuse these small stoneflies
with caddisflies because in the air they look like
brown caddisfleis. They look much larger flying
than they actually are.
They are easy to identify because they are the
only stoneflies that are slim, long and shaped
like needles. They have wings that roll around
their bodies rather than lie flat on the top of their
backs.
They deposit their eggs during the daylight
hours as well as after dark and trout can be
taken on flies that imitate the egg laying adults.
Late afternoons provide the best opportunities.
Nemouridae Family Little Brown or
Black Forestflies:
Taeniopterygidae Family Little Brown or
Black Winter Stoneflies:
Both of these families of "Little Brown"
stoneflies exist in the park and like some of the
others classified as "Little Browns". The adults
are both brown and black and all shades in
between. Both families are so similar that
anglers do not need to be able to differentiate
between them. The minute differences are only
important to entomologist and can only be
determined with magnification.
Species of both families hatch during the winter
or early springs months and usually do so in
fair to large quantities.
Imitations of the nymphs work very well just
prior to and during a hatch. Some of the adults
can usually be found depositing their eggs
before dark. Fish can be taken on the adult
patterns during this time but is not a reliable
method of fishing.
You will find several different species of Little
Black and Little Brown Stoneflies. This can be
confusing to those that pay close attention to it.
Technically, there is no such thing as a Little
Black Stonefly. They are all Little Brown
Stoneflies. Anglers call them Little Black
Stoneflies because they are just that-Little
Black colored stonefles. So the bottom line is
that it makes no difference. You should match
the size and color. We are only pointing this out
for those weekend entomologist that are ready
to call our attention to what they would call an
error.
Chloroperlidae Family Little Green
Stoneflies:
The "Little Green" stoneflies exist in the park in
large numbers in a few streams. They hatch in
the summer after many other species have
already hatched. These are usually small
stoneflies that probably average a hook size 16
or 18. The adults of several of the species in
this family are yellow and can easily be
confused with the "Little Yellow" stoneflies but
this is not important as long as anglers
correctly match the size and color
Perlidae Family Golden Stoneflies:
Species of the "Golden Stonefly" family are
probably the most plentiful group of stoneflies
in the park. Most of these are very colorful as
nymphs. Patterns of dark brown and yellow
distinguish them, especially those that are near
maturity. The adults range from a golden dull
yellow color to a solid brown depending on the
species. Imitations of the nymphs can be very
productive prior to a hatch. Most of the egg
laying activity occurs after dark but late
afternoons may produce some activity
especially if low light conditions exist.
Perlodidae Little Yellow
Stoneflies
Species of the Isoperla genus of the Perlodidae
family are usually called the " Yellow Sally" but
several other species are also called Yellow
Sallies, so that depends on what part of the
country you are in. In the Smokies it seems
most anglers call any of the Little Yellow
Stoneflies a "Yellow Sally". The Perlodidae
family is one of two families that make up the
Little Yellow Stonefly group and are among the
most plentiful group of mayflies in the park's
streams. These stoneflies usually hatch in the
afternoons and usually begin to deposit their
eggs late in the afternoon prior to dark and
continue to do for some time in the evening.
This makes it productive in most cases to
imitate the egg laying activity before dark. We
have experienced very good results in the
Smokies imitating the egg laying activity of the
Yellow Sallies.
Peltoperlidae (Roach Flies) Little
Yellow-Summer Stone
The Peltoperlidae family, called Roach Flies,
are also little yellow stoneflies. They are not as
plentiful as the Perlodidae family but do exist in
the park. We have not experienced these in
sufficient enough quantities to cause selective
feeding but we have found many of the adults
and nymphs in several of the streams. Although
they are shaped slightly different (more like
roaches) other imitations would probably
suffice to imitate them should you find them
concentrated.
Giant Stonellies:
Pteronarcella Family: Giant Stoneflies
The giant black stoneflies are plentiful in most
all of the streams in the park. The Pteronarcys
dorsata is common in the park's streams.
These are huge nymphs that live for 3 or 4
years. Trout, especially the large browns, can
be taken on imitations of the large nymphs
during the day during the hatch period, even
though the Giant Stoneflies hatch during the
evenings.
Imitations of the adults fished during the day
are rarely effective. These giant stoneflies hatch
during the night. Imitating the adults is not
effective unless you fish at night and that is
difficult to do effectively in most of the streams.
Spent patterns of the adults presented at the
end of the runs and heads of the pools may be
effective if fished early in the morning just after
daylight.
Summary:
Stonefly nymphs are in every stream we have
checked in the Great Smoky Mountain Park.
Normally, they are very plentiful. Since the
families of larger ones, the Goldens and the
Giants live for 2 or 3 years, they are always in
the streams in all sizes. They are definitely a
very important and abundant trout food in the
small freestone streams of the park. It is true
most of them stay hidden most of the time. Only
a few small species have been found in a drift.
Trout may have a hard time finding one to eat
unless it is trying to crawl to a bank to hatch, or
the stonefly nymph gets careless feeding at
night. There is one thing you can count on,
however. The trout know they are there and they
are ready and willing to pounce on one
whenever they get the opportunity. .
Copyright 2007 James Marsh
A Yellow Sally or is one of the
more common stoneflies in the
park. The Little Yellow Stoneflies
are in the Perlodidae family.
more common stoneflies in the
park. The Little Yellow Stoneflies
are in the Perlodidae family.
Yellow Sally adults, Perlodidae
family species, normally deposit
their eggs just before dark and
sometimes after dark. Trout can
be taken on adult imitations
during this time. The bottom
side is what the fish see.
Imitations in the spent position
work best.
family species, normally deposit
their eggs just before dark and
sometimes after dark. Trout can
be taken on adult imitations
during this time. The bottom
side is what the fish see.
Imitations in the spent position
work best.
The Needle Fly, Leuctridae
family, is one of the more
plentiful stoneflies in the park's
streams. These small
stoneflies look like caddisflies
in the air.
family, is one of the more
plentiful stoneflies in the park's
streams. These small
stoneflies look like caddisflies
in the air.
Stonefly shucks beside this
dime show the relative size of
two of the park's species. Both
of these were on a rock at the
same time indicating more
than one size of stoneflies
were hatching at that time.
dime show the relative size of
two of the park's species. Both
of these were on a rock at the
same time indicating more
than one size of stoneflies
were hatching at that time.
Giant Stonefly Shucks found
along the shoreline and on rocks
in the streams indicate the large
flies have already hatched.
Unless you fish at night for the
egg layers, you have missed this
hatch.
along the shoreline and on rocks
in the streams indicate the large
flies have already hatched.
Unless you fish at night for the
egg layers, you have missed this
hatch.
Little Winter Stonefly Nymph:
As you can see, these little
nymphs are slim and long with
long antennae (one broken) and
tails. These are active when the
water temperature is in the
thirties and low forties.
As you can see, these little
nymphs are slim and long with
long antennae (one broken) and
tails. These are active when the
water temperature is in the
thirties and low forties.
Site Map (Click on Links)
Abrams Creek Fishing Methods Marine Food Species
Anthony Creek Forney Creek Mayflies Spring
Big Creek Freestone Streams Midges Stoneflies
Beginners Recommended Gear Misc N.C. Streams Straight Creek
Caddisflies Hatches Misc Tenn. Streams Streams
Casting Hazel Creek Middle Prong Little Pigeon River Summer Season
Cataloochee Creek Headwater Stream Middle Prong Little River Terrestrials
Cosby Creek Caddisfly Imitations Noland Creek Twenty Mile Creek
Deep Creek Mayfly Imitations Oconaluftee River Wild Trout
Midge Imitations Other Aquatic Insects Winter Season
Eagel Creek Home PH West Prong Little Pigeon River
East Prong Little River Stonefly Imitations Presentation West Prong Little River
Fall Season Streamers Raven Fork Spring Hatch Chart
About Us Terrestrial Imitations Reading Hatch Charts Summer Hatch Chart
Recommended Flies Links Seasons Winter Hatch Chart
Fall Hatch Chart
Abrams Creek Fishing Methods Marine Food Species
Anthony Creek Forney Creek Mayflies Spring
Big Creek Freestone Streams Midges Stoneflies
Beginners Recommended Gear Misc N.C. Streams Straight Creek
Caddisflies Hatches Misc Tenn. Streams Streams
Casting Hazel Creek Middle Prong Little Pigeon River Summer Season
Cataloochee Creek Headwater Stream Middle Prong Little River Terrestrials
Cosby Creek Caddisfly Imitations Noland Creek Twenty Mile Creek
Deep Creek Mayfly Imitations Oconaluftee River Wild Trout
Midge Imitations Other Aquatic Insects Winter Season
Eagel Creek Home PH West Prong Little Pigeon River
East Prong Little River Stonefly Imitations Presentation West Prong Little River
Fall Season Streamers Raven Fork Spring Hatch Chart
About Us Terrestrial Imitations Reading Hatch Charts Summer Hatch Chart
Recommended Flies Links Seasons Winter Hatch Chart
Fall Hatch Chart
Little Brown Stonefly
Little Brown Stonefly