Mayfly

Latin: Ephemeroptera

All mayflies have a life cycle that goes from egg to nymph to adult insect with wings. This type of life cycle is called Hemimetabol transformation. As a fly fisherman we are interested in various stages within this transformation – the nymph, the hatching insect, the adult (called Dun) and spent spinner – the last stage of an mayflies life were it dies on the water with it’s wings spread out from each side of the body.

Many of the mayfly species are simulair in size, shape and colour. Due to this, we as anglers do not need to carry around several hundred imitations in our fly box. Most mayflies hatch during day time, but they lay their eggs during evening and night fall.

A newely hatched mayfly is called a Dun. They are usually brighter in their colours then the adult egg laying female that is called a Spinner.

There are many flies that are supposed to imitate mayflies, but few are actually tied with the real insects in mind. A good imitation that will handle even the most picky trout, has to have the right proportions, silhuett, looks, colours, shape and give the right marks on the surface – J:son’s flies do just that.

It is good to keep in mind that the same family or species of mayfly might have several names depending on country and even districts within the same country.

J:son Match’n Catch - Mayflies

As a flyfisherman you need to know that a hatch always starts at the bottom. A skilled angler will not only carry imitations of Duns in his or her box, but all the stages of the life cycle will have it’s copy in the fly box.

As the hatch usually starts with the nymphs moving around at the bottom before swimming to the surface or crawling up on a plant or stone to hatch, you will need to follow these natural steps. Begin the day by fishing the nymph by the bottom and as the morning progress, start to fish your imitations further up, towards the surface. When you see that the fish is starting to feed on the hatching mayflies, switch to an imitation of a hatching mayfly. Keep on moving in that diretion as the feeding changes. Move on to Duns as soon as the fish starts to feed on these instead, and then end the evening by fishing imitations of Spent Spinners when you see them on the surface.

And do remember, match your fly, it’s colour and size, with the looks of the hatching mayfly.