Hatch

[TheIndian]

Noticed something very interesting when out fishing recently (new to me but I'm sure others have experienced before)...tons of these guys falling from the branches and limbs and any vegetation still present this time of year.
Was I experiencing a "hatch?"... a term I've heard flyfisherman use when deciding what flies might be most effective on trout?

 

[frozentripper]

A guess could be a midge adult (chironomid) but a better closeup photo would be great... the larvae are aquatic and the adults hatch out. Whereabouts are you and what were the temps like... a winter midge hatch would be unusual unless it's south. Is that snow it's on?

 

[TheIndian]

A guess could be a midge adult (chironomid) but a better closeup photo would be great... the larvae are aquatic and the adults hatch out. Whereabouts are you and what were the temps like... a winter midge hatch would be unusual unless it's south. Is that snow it's on?

Midge...ahh yes, heard of that before. But to accomodate for my learning curve, what do you mean by the "larvae are aquatic and the adults hatch out?" Don't the larvae eventually turn into adults? Why would larvae come out of water and adults come out of the trees?

I am down here on the north shore of Long Island and the temps were hovering just about freezing...maybe closer to 40F by the time I saw the hatch. Yes, that snow.

 

[Alan Gage]

I think when people refer to a hatch they usually mean the larvae turning into adults. I'm not sure in this instance but I believe that many times the adults hatch from the larvae in the water, fly into the trees for a few moments of passion, and soon die off and fall back to earth. But not before the females have had time to lay there eggs in the water. Some adult insects don't even have stomachs or mouths. Once out of the water they never eat again.

Kind of seems like a rip off to spend years hiding under rocks in a stream only to have a few hours in the air before you croak. But on the other hand think how amazing it must feel to suddenly climb out of the water, grow wings, and take off flying into the trees where you screw your brains out until you die. It's better than my current prospects.

Alan

 

[frozentripper]

Just to add to Alan's description here is an illustration. All we need now is somebody in a lab coat pointing out the life cycle, egg to larva to pupa to adult, preferably with thick spectacles and a German accent... Ja, chust zink of all za billions and billions of midge larva in za sediments, vaiting to hatch out.

.


Midge larvae will occupy a diverse range of aquatic habitats, they may have hatched out of a shallow pond during a warm spell. Spring, summer and fall is more usual, after larger water bodies warm up.

 

[memaquay]

Ha ha ha, Alan, you crack me up. Hey, how picky are you, might have some potential mayflies, so to speak, for you to metamorphosize with.

 

[Odyssey]

match maker memequay.

 

[Muskrat]

Well Alan, you could always quit canoeing, sell all your stuff, and go to Vegas. Live the bugs life.

Mem, what happens if he's picky?

 

[Alan Gage]

Mem, what happens if he's picky?

I'm holding out for a Green Lacewing with fishnet stockings on its wings

 

[Odyssey]

No Alan, it'll never work. Those girls will never settle down, they're too flighty. (sorry)

 

[TheIndian]

LOL So much for that thread...you guys are hilarious!
And great accent frozentripper haha!
Alan...I'm sure the right gal will come along...just go easy on the deet

 

[TheIndian]

Seriously though...thanks for the info guys!

 

[memaquay]

I knew you'd be a picky fella. The Green Lacewing would never survive the challenging climates of Northern Ontario. I was thinking more along the lines of the Golden Stonefly. A hearty girl that can handle the elements. She might have had a few run ins with the law while in the nymphal stage, and is bound to have a few hatchlings from different dad's hanging around, but all in all, a tough little gal that will prove loyal if treated right during the crucial time when her wings are beginning to flutter. She specializes in short term relationships, but is worth the flight if you can keep up.

How's that sound Alan?

 

[Alan Gage]

Yeah, I guess at this point I shouldn't be so picky. That Golden Stonefly doesn't sound too bad. Maybe a little gangly but I suppose I am too. I'll start keeping my eye out for one. And if it doesn't work out I'll just take her for a nice picnic lunch to a little trout stream.

Alan

 

[snubber]

Noticed something very interesting when out fishing recently (new to me but I'm sure others have experienced before)...tons of these guys falling from the branches and limbs and any vegetation still present this time of year.
Was I experiencing a "hatch?"... a term I've heard flyfisherman use when deciding what flies might be most effective on trout?

Winter stonefly???