What Fish Eat

Aquatic insects make up the majority of a fish's diet. The four key insect orders (listed first and not including Streamers or Terrestrials) that emerge from streams and lakes are:

Mayflies Caddisflies Midges Stoneflies Streamers Terrestrials

Salmonflies on Parade

A series of photographs taken of giant stoneflies (salmonflies) can be viewed

here!

Stoneflies

Stoneflies usually spend 10 to 11 months as larvae. However, with different stonefly species it can range from 6 months to 3 years. They typically shed their skin from 6 to 22 times. When the larvae are fully developed, they drift in the stream currents and eventually crawl out of the water to transform into adults.

The larvae target good emergence sites such as bridge abutments, wood debris, fallen trees, exposed tree roots, aquatic plants, and most often, rocks.

Becoming an Adult Stonefly

Once out of the water, they secure their tarsal claws, split their skin from the head along the thorax, and a teneral adult crawls out. (A departed stonefly skin is shown below.)

Most species of stoneflies transform to adults at night to avoid being eaten by predators. They next move to nearby vegetation such as trees where they wait for their new skin to harden. Adults usually live from 1 to 4 weeks.

Stonefly Larvae

Pattern Name	Color	Hook Size
Bead Head Poxyback Biot Golden Stone	White Body	# 12
Bead Head Wire Wrapped Golden Stone	Brown Body with Yellow Wire	# 12
Hare's Ear Nymph	Tan, Brown Body	# 16
Kingrey's Little Yellow Stone Nymph	Yellow Body	# 16
Mercer's GB Poxyback Dark Stone	Black Body	# 16

Stonefly Adult

Pattern Name	Color	Hook Size
Cat Puke	Orange & Brown Body	# 8
MacSalmon	Orange & Black Body	# 8
Stimulator	Fire Orange Body	# 12
Yellow Humpy	Yellow Body	# 12