# What is this bug?



## 18inchBrown (May 1, 2016)

I went fishing Wednesday. I went to a smallmouth spot on the Little Miami. I would have gone to the Mad for trout but the flow was greater than 300 Ft3 and that is high for me. I got to the river around 1100. the weather was beautiful, around 65 deg F. I took the water temp and it was 42 deg F. I knew that was not good for me. I don't have much success with SMB until the temp gets 50 deg +. I was there I fished. Didn't get skunked , I caught a shiner,
These bugs (flies) were all over the water. They looked like they had fluttering, helicopter like wings as they dropped to the surface and flew away. There were no takers from the fish but I saw them from 1100 to 1430. I finally grabbed one and took this pic. It looks like a size 12 and it had a dark body. the wings are dark and light brown and the six legs are pronounced as well as the antennae, It does not mean much for the bass but it probably will for the trout up on the Mad. What is IT?


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I'm no entomologist but if I had to guess, I'd guess some sort of small stonefly. I know some of the creeks and rivers I have fished in WV get an early spring/late winter hatch of small black stoneflies.


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## 18inchBrown (May 1, 2016)

You know you are right. I googled black stonefly and a pic with the folded down wings are what they look like. There was even a mention of fluttering wing stonefly pattern. I have never verified this hatch before. I suppose I don't pay attention to hatches. 
I wonder if this hatch is common all over SW Ohio?


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

If you can find carp actively feeding this time of year stonefly patterns are a good bet. Before crayfish become active I've had good success on patterns like "Pat's rubber legs".
Good luck and good fishing


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

yup your all right, it's a winter stonefly


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## BWW (Oct 28, 2017)

18inchBrown said:


> I wonder if this hatch is common all over SW Ohio?


They are all over the Scioto north of O'Shaughnessy Reservoir. Like you, I have caught shiners on that pattern.


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## jaybird71 (May 31, 2017)

Looks like a Hellgrammite


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

jaybird71 said:


> Looks like a Hellgrammite


That's what I thought too.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

jaybird71 said:


> Looks like a Hellgrammite


I've never seen a hellgramite fly that small, it doesn't have the scary mandibles of a hellgramite and the wings are to parallel to the body--- but the hellgramite is a great fish catcher, at least where I fish.
Good luck and good fishing


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

stonefly for sure.

I have fished a stream in Mid Ohio in early Feb which gets a good hatch of stoneflies with success. They were flying around my head on a sunny 38 degree day. I followed the bugs up until I saw they were crawling out below a riffle. I went to a small stone dry with a black and white copper john dropper. I caught 3 in the next hour from a run the width of a bathtub below the riffle. All caught on the dropper. One of the best lessons trout ever taught me and on Apple Creek of all places. 

I have also seen them crawling out of the rocky in February and early March onto the snow. Steelies like black stone flies but I've never seen them line up like that day on Apple.


Rickerd


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