Mayfly
Also called Ephemeroptera, mayflies
A mayfly is a freshwater insect with aquatic nymph stages that trout and other fish eat in every stage of its life cycle, from nymph to dun to spinner.
- Group
- Aquatic insects
- Category
- Entomology & forage
- Level
- Beginner
- Water
- Freshwater
Last updated
What Mayfly means
Mayflies are one of the main “bug groups” fly anglers talk about on rivers and lakes. The nymph lives underwater, then emerges into a dun, and later molts into a spinner that returns to the water to lay eggs.
On the water, “mayfly” usually means you are trying to match a general body shape and behavior, not a single species name. Mayfly nymphs come in a range of body shapes depending on the group and habitat.
Common mayfly events get their own names in fly fishing, like blue-winged olive, pale morning dun, sulphur, Green drake, trico, March brown, hendrickson, and hexagenia.
Why it matters on the water
Knowing you are looking at mayflies narrows your fly choice fast. It points you toward mayfly-style nymphs (like a Pheasant Tail Nymph or Hare's Ear Nymph), mayfly duns (like an adams or a parachute), and spinners when you see spent adults on the water.
It also changes how you read the river.
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Read next
- CaddisflyA caddisfly is a common freshwater insect that trout and other fish eat in its larva, pupa, and adult stages. Many species live in streams and rivers, and their hatches can drive steady feeding.
- Dry flyA dry fly is a floating fly meant to be fished on the surface, where you can see it and the take.
- NymphA nymph is a subsurface fly meant to imitate an aquatic insect in its immature stage, or a small food item drifting in the current. Nymphs are fished with or without weight, an indicator, or tight-line methods.
- SpinnerA spinner is a dry fly that imitates an adult mayfly after it has mated and fallen spent on the water, usually with wings laid flat to the sides.
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