Quill Gordons

[JOE.T]

I thought I would put up a little helpful info for the Quill Gordons (Epeorus pleuralis) since they will be hatching before you know it.

They belong to the Family Heptageniidae and are clingers.

They will start hatching when the water temps get to 50 degrees for a few days in a row (April).They require very clean fast water with liitle to no pollution to thrive.Good populations of this species indicates clean water.

The nymphs will be found in fast to very fast riffles and or very swift water with a lot of oxygen.

This species unlike most others splits its shuck on the streams bottom and emerges off the bottom as a dun.As it ascends to the surface the wings are out of the nymphal schuck at a 45 deg angle.

Many guys nymph in what they call "non hatch periods",however this is not the case most of the time; unknown to the angler.Remember when Mayflies begin there hatching process the nymphs can be active for hours leading up to the actual transformation into the dun>So actually your are nymphing to imitate the naturals during a hatch period. This is the same with Caddis.The technique,as well as the size of the nymphs can be important.Hares ears and pheasnat tails in sizes 8-22 will cover just about every mayfly you will encounter in the NORTHEAST.




SUBSURFACE- A geat technique is to work a tanden nymph rig in a good set of riffs.I use a size 14 Hares ear with a bead head as the first fly with a split shot about 8 inches above it, and a quill gordon wet tied about 12 inches off the bend of the first fly.I also use a flymph I came up with which is a hares ear with cdc tied in at a 45 deg angle to the back of the pattern.


Cast the patterns across and slightly up stream from you and mend upstream imediatley,you should mend your line at least 2-3x, allowing the patterns to get to the bottom.After the third mend; your line will now be down and across from you.Let the line now swing until straight.

With this techinique you will imitate both the nymph drifting along the bottom,as well as the Dun emerging subsurface.

This method is exciting and fast pased.And very productive.

For the surface I use a comparadun size 14,epsecially with cold water temps,since it imitates the duns placid and long drift.If the water should get unseasonably warm than a Catskill-fly will usually work better since it imitates the duns getting of the water quicker.If they wont eat either than I use one of my cdc patterns(emerger).

I will present my pattern(cdc emerger) down and across stream but not in a normal fashion,with the fish below me and to my left I will present my fly to the right side of the fish(my left) and about 3-6 feet above the rise and sink it,than allow the pattern to swing into the trouts window,it will pop up like a cork in the feeding zone.You can also allow the pattern to stay wet so as its swinging it stayts right under the film.Either way will often lead to smashing takes.
This technique will obviously emaulate the natural popping thru the surface as a dun,or trying to break through the surface..

A good presentation is a must under any circumstances,however when you imitate what the fish are eating with a good presentation you will have greater success.Epecially in rivers with large wild trout.

MANY Quill gordon patterns for some reason are tied with gray/brown bodies.The actual color of the quill gordons body color is cream/olive.