Needhami Fly ?

[Eagle Claw]

What the heck is a Needhami ? If you fish the Farmington the hot fly right now is the Needhami and it lasts throughout the summer. I stopped into two shops in the Roscoe area and asked about this fly and they never heard of it. I told that to the shops in Ct. near the Farmington and they could not believe the Roscoe area shops never heard of it.

 

[dcabarle]

These are Needhami: (The last one is actually, Needhami. I labeled it incorrectly)

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[Harry]

EC;

Try this,

http:flyfisherman.com/northeast/jpfarmington/index2.html

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[Eagle Claw]

Thanks for the pics, are these found in New Jersey,Catskills or Pa ? Are they some kind of olive ?

 

[dcabarle]

These were found in Catskill streams.

 

[Taxon]

Eagle Claw-

Ephemerella needhami, sometimes simply referred to as a Needhami, is also called Bluewinged Red Quill, Chocolate Dun, Chocolate Spinner, Dark Hendrickson, Little Bluewinged Red Quill, and Little Dark Hendrickson.

You might have better luck by asking for Dark Hendrickson imitations.

 

[dcabarle]

These are considerably smaller than Hendricksons. I've seen them called Chocolate Duns. Red quill patterns imitate Hendricksons and would be too big. The colors are right though. If you can find these patterns in size 18, you should do ok.

Tie them yourself too. Get some size 18 hooks, a little maroon / purple / mahoganny doubing, tie on a CDC wing with a little shuck on the end and you're all set.

 

[Eagle Claw]

I dont know about asking for Dark Hendricksons, the shops in the area have these Needhami in very tiny sizes like 26 with cdc wings and they get smaller from this point to season end.
I just have never seen this fly in Catskill shops, yet it a the major hatch this time of year on the Farmington. I wonder if they would be big producers in Catskill streams ?

 

[dcabarle]

I've seen them the same size as the Pseudo's, so I was probably a bit wrong with the 18. Probably closer to a 20-22. I've caught many fish using little mahoggany spinners on Catskill streams. You can't go wrong!

 

[RedTag2000]

I've seen them the same size as the Pseudo's, so I was probably a bit wrong with the 18. Probably closer to a 20-22. I've caught many fish using little mahoggany spinners on Catskill streams. You can't go wrong!

Aren't those also called rusty spinners? Those tend to produce well throught the summer..

 

[theartoflee]

Dennis,

I looked at the three pics of the bugs and was wondering are all three the same species and if so why does the bottom bug have only two tails? Or am I just not seeing the third tail...

 

[dcabarle]

You're just not seeing the third tail, but it's there. Zoom in on it.

Rusty spinners are different than mahaganny. Completely different color.

 

[jholland]

Needhami

Eagle Claw,
I was curious about your question so I did a little research with the help of my old friend Les. The E. needhami is as Dennis said known as the Chocolate Dun. In NJ, it begins to hatch around June 15th and ends by June 30th so it isn't particularly a long hatch here but it could assume greater importance elsewhere as it seems to. Les has the nymph listed as a Pheasant Tail #16-18, the emerger as a Dark Baetis or Mahogany Sprout #16-18, the dun is either a Red Quill #16 or a Brown Quill #16-18, the spinner should be a dark Rusty spinner #16-18. I would also think that a Pheasant Tail Parachute #16-18 would work well up there as it did for me down here. It prefers moderate currents as opposed to roaring rapids according to Les' notes. The effects of a tail water fishery on this insect are unknown to me but it may prolong hatching activity so there you go. I also agree with Dennis that any Iso colored fly of that size should work although I would add brown dubbing to any commercial claret, the usual base for a dubbed Iso pattern. I also checked Caucci and Nastasi's Hatches II and the information is basically similiar. Ephemerella nymphs are known as weak crawlers so they'll be on the bottom in moderate currents. They make an extended undulating approach to the surface. This makes fishing an emerger or unweighted nymph productive in the period usually an hour or two prior to actually seeing duns on the water. As for them getting significantly smaller, I'm not sure but there some dark colored Baetis that are smaller and that may be the point of confusion. Hope this helps. Dennis good job on the pictures as it helped confirm my print resources!-JH

 

[Eagle Claw]

Thanks for all the research, I am going to pick up some the next time I am in Ct., I would love to try them in Catskill streams, I think the fly imitation may be taken for any number of small bugs like midges, olives ect.