Really great Mayfly hatch

[dcabarle]

Check out this awesome mayfly hatch!



I remember seeing hatchest just like this one on the Beaverkill. The closest I've come in recent years are caddis on the D.

 

[NJFred]

Great video!... If I were that guy I'd be casting.

A couple of things beyond the numbers of mayflys caught my eye... First the fact that the spinners had grey wings. Most of our spinners stateside have clear wings. Second, the mating takes place very low to the water and in some cases right on it. (where were the fish?). The last thing that I noticed is how after emerging a mayfly literally swam away from the shuck in the surface film. I haven't seen a mayfly do that before.

The hatches I've seen like that were a hendrickson and parlap hatch on the West Branch of the Delaware (simultaneously one year) and the trico hataches on the PA spring creeks.

 

[Taxon]

Fred-

...the mating takes place very low to the water and in some cases right on it.

Although wonderful video, I believe the narration was somewhat misleading. There didn't appear to be any footage of the mating swarms. However it did contain footage of mayflies emerging, molting to spinner stage, and female egg laying.

 

[NJFred]

Now that you mention it... Good point.

 

[T1]

Fantastic video. Truly amazing. I can't remember if the type of mayfly is identified. What is the most similar bug in these parts (drake, hex)?

 

[Taxon]

Fantastic video. Truly amazing. I can't remember if the type of mayfly is identified. What is the most similar bug in these parts (drake, hex)?

T1-

The mayfly featured in the video is Europe's largest mayfly, Palingenia longicauda, which belongs to family Palingeniidae (Riverbed Burrowers). The only North American mayfly species of that family is Pentagenia vittigera, which is found in the NE, SE, and SW.