SBR Sulfurs

[bkill]

I was on the SBR all weekend…The bug activity was light with some caddis coming off but not in any real numbers…mayfly activity was almost non-existent…But I did see a handful of sulfurs, so that hatch is about to pop…The Ephemerella Invaria usually hatch during the evening in the still pools or quiet water..The early stage of this hatch may see some mid-day hatches…a few days before the hatch the nymphs will start to migrate from the riffles and runs to the quiet water..Pheasant tails in size 14-16 work well in imitating the nymph…Two days after the hatch, the spinners will drop their eggs over riffles…A week or two after the Invaria, you will see a smaller sulfur, the Ephemerella Dorthea size 16-18…I like to use a CDC sulfur emerger with an antron trailing shuck to fish the hatch…The sulfur hatch is one of the most consistent hatches on the South Branch…Get on the water and enjoy!<o></o>

 

[Agust]

I saw a few sulphers, very few, on the Musky Saturday evening below Hackettstown. Fish were not on them, and it was right before dark. So it should begin within a week or so, which puts things about 2 weeks ahead of schedule on the Musky.

 

[theartoflee]

When these bugs are coming off I like to fish this emerger pattern.

its an easy tie

size 14 2487 or 2488 TMC hook
Amber shuck
Spectrumized dubbing for emerger state of insect.
CDC wing natural color.. no dyed CDC!

:victory:

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I saw a few sulphers, very few, on the Musky Saturday evening below Hackettstown. Fish were not on them, and it was right before dark. So it should begin within a week or so, which puts things about 2 weeks ahead of schedule on the Musky.

I would disagree with you about the 2 weeks comment and I know we've had this conversation before. The Musky sees its first sulphurs most years between May 17 and 19. We are only a week ahead this year. Same seems to be true for the Catskill hatches this year. About 7 - 10 days moved up.

You are the third person to mention you saw sulphurs on the Musky over the weekend, so it looks like it's on now. I have meetings with funders today on the river so will be watching the water while talking. No fishing rods with me though....damn.

 

[JeffK]

Gave a Warren Co stream tour this Saturday and was at a wild brookie limestone stream at about 5 PM when a few sulphurs were coming off. Seemed early, but the limestoners are a touch early. Not many hatching and no fish were rising.

I usually have the first sulphur fishing more towards the middle of May. The problem is that the early sulphurs can come off in mid afternoon when I am at work. As the season progresses the hatch gets later and later so the hatch is after work or even dinner and I get more of a chance. Also as the season goes on more spinners are about for that dusk drop - or even night drop as the season goes on.

 

[trico mike]

Funny thing is were I fish in Pa I usually see sulphurs on mothers day weekend but I didn't see any this weekend only a handfull of these really big yellow mayflies I see them every year but not in great numbers don't know what they are.

 

[bkill]

Two Tails, barred marks on top of wings, about size 14?

Funny thing is were I fish in Pa I usually see sulphurs on mothers day weekend but I didn't see any this weekend only a handfull of these really big yellow mayflies I see them every year but not in great numbers don't know what they are.

 

[ajfromnj]

I saw about a dozen or so this evening at the KLG. I did take two fish on an Invicta wet fly. So that would tell me that the fish are starting to notice them. The nymphing was outstanding today. Green caddis larva and small PTs were the ticket.

The wild fish are extremely fat and healthy this spring. Anyone notice the same? Even the smaller 8 inch ones seem to be more healthy than usual. They are most always skinnier than the larger ones.

 

[JeffK]

Invicta? A few years back I caught a lot of fish during the sulphur hatches on the upper SBR with a Peter Ross wet fly. Never could figure it out since the Peter Ross doesn't look like a sulphur, but you can't argue with success.

 

[Matt Grobert]

That two-tailed mayfly in Bkill's photo I believe is an Epeorus vitreus. The body is yellowish with a pink/orange cast, size#14. Like its early season cousin the Quill Gordon, it is very sensitive to water quality it isn't as prevalent as it once was in NJ. Some years the hatch is better than others. The Delaware has good hatches of vitreus, but because they hatch when so many other bugs hatch in great numbers, they don't get the same respect.

Nice photo, Dan.

Matt ><)))))'>

 

[bkill]

Matt,

Every year, I see a handful of these bugs on the SBR in early May...I always think its a sulfur until I catch one and look a little closer...The thorax has a strong pink tint...I dont know enough about this hatch but seem to run into them in quiet, deep pools...

Thanks Professor

 

[Burtbords149]

A PMD? vitreus?

 

[NJFred]

Sounds like it may be an Epeorus Vitreus. A female! The orange pinkish color comes from eggs in the females body. Trout tend to key in on that color and nothing else will work but a fly with those colors in them. Best way is to tie with orange or pink thread with a thin layer of dubbing over it. Pink Ladies are the old school flies used to imitate these bugs.

Males are a yellow green turning to a darker green quickly. Emergers, which is a bit of a misnomer for this species, need to be almost yellow.

Interestingly they are one of the few may fly species to shed their shucks at the bottom of the river.

 

[trico mike]

Those are the flies I see but probably in a size 12. I also see them during the sulphurs and the trout will eat one if it floats past. My favorite thing is the sound they make when a swallow swoops down and grabs one out of the air SPLATTTTTT.

 

[bkill]

I was on the water last evening and there were noticeably more sulfurs coming off but the fish still were ignoring the duns...I even saw a single sulfur spinner...
The fish were on caddis...Caddis pupa emerger has been hot and fooled a few with a size 16 caribou caddis...

 

[Ryan R]

Funny thing is were I fish in Pa I usually see sulphurs on mothers day weekend but I didn't see any this weekend only a handfull of these really big yellow mayflies I see them every year but not in great numbers don't know what they are.

Aren't those the big sulphurs (E. rotunda I think), often a fat size 14 almost a 12? A few of them appeared this past Sunday on my favorite local PA stream. Not enough for fish to become interested but it won't be too long now.

 

[AKSkim]

That two-tailed mayfly ...

Matt ><)))))'>

Alright.. whats up with that new avatar of yours?

The "fish" looks like something Nanook of the North would carve on his totem pole in front of his igloo...

or BigBow would have painted on the inside on his cave walls.

Besides.. the damn thing looks like it will miss the mayfly drifting harmless along...

How about coming up with a new avatar where you have this giant fish eating commies... lots of blood and gore.

AK Skim
NEFF Avatar Tsar

 

[Matt Grobert]

Alright.. whats up with that new avatar of yours?

The "fish" looks like something Nanook of the North would carve on his totem pole in front of his igloo...
Actually, Nanook's sister, Bananook of the North carved it into a walrus tusk back in 1969, to celebrate the first man on the moon.

or BigBow would have painted on the inside on his cave walls.

Besides.. the damn thing looks like it will miss the mayfly drifting harmless along...
It's not trying to take the fly, it's trying to get a date with a Trico by telling it he has some Corona back at the trout lodge.

How about coming up with a new avatar where you have this giant fish eating commies... lots of blood and gore. I'll speak to Bananook and see if she has the time, right now she's carving a new avatar into a fossilized Corndog for a NEFF member by the same name. I hear that'll have some serious blood and gore.

AK Skim
NEFF Avatar Tsar

As always, happy to keep the Tsar up to date.

Matt ><)))))'>

 

[Dizzy]

Funny thing is were I fish in Pa I usually see sulphurs on mothers day weekend but I didn't see any this weekend only a handfull of these really big yellow mayflies I see them every year but not in great numbers don't know what they are.

Sound like Yellow Cahills (S. interpunctatum) Mike… we get them in small numbers about a week ahead of the first wave of “Sulphurs” locally (Bushkill, Saucon, Martins)… usually not enough to interest the fish though.

Strong hatch on some of the Pocono Plateau streams... Beautiful fly.