Ephemerella Subvaria (Hendrickson)
Ephemerella Subvaria, Also known as the Hendrickson. One of the more prolific and reliable hatches of the spring months.
Locations:
–Southern Pennsylvania and Maryland occurs as early as April 7th but normally
toward middle of the month.
-Southern Appalachia beginning of the month of April to the end of the month.
-Poconos and North Pennsylvania April 28-May 8.
–Catskills May 10-20 is the peak
-Adirondacks and North New England May 20-30 is the peak
-Midwestern waters late April-may
-AuSable and P.M. Areas. 1st. week may.
Ephemerella Characteristics:
-Feeble Legs as a nymph
-Dark brown almost black.
-Influences amber and/or olive
-6th, 7th abdominal tergites wholly pale (5th partially)
Habitat:
Ephemerella species enjoy gravel bottoms in slow meandering streams. They
also live in gravelly riffles, slick runs, and eddies of pocket water in faster water
such as Freestone Mountain streams!
Emergence:
Ephemerella Subvaria nymphs start their rituals of emergence in the afternoon.
the nymphs swim up with a peculiar wiggle. Once they are up in the water column
they drift in the current for a time (vulnerable for trout) and escape their shucks
under surface film. They often swim back to the bottom and repeat ascent several
times before they are able to escape their shuck.
Hatch Info:
Subvaira Nymphs hatch when the water temps. Is around 50-55 degrees F.
Daily hatches are often very reliable weather permitting. The hatch can start any
time between noon and 6pm in the afternoon but the prime time is 2-4 in the afternoon. Around 4-5pm the spinner fall starts. Subvaria nymphs enjoy normal spring weather. If the weather is to hot the hatches can be delayed until the evening for the water to cool. In cold weather the subarea will hatch during the warmest part of the afternoon.
Flies to use:
Comparadun- Dun Stage (#10-#14)
Red Quill- Male (#10-#14)
Hendrickson: Female (#10-#14)
Tricos often are one of the heavier hatches during the summer months. I have seen trico hatches lasting from 9:30 until 12:00 where every brook trout in the stream was out feeding on them. If you have ever experienced a hatch such as this you would know that there are so many fish rising it is hard to pic which one to cast too! When the tricos are emerging it is fairly easy to catch fish (if you can see your fly) When i fish the emerging tricos i usually use a size 24 parachute pattern. It gets slightly harder when the fish start to take the spinners because there are so many on the water the trout just start to porpoise when eating them. When that happens you need to select the fish to cast to and then time it so your fly goes over him when he rises. Because there are so many trico spinners in the water when the fish rises he usually gets a few Trico spinners!
The Barbless Hook 