As promised in the last issue, we will be learning how to identify the various food forms ingested by trout in B C's freshwater environments. Many fly fishers, in their zeal for feeling superior attempt to make this knowledge unattainable to the average angler. It is true that to understand entomology right down to the species level is a pretty complex adventure; however, most of what we need to know doesn't go beyond family identification and understanding a few basic characteristics of the naturals will allow us to quickly identify these critters to the family level in a glance. First, let's identify a number of general facts to make it all easier to understand.

Aquatic insects are identified as six-legged dudes and they have either a 3 or 4 stage life cycle. Three stagers (egg, nymph, adult) include dragonflies/damsels, mayflies, and stoneflies, while those with four stages (egg, larvae, pupae, adult) include chironomid and caddis flies. All insects are comprised of a head, thorax, and abdomen. As the term implies, aquatic insects are water-born. As larvae-pupa or nymph, they abide sub-surface and breathe using gills. When they emerge to adulthood (we refer to adults as flies) they breathe using newly developed lungs. As fly fishers, we imitate the naturals at all stages of life except as eggs.

Following are simple identifiers for the uninitiated to quickly recognize the above mentioned aquatic insects they are most likely to encounter. Please remember that there will be exceptions to these guidelines as this is designed for the neophyte angler to recognize the natural with a high rate of consistency.

Dragonflies: Found in slow moving water or lakes. Nymphs are very large, up to 3" with two small spikes for a tail. The abdomen is large and often wide. Prominent wing cases dominate the thoratic area, and eyes bulge out to the side of the head. Adults look like helicopters and sound like cellophane as they fly through the reeds and bushes. When at rest, the adults wings are out at right angles to their long bodies. Commonly dark brown, wine, or black with lighter mottling on the head.

Damselflies: Related to the dragons but are much smaller in size. As nymphs they are often light olive or tan. The apparent tails are actually three feathery gills. They are long slim bugs with bulging eyes on the side of their heads. As adults, they are identifiable by their wings at rest, which fold, side by side over their back. To the uninitiated, they are often mistaken as a dragonfly, but their wing positioning is a dead giveaway. They are most commonly adorned in florescent blue bodies with wide black ribs.

Chironomidae is the little red and olive worms that live in the muck of mostly calm waters as larvae. As a pupa, they look like a black, brown, or olive worm with a widened thorax where the wing case is situated. These critters are on the smallish side, being imitated on hooks from #8-#28. As adults, they closely resemble mosquitoes. They differ, however in that they have no biting mouthparts and their bodies extend prominently past their wing length. Mayflies thrive in still to rushing environments. With few exceptions, they have three tails, which is the easiest way to distinguish them from other families. These are true tails as opposed to the feathery filaments of the damsels. There can be many different sizes, shapes, and colors, but they are the only aquatic insect with three tails as a nymph. As adults, Mays have only two tails, at which point they become much more distinguishable by their beautiful wings that rest in an upright position, making them look like little sailboats.

Caddisflies are the dudes that build those little tubes of stone or fibers that they live in and drag along or attach to rocks. All of these house builders are caddis. They build them as larvae and pupate in them, leaving only to emerge to the surface as an adult. These pupae can be anywhere from cream to lime green and are much better distinguished by their little condos. The adult caddis looks similar to a brown moth in flight. When at rest, they lie their wings over their back as a tent, and are easily delineated by this characteristic.

Stoneflies are a river critter which as nymphs have two tails-prongs almost which can make them appear as some type of water earwig. They may be up to 2.5 inches long as they crawl over the stream bottom. Adult stones fold their wings flat over their bodies and are known by observing that little habit. They may be brown, black, olive, gold, or even salmon colored. Usually their back is darker than their belley.

Other food forms that are not insects are also important to identify. Particularly scuds, leeches, and baitfish. They are a Stillwater creature. Scuds are probably best compared to little shrimp. These small (#6-#20) little amphipods dart among rocks and weeds and are a trout favorite, especially during non-hatch periods. They can be very light cream or olive in color to almost black.

Leeches look like little eels in the water as they undulate in slow to still waters. They are predominantly dark, with hints of iridescence as well as brown and olive highlights. Forage fish are basically any fish that other fish munch on for sustenance. They include trout, chub, stickleback, and other salmonids.

Understanding the above insects even in lay terms will greatly help the angler to know what they are imitating. Next issue, we will put this info into practice as we talk about choosing the fly and proper presentation to match the hatch.

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