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Stonefly Life Cycle

July 19, 2024

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Stonefly Life Cycle

By: Mark Bachmann

Stone flies are a diverse family of insects that are adapted to well oxygenated streams and rivers and cannot survive in polluted water. Stone fly nymphs have fixed gills that can only extract oxygen in clean moving water. If trapped in still stagnant water, they die quickly. Most stone flies crawl out of the water to hatch, usually on rocks or shrubbery. The normal procedure is for stone fly nymphs to migrate to shore to hatch. This activity is attractive to trout and salmonids. Some smaller species will hatch in the middle of the river at the water’s surface much like mayflies. Nymphs like giant stone flies live in the rivers for as long as three years before they hatch into winged adults. They are attractive to trout in several sizes, almost year round.

As the stone fly nymphs grow they must take over a larger territory. The redistribution of these territories usually happens in masses with many aquatic insects changing territory at the same time. This is called a behavioral drift and commonly happens immediately after sundown. The largest behavioral drifts of most stone fly nymphs occur September through May. These mass drifts (or shifts) of insects occur during the twilight hours of the morning and late evening. During these periods stonefly nymphs are moving down stream. Many are caught in the currents and swept downstream out of control. Trout target on these vulnerable treats and will feast until gorged. You need to carry patterns in many different weights to cover different water speeds and depths. The flies we have available will cover all of the subsurface “giant stone fly” nymph activity. There are also patterns such as the Little Golden Stone and the Bead Head Rubber Leg Hare’s Ear that will cover many smaller species as well.

See also 6.5mm Creedmoor for Coyote Hunting? Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Coyote Hunt Hunting Calibers 04 Apr, 2020 Posted By: Foundry Outdoors Is the 6.5mm Creedmoor a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for coyote hunting? The accurate answer is “it depends”. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the 6.5mm Creedmoor is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest coyote. As with anything, the devil is in the details. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the coyote, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the coyote in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on. [Click Here to Shop 6.5mm Creedmoor Ammo]What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a coyote in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically. Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the 6.5mm Creedmoor within the ideal range of suitable calibers for coyote hunting?” our answer is: Yes, the 6.5mm Creedmoor is A GOOD CHOICE for coyote hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. Assumption Value Caliber 6.5mm Creedmoor Animal Species Coyote Muzzle Energy 2300 foot-pounds Animal Weight 30 lbs Shot Distance 100 yardsWhat is the average muzzle energy for a 6.5mm Creedmoor? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a 6.5mm Creedmoor round is approximately 2300 foot-pounds. What is the average weight of an adult male coyote? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male coyote is approximately 30 lbs. [Click Here to Shop 6.5mm Creedmoor Ammo]What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in coyote hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for coyote to be approximately 100 yards. What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the 6.5mm Creedmoor. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the coyote being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.Various calibersA common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether 6.5mm Creedmoor is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest coyote - and to this question, the response again is yes, the 6.5mm Creedmoor is A GOOD CHOICE for coyote hunting. [Click Here to Shop 6.5mm Creedmoor Ammo]This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below. Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting coyote to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. Leave a commentComments have to be approved before showing up Your Name * Your Email * Your Comment * Post Comment

Most anglers are aware of the local hatches of salmonflies and golden stoneflies.Several weeks before the hatch, salmon flies and golden stones will start to migrate to staging areas along the banks. No other occurrence in our rivers and streams will produce a feeding frenzy like the migration of big stone fly nymphs. Even the largest trout find it impossible to refuse a big stone fly nymph fished deep along the bottom. The peak of this activity is the last two weeks before the hatch and we have been fishing these hatches for over 50 years.

Less anglers are aware of the other hatches of stone flies that start as early as February and some hatches are going on in August. These various hatches range in size from less than one-half inch to one and one-half inches in length. Colors range from black to bright yellow, and brown to olive. Some hatches are sparse, but others are measured in blizzards. Most of the varies species create behavioral drifts while nymphs and egg laying flights while adults.

Unlike the better known mayfly and caddis groups of aquatic insects, only the larger stoneflies create mass migrations, or behavioral drifts of nymphs, which meed specific fly patterns. Usually the right size of Gold Ribbed Hares Ear will work. On the average the egg-laying activity is the most attractive part of the stonefly life cycle to trout. Fly selection is usually pretty simple. Stimulator type flies will get you into the game. Use the Chart Below:

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Emergence

Common Name

Body Color

Size

When/How

February-April

Little Brown Stone

Brown to Black

#14 – #18

Dry, Egg Laying, Afternoon

April-July

Skwala

Golden Brown-Dark Brown

#10 – #12

Dry, Target Risers, Afternoon

April-July

Little Olive Stone

Olive-Chartreuse

#14 – #18

Dry, Egg Laying, Afternoon

May-July

Golden Stone, Willow Fly

Golden Yellow- Golden Brown

#4 – #10

All Day, Nymph, Dry

May-July

Salmonfly

Orange, Brown, Black

#2 – #12

All Day, Nymph, Dry

June-August

Yellow Sally

Yellow, Yellowish Tan

#12 – #16

Dry, Wet, Egg Laying, Afternoon

Worth while study in the off-season is Bugs of the Underworld: The Natural History of Aquatic Insects, also: Modern Nymphing, European Inspired TechniquesMany flies that are normally used to match mayfly nymphs also mimic smaller stonefly nymphs. For appropriate nymphs: Stonefly Nymphs, Mayfly and Stone Nymphs For appropriate dry flies:text

Fish long and Prosper!

Stonefly Life Cycle

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