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Angler's Entomology Podcast


Welcome to the Angler's Entomology Podcast.  On this podcast and blog, I am documenting my re-entry into the world of entomology.   Join us as my wife and I explore the environment in which trout live and the insects and other creatures that live in and share that space.  This is not just a dry recitation of facts, I hope to bring these creatures alive - show you how they live, what makes them fascinating in their own right, and help you understand how they interact with trout in ways that will help your fishing.  So, please join us.  I hope you enjoy the program...

Links:

Selene's Blog and Page for Classic Streamers; and you can finder her interview on the podcast the Liar's Club. 

NEW QUIZ PAGES

I'm setting up a new set of Quizizz pages to help you learn about different insect groups.  I'll be honest - the best way to learn insects is to look at a lot of insects.  So, give these a whirl and don't get discouraged if you do poorly.   Just try again every so often.   The quizzes will be tiered- so they will get more detailed and complicated as we increase in levels.   The first ones are just about learning the different orders.    

This first quiz is about identifying the four major aquatic insect orders

Quiz #2 is a continuation on Mayfly, Stonefly, Dragon and Damselfly, and Caddisfly Orders. 

This Quiz includes other orders of insects that are important to anglers, but is only the adults.  

 

Episode 43: Pics and Patterns for Zebra Caddis

Jun 24, 2020

Hi Folks, Here are some pics and patterns for this episode on the Zebra Caddis.   

Let's start with some of those figures I was talking about in the episode.  This is a picture of the typically dish shaped head of the zebra caddis larva.   This is from Wiggins, Larvae of the North American Caddisfly Genera (Trichoptera).   Note it lists the old name for the genus - Macronema.  

 

Wiggins Zebra Caddis Head

Next, from the same source is a cutaway picture of the case - showing the two chambers and the net used to trap food.  

Wiggins Zebra Case

Lastly, here is a figure from an article (McArthur 2000) showing the variations in how the case is built for Macrostenum carolina. 

OK, let's then talk about the adults.  Here is a nice picture of a zebra caddis adult:

Zebra Caddis Adult

And another - this one was actually taken on a wall on the St. Croix River next to the lights near a dam:

Zebra Caddis 2

In contrast - this is what an alderfly looks like - Zebra Caddis - especially in New England are often called Alder Flies - this this alderfly is in order Megaloptera - related to the fishflies and the dobsonflies:

alderfly

OK, so how are you going to imitate these guys?  For the larvae - I would look at the green rockworm blog - any of those flies would work fine for these.

For the pupa - here is Thomas Ames Jr.'s Sens Pupa from his fantastic book, Caddisflies.  I made some modifications, so here is my version of it:

Body: Olive antron dubbing

Wing: Mallard Quill

Hackle - soft rooster - I've tied it beard style

Head - black dubbing and a bead

sens pupa

One of my favorite overall caddisfly adult imitations is the Goddard Caddis - I love it, in part because it floats like a cork.  Originally it was simply natural deer hair with a brown rooster hackle and stripped quill antennae.  I simply changed the deer hair to give it the striped pattern and lost the antennae.  

 

 

Goddard Caddis

Here is an E-12 or Europea 12 where I substituted the mallard breast wings with woodcock:

Europea12

Body: Brown dubbing

Rib: Yellow Thread

Wing: Woodcock

Head/Thread: Yellow

Chappy's Zebra

And here is Chappy's Zebra Caddis:

Body: Peacock Herl

Wing: Snowshoe Hair, banded with brown marker (natural or orange)

Hackle: Grizzly or Brown

Lastly, for imitating the female zebra caddis after she has laid her eggs, here is the alder fly:

Alder Fly

Which is a simple enough fly:

Tag: Gold Tinsel

Body: Peacock Herl

Wings: Mottled Turkey

Beard: Black Hen

There you go, I hope you enjoyed the episode.