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[RalphH]

Perhaps my favorite hatch:

a good article by Brian Chan:

https://www.gofishbc.com/Blog/Fishing-Tips/Mayflies-Everything-you-need-to-know.aspx?fbclid=IwAR3ZZwq2p5r6aqCZUhQDOZ24ZTzrw_drNn8ytv13jQU26iD7Ji31NNbyaRc

if  you can fish all aspects of the hatch - nymphs, emergers and duns it's possible to stretch the action for several hours from mid morning to afternoon.

[iblly]

Many years ago while fishing off the dock at Logan Lake there was a hatch of what I thought at the time were Mayfly except they were blue ? Damsels ? It was epic ! In short order my Dads white tee-shirt was blue. Maybe my Dad said they were Damsels ? My memory not the best anymore. Regardless I have never seen anything like it before or after.

[RalphH]

May Fly:



The upright wing, the elongated body and tails at the posterior end (there may be 2 or 3) are distinctive.

Mayflies can vary in size so small they can be hard to recognize to as long and thick as your pointer finger.

Damsel Fly:

[clarki]

I need to improve my skill at fishing the various stages of the mayfly in stream and sloughs.

Twice now I have gone out in the spring armed to the hilt with streamer patterns and found the ct keying in on mayfly.
Western March Brown, I think.

Adapting and learning how to fish the nymph and emerger/adult would make me a better all-around ct angler.

[iblly]

I recall them having more of a mayfly type body. Are there no dark blue or black mayfly ? Whatever they were there were clouds of them.

[RalphH]

I need to improve my skill at fishing the various stages of the mayfly in stream and sloughs.

Twice now I have gone out in the spring armed to the hilt with streamer patterns and found the ct keying in on mayfly.
Western March Brown, I think.

Adapting and learning how to fish the nymph and emerger/adult would make me a better all-around ct angler.

Here's a short video on fishing emergers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9tUyXR3z9c&t=220s

I recall them having more of a mayfly type body. Are there no dark blue or black mayfly ? Whatever they were there were clouds of them.

Yes. The common species of mayflies that hatch on BC Lakes start as a brown or tan color. They float on the surface until their wings dry. At that stage they are called 'duns'. When the wings dry they fly off the water and rest on brush etc. The bodies dry, it becomes dark often a steel or iron blue. The wings which on the duns were dull and speckled become translucent with only some black speckling along the top half. The tails are now much longer. They then fly off and form mating clusters in the air rising and falling from which this stage of their life gets it's name; 'spinners.'

Mayfly life-cycle:



I have a photo somewhere of my son covered with mayflies when we were fishing a hatch on Corbett Lake a dozen or so years ago. Corbett is well known for it's prolific mayfly hatches that happen this time of year.

[RalphH]

I've provided some patterns in this post: http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=43504.0

[RalphH]

I need to improve my skill at fishing the various stages of the mayfly in stream and sloughs.

Twice now I have gone out in the spring armed to the hilt with streamer patterns and found the ct keying in on mayfly.
Western March Brown, I think.

Adapting and learning how to fish the nymph and emerger/adult would make me a better all-around ct angler.

There is no secret beyond studying the presentation and having patterns that will suit the situation. Beyond that you need to fish mayfly hatches. If you fish rivers that have good mayfly populations you are more likely to make that connection, You could go quite some time before the next time you locally encounter a March Brown hatch with cutthroats feeding. Some streams and areas also have baetis hatches in late winter and early spring. Baetis are smaller and dark gray or iron blue.

[iblly]

Must have been may flys. They had that iron blue colour.