Characteristics:
During the larval stage, which commonly lasts anywhere from 1 to 3 years, golden stoneflies spend the balance of their time using their powerful legs and low center of gravity to cling to the rocky bottoms of small to large rivers and spring creeks with moderate to fast flow rates.
During its nymph life stage, these crawlers are most commonly found in the medium to fast water of riffles and higher energy current seams. Prior to and during a hatch, these medium-to-large sized nymphs can also be found in low energy backwaters, eddys, and other shallow streamside environments. Golden stonefly nymphs thrive among the cool, well-oxygenated water of rocky riffles and these nymphs are most vulnerable to trout when they are either swept up by strong currents or when they leave their rocky homes to hatch into winged adults from the safety of the shoreline.
Their swimming ability is quite weak and these nymphs expose themselves by making adventurous crawling trips away from safety just before emergence and subsequent on-land hatching. Golden stones are an important hatch on many rivers in North America, and in the west, they are often associated with the prolific hatches of the giant salmonfly, which generally precede the hatches of the golden stonefly. These easily distinguishable nymphs are available to trout throughout the waters of North America on a year-round basis and commonly hatch from morning to evening hours.
Fishing Tactics
Standard nymphing tactics are the best way to imitate the golden stonefly nymph. Try high sticking or dropping this nymph under an indicator and focus on fishing the edges of color change, current change, or fishing the banks.
Green Drake
Drunella grandis and doddsi are large, olive green to brown mayflies commonly known as the western green drake. The species is famous on trout rivers in western North America for its prolific hatches in faster, rocky water. During the larval stage, western green drakes thrive in the well-oxygenated water of medium to fast riffles and current seams. These crawling mayflies require lots of rocky structure, debris, and vegetation to remain comfortable in their environment. The western green drake follows the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle and hatches during the summer months of June and July with often quite intense emergences.
There is a species of mayfly found in the rivers and streams of the northeastern United States that also bears the name “green drake.” These eastern green drakes (Ephemera guttulata) are relatively large burrowing nymphs that are similar in color to the western green drake, but display a lighter tan or white abdomen. Eastern green drake activity has gained a reputation in some eastern fishing circles as an “epic hatch” but this prolific emergence is highly localized, rendering the species an important one, but not an integral one to an eastern fly angler’s overall success. The eastern green drake dun molts to the famous coffin fly spinner, a beautiful mayfly with dark, patterned wings and a bright white body.
We have been fishing Hatch since the very beginning of their existence. It must have been 2005 or 2006 when we met John with his first prototype reels. Hatch Fly Reels has always had exemplary products and service which is why you will find them on our shelves and on our rods. Hatch has become the go to for our beach anglers who put reels through the ringer more than any type of fishing. Day in and day out Hatch Fly Reels deliver like no other reel. Made and serviced right here in California, Hatch Fly Reels are a no brainer for any west coast based angler.
Our Favorite Hatch Reels are Hatch 3 Plus Mid Arbor (as a 5wt), Hatch 5 Plus Mid Arbor ( as a 7wt), Hatch 7 Plus Large Arbor as an 8wt, and Hatch 9 Plus as a 7/8wt Spey Reel.
I'm sure your favorite angler has boots and waders, but this is a place where 1 pair will rarely do. Steve Adachi has often preached to the young shop rats 'if you have one you have none.'
Best Lightweight Boot: Patagonia Forra Boot. They are lightweight and durable, and they are a great pair of boots for anyone looking to save weight or looking for a grippier rubber sole.
Grippiest option: The Simms Powerlock borrowed from technology from the golf world, allowing large metal pucks to be installed onto a sturdy mountaineering-style boot. I love mine, and lets face it no one likes to fall on their arse.
At last, another well-selected fly box for their favorite fishery is sure to put a smile on their face. The budget for this is highly customizable. from stocking stuffers to the extravagant boxes we have built that are complete hatch lifecycles of nearly every bug an angler might come across, all labeled and organized. What a gift! We can design them for any angler.
There are a few categories in which N + 1 is the number you should have. Forceps, headlamps, nippers, and pocket knives with corkscrews are in that category. If you are looking for a cool tool, the Loon Trout Pliers are an epic addition to any angler pouch. While talking pouches, we love things you can put in. So the Simms dry Creek pouch and Patagonia Packing Cubes are incredibly useful organizational components.
Gloves — they have a way of disappearing. I've added a pair of leather gloves to my glove box, and they have been a welcome sight on many cold mornings. The Simms or Filson wool half-finger gloves have been another stand-out winner in my fishing gear pile.
Simms Driftless Wade Pant: A jogger-style pant that is incredibly quick to dry and comfortable.
Skwala and Orvis also off some great options in quick-dry fly fishing pant category. And for the cold weather angler the Patagonia R2 pant is a total winner!
The Simms Bulkley Jacket is really unique in the fly fishing world as a waterproof and insulated jacket. The most impressive aspect is the very comfortable neoprene cuff. For an ultra light and stretchy packable option the Skwala Carbon line is bonkers good!
Every year, customers come to the shop asking for gift ideas for their favorite angler. Aside from the beginning anglers, the common theme is that this person has everything. While I have enough fishing equipment to outfit a small army, I'd still be elated to find a few items under the tree.
Books: Books are something I've always been very grateful to receive. Here is list of my top recommendations:
Fly Fishing for Trophy Striped Bass: A beautifully photographed and organized text dedicated to the habits and behaviors of large Striped Bass.
Life amongst the Modocs: An unreal tale western gold, genocide and rebellion. Taking place on the Klamath, Upper Sac, and ending on the Pit River, this book was a favorite of the late Craig Ballanger.
The Believer: A follow-on to David Coggins' revered optimist.
Corbina Diaries: Signed by the talented angler and artist Al Q, Corbina Diaries is a tribute to a famed SoCal native.
River Songs: By the former editor of the fly fish journal Steve Duda river songs is meant to read aloud and admired.
California Fly Fisher: Recently revamped as a magazine, the latest copy of California Fly Fisher will be sure to please any western angler.
Tops: I wear my Simms Hybrid jacket daily. I love the weight, reduced bulk, and the double breast pockets on fishing trips.The Patagonia Fitz Roy Nano puff hoody definitely wins in the 'cool factor' category in the Carhartt-esque colorway.
Skwala has launched two merino hoodies that are absolutely badass, the lightweight 150 would work as a sun hoody or a base layer while the heavy duty 350 is the wool hoody I've always wanted on steelhead trips. Don't slee
If you are looking for a cooler factor, peep the Howler Brother lineup. Other notable items that receive much love and attention in the shop are the Patagonia Insulated Fjord Jacket and their teddy bear-like Retro X jacket.
What does a designer of cutting edge bike parts have to do with fly fishing reels? How about that one word, DESIGNER? Plain and simple, The Waterworks Lamson is a team of sophisticated product designers, materials gurus, and engineers who know loads about what makes good things work while holding a greater than average interest in fly fishing. It was only a matter of time for The Waterworks Lamson team to enter the fly reel market, and when it came time for them to design a better fly reel, the basic goals were clearly understood. It was understood that a Waterworks Lamson fly reel's looks were going to be over the top, it was understood that it would be designed for lightness, and it was understood that it would be designed for rugged use. At the center of the entire lineup is a conical drag system that maintains a silky smooth action while rapidly dissipating friction-induced heat. With a true large arbor design and some funky, razor's edge looks throughout its lineup, from the ULA Force to the guru, The Waterworks Lamson fly reels have certainly set a very high bar for others to reach.
Catching fish on the swing is hard enough, but having proven flies certainly can help you keep confidence in your swing. These proven flies are what you will find in LCO's owner and steelhead junkie, George Revel's fly box. In California, Kamchatka, Alaska, BC, and Washington and Oregon, these flies have been proven to work.
Lost Coast Outfitters believes in using the best possible products when you have the opportunity to be on the water. Loon Outdoor Fly Fishing Products delivers the highest quality products with an environmental awareness that we admire.
That is what fishing with a conscience is all about; ascribing value to the health of the water we fish. We develop our products with these values in mind and make sure they are safe for fish, fisheries, and fishermen, without ever compromising quality or performance.
By offering reusable and biodegradable weights and indicators we make sure lost tackle doesn't harm wildlife. Our floatants, sinkets and cleaners are solvent-free and consist of water-soluble components that perform without polluting the water. And our tying paints, cements and wax are non-toxic and odorless, to keep tying benches free from harmful fumes.
Lost Coast takes pride in stocking the best flies on the market, handpicked for their construction and craftsmanship. If you don't see the box you want, or you're looking for the perfect gift, feel free to reach out to us directly and we'll put something together for you.
Wherever you're fishing, we've got you covered. Alaska, the Bahamas, BC, or the California coast – let us get you stocked up on flies.
Fishing Tactics:
Traditional Dry Fly tactics. Casting upstream and keeping a tight line to your fly as it drifts down. Focus on edges and clean drifts.
Photo by nrmiller
After hatching into winged adults, March Brown duns will flutter to nearby foliage and vegetation prior to mating. After emergence, males will create large mating swarms above faster riffles and females will fly into these clouds of sexually mature males. After the females are fertilized, they will deposit their eggs on the surface of the faster water. Both males and females will fall as spent spinners to the surface film, some will float high on the water and others will be swept below the surface. The Spinner will have more color on its body and also will have clear wings. Falls of March Brown spinners can be very thick and when the water is thick with these spent bugs, trout rise feed voraciously on the surface.
March Browns usually start to pop off right around the first week of March and generally around the early afternoon regardless of weather conditions.
In the hours leading up to emergence the insect develops a gas bubble in thorax that helps to propel them up to the surface. They release their grip form the bottom and start to drift downstream in the current on their trip to the surface.
Once they reach the surface they secure themselves in the surface film and emerge out of their exoskeleton where they must wait for their wings to dry before they can fly away. This is another stage in which these bugs are extremely exposed to fish. You can expect to see gentle sipping takes from fish when feeding on emergers.
Fishing Tactics:
Traditional tight line nymphing or nymphs under an indicator still work for this stage but I prefer to swing emerging patterns. Keeping a tight line casting downstream at a 45 degree angle and letting the current move your flies across the run produces a very similar movement to the insect swimming up in the water column and can be extremely productive when done properly.
If fish are feeding on the surface emergers switch over to a dry fly.
Favorite local March Brown Hatch is on the Trinity River. Catching Steelhead on a dead drift dry fly is pretty awesome. Not to mention the river is usually pretty empty. You will want to have March Brown in your box from March through May on many of California's rivers.
Characteristics
March Browns are the first large mayflies of the year to emerge. Members of the clinger mayfly family, March brown nymphs live in riffles and fast, rocky runs. They are very flat and almost triangular in shape with gills protruding from their abdomen. Nymphs are so well adapted to their environments that they are rarely found in drift until emergence.
Fishing Tactics
Traditional tight line Nymphing or nymphs under an indicator is the best way to imitate the March Brown Nymph.
Focus on fast water and make sure your nymphs are on the bottom!
