» Species morrisoni (Western March Brown)
Common Names
Despite the reputation of Rhithrogena as being the most tenacious of clingers, Rhithrogena morrisoni or Western March Brown has the greatest populations in moderate runs over cobble. It can reach amazing densities in this water type on rivers like the Rogue in Oregon, Lower Yuba In California, and the Henry's Fork in Idaho.
These large flies range between 9mm and 12mm and are the first important hatch of the year. Generally speaking, they have two distinct color phases and hatching periods, with the Coastal states having the lighter version emerging late February through April in lower elevation tailwaters and the darker version in the Rocky mountain states emerging a month or two later. This has led to much confusion as these significant regional differences are seldom pointed out in angling literature.
They offer the western angler some of the finest fishing of the year during moderate precipitation cycles. It's biggest spoiler is high water or early runoff. On many rivers, there is also a fine hatch of a large late Winter stonefly (Skwala spc.) that usually precedes it that helps to get the fish "looking up". It is the West's equivalent of the East's mottle winged Macaffertium vicarium (American March Brown), both in terms of appearance and importance. Primarily due to western fishing seasons of the past that excluded this mayfly's activity, reporting on this species in angling literature is a relatively recent phenomenon. Thus, it lags in tradition compared to the blotchy winged Heptageniidae of the East and Midwest. But given time... Where & WhenRegion: West
Time Of Year (?): Late February to mid-June
Preferred Waters: All types of fast water but best in cobble runs of medium depth fast to moderate flow
Hatching BehaviorTime Of Day (?): Late morning on warm days; mid-afternoon on cool days
The duns leave their nymphal shucks (Shuck: The shed exoskeleton left over when an insect molts into its next stage or instar. Most often it describes the last nymphal or pupal skin exited during emergence into a winged adult.) on the bottom making them the ideal candidate to immitate with subsurface emergers either dead drift or on a controlled swing. With the right conditions, they ride the surface for a long time to dry their wings, often making dun imitations ideal. Regardless, fine dry fly action can usually be found along the margins or in back eddies where large trout often like to leisurely sip their supper.Spinner BehaviorTime Of Day: Same as emergence
Spinner falls may sometimes be important.Nymph BiologyCurrent Speed: All current speeds
Substrate: Gravel
This species is more tolerant of slow water than most in Rhithrogena, but it also does well in the very fast water typical of the genus.
Pictures of 4 Mayfly Specimens in the Species Rhithrogena morrisoni:
Rhithrogena morrisoni (Western March Brown) Mayfly Nymph
View 4 PicturesSize - (excluding tails) - 12 mm
Status at time of photo - preserved, but photographed within days of capture.
W. C. Day, Aquatic Insects of California differentiates morrisoni nymphs by submedian pale dots on tergites (Tergite: The top (dorsal) part of a single segment on an insect's abdomen when it consists of a single chitinous plate (sclerite), or an individual sclerite if the segment has more than one.) 8 & 9, which look to be in evidence. This is one of the "super-hatches" on this river that can be prolific March through April.
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