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754cromero	February 3rd, 2013, 11:50 pm
Posts: 2	Seeing some of the great pictures on this website, I wish I had something better than a point-and-shoot to take the pictures I did. That said, I'm not looking for a species identification, but just want to make sure I'm on the right track (Order or Family is good enough for me) of identifying this insect. The only thing I can imagine this being is a hellgrammite, but it still doesn't have all the spines I'd think of with a hellgrammite. (So, if others concur it is a hellgrammite, why does it not have the spines? age? species?) Other info: it is about 1 inch long, and crawled onto my waders in the Smith River in Virginia. Thanks.
Creno	February 4th, 2013, 1:10 am
Grants Pass, OR Posts: 305	Howdy - this is indeed a larvae - one of the many free-living Rhyacophila species. Probably one of the R. fuscula group but I cannot see enough of the head/thorax color pattern to be sure about which species.
PaulRoberts	February 4th, 2013, 10:56 am
Colorado Posts: 1776	Look up Rhyacophila in Google images and ... off you go: ID, habitat, habits, fly patterns, etc... . Start by searching this site for a lot of great images and discussion about Rhyacophila or just about anything else you could find clinging to your waders or in a trout's stomach. BTW: Welcome.
Oldredbarn	February 4th, 2013, 11:14 am
Novi, MI Posts: 2608	I love this site! Where else can a newbie post an iquiry and have Dave answer it?! Our own favorite caddis bug guy...:) Thanks sir! Welcome cromero! That is a nice photo from a tyers standpoint...Dave is a pro and, as he said, would need more to id to species for you...Close enough if you ask me...I could see a gold bead head with a light olive/celery colored body... You can see why the trout find these critters yummy...That is a good bit of protein for a fish. Anglers...If you are mayfly-opic you are missing the boat...A trout can munch on these all day and never have to visit the dangerous surface and there would be nary a buldge to give him away...Can you spell, "searching fly"? ;) Those steelheaders already know this...See www.defranksflies.com Check out his Kazulen's Caddis. Spence ...and then Paul Robert's to boot! :)
	"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively "Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
754cromero	February 6th, 2013, 4:37 pm
Posts: 2	Thanks for the quick and courteous replies! I did fall in to the trap of thinking (all) caddisflies built shelters. Thanks again, Charles
Jmd123	February 7th, 2013, 6:28 pm
Oscoda, MI Posts: 2611	I believe this specimen is typical of what many fly fisherman refer to as a "green rock worm", and there are many good fly patterns to imitate this group of species. Confirmation from Spence or others? Also, these are net-spinners, no? Welcome to the forum, Charles! You'll find plenty of "bug-nuts" on this site. (Perhaps it should be called "bugnut.com" instead??...at least the way all of the posts are going as of late - not too many of us are out fly fishing so we gotta do something else...) ;oD Jonathon
	No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Taxon	February 7th, 2013, 8:04 pm
Site Editor Royse City, TX Posts: 1350	Jonathan, Also, these are net-spinners, no? Net spinners are in superfamily Hydropsychoidae and look more like this:
	Best regards, Roger Rohrbeck www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
Jmd123	February 8th, 2013, 1:46 pm
Oscoda, MI Posts: 2611	I thought I was wrong - thanks for correcting me. What do these "green rock worms" eat, are they predacious? Guess I could go look it up in Gary Lafontaine's "Caddisflies", I do have a copy... Jonathon
	No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Oldredbarn	February 8th, 2013, 2:39 pm
Novi, MI Posts: 2608	are they predacious? Yes...They have a fondness for black fly larvae...Yum! No? :( Spence
	"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively "Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Taxon	February 8th, 2013, 2:46 pm
Site Editor Royse City, TX Posts: 1350	Hi Jonathan- What do these "green rock worms" eat, are they predacious? Yes, primarily. Among the (~126) Rhyacophila species are predators (engulfers), a few scrapers, collecter-gatherers, shreders-herbivors (chewers) per Glen B. Wiggins.
	Best regards, Roger Rohrbeck www.FlyfishingEntomology.com

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