Red Quill Nymph

Blue-wing red quills are large mayflies, related to western green drakes and very similar, but with brown-olive rather than green bodies in the dun stage. The nymphs have front gills forming flaps that cover the others; these can be lifted to toss off silt. They thrive in waters such as Slough Creek and the Lamarr, in Yellowstone Park, where thunderstorms silt the water. They are important on many western waters that have irrigation problems that reduce populations of other mayflies. Their populations are scattered, but because of their size they're important wherever they're found. I have gotten into heavy hatches of them on marginal trout waters that are almost never fished, but that provide excellent fishing during this hatch. Emergence is generally in late July and early August in the Pacific region, late August and through September in the Rockies. They hatch sometime between late morning and early afternoon, depending on air and water temperatures. Emergences are intense, and usually last an hour or two. You can usually use generic nymph patterns such as the Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear for the nymphs, but you'll want an emerger and dun dressing if you find trout feeding selectively during a hatch. In the rare event you might need a spinner pattern, the same Red Quill Spinner you carry for the green drakes will work.