Hecuba

NYMPH SIZE: 15-17 mm (5/8 to 11/16 in)

NYMPH COLOR: Mottled brown

DUN SIZE: 15-17 mm (5/8 to 11/16 in)

DUN COLOR: Wing: smokey gray. Body: olive, olive-brown

SPINNER SIZE: 15-17 mm (5/8 to 11/16 in)

SPINNER COLOR: Wing: clear. Body: olive-brown, red-brown

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS: Nymphs flattened and broad, but not a clinger-type. Nymphs and duns have three tails.

Hecuba dun

About Hecubas

Duns closely resemble green drakes, but hatch later in the summer. Hecubas are locally important, and where hatches occur they are welcomed by fly anglers. That's partly due to the season--mid to late summer--when so many of the hatches are small bugs like tricos. What fly angler can resist a large insect?

Nymphs live in streams sections with moderate current, and are seldom important to anglers.

Hatches of duns can be very productive, however. Dun and emerger/cripple patterns are useful, and trout may be selective on one phase or the other. So observe carefully and determine which one is best to imitate.

STAGE

PATTERN

SIZE/
COLOR

PRESENTATION

WHERE

Nymph

Poxyback Green Drake

10-12/dark olive

Indicator, Tight line

slow to moderate runs

Emerger

Green Drake Cripple

8-12/brown-olive, olive

Standard dry fly

slow to moderate runs

Dun

Green Drake Paradrake

8-12/brown-olive, olive

Standard dry fly

slow to moderate runs