Serratella

NYMPH SIZE: 7-9 mm (1/4 to 3/8 in)

NYMPH COLOR: Dark brown or black with blue or purple tints.

DUN SIZE: 7-8 mm (1/4 to 5/16 in)

DUN COLOR: Wing: smokey gray. Body: brown-olive to red-brown. Legs: cream

SPINNER SIZE: 7-8 mm (1/4 to 5/16 in)

SPINNER COLOR: Wing: clear. Body: darker than dun.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS: Nymphs have three tails of equal length with alternating light and dark bands; light stripe down the back of most nymphs. Duns have cream colored legs. Duns and spinners have three tails.

About Serratellas

Serratellas are not a major hatch on western fly waters, but they can be locally important. They are in the crawler group of mayflies. The nymphs inhabit medium to fast water.

Hatches can begin in July and continue through September. At emergence, nymphs rise to the surface and the dun emerges on the water. Trout may prefer to take the nymphs as they rise, rather than the duns. So observe the hatch carefully and experiment to see what the trout are focused on: rising nymphs, emergers and cripples, or duns.

Spinner falls are in the evening, but are seldom important. If you encounter one you can match it with a Rusty Spinner or similar pattern.

STAGE

PATTERN

SIZE/
COLOR

PRESENTATION

WHERE

Nymph

A. P. Black

16-18/black

Indicator, Tight line, Rising nymph

medium to fast flows

Hares Ear

16-18/dark brown, black with purple mixed in

Indicator, Tight line, Rising nymph

medium to fast flows

Dun

Sparkle Dun

16-18/Body: brown-olive, red-brown

Standard dry fly

runs