Photo by: Bob SempleThe sun had fallen behind the stunted black spruce as I waded into the lake and began to work line from the reel.
The sink-tip line carried the fly into the black water, and I counted slowly in my head—one thousand, two thousand, three thousand—before I began fishing the fly back in short strips. The first few casts went unanswered, but I was soon rewarded with a solid hit and a nice trout. I had promised my wife a trout for breakfast, so I quickly dispatched and cleaned it before laying it in the moss-lined creel. When I examined its stomach contents, I found a half-dozen brown, hour-glass-shaped dragonfly nymphs
Dragonflies and damselflies belong to the order of insects known as Odonta. The name comes from the Greek “odon,” meaning tooth, and refers to the sharp tooth on their mouthparts, which nymphs use to capture prey. Dragonflies in Atlantic Canada can reach lengths of up to four inches, while most damselflies are about half that size. It is fairly easy to tell the difference between the two. Not only are dragonflies bigger, but when at rest they carry their wings out to the side, like an airplane. Damselflies, on the other hand, perch with their wings held together above their body. The two insects can also be distinguished in flight. Dragonflies fly very fast, and most anglers have seen them buzzing over the shores of lakes or streams. Damselflies fly much slower, and some species flutter like butterflies. Both dragon and damselflies are beautifully coloured in bright metallic blues, greens, and reds.
Although dragonfly adults have a fascinating life history, I don’t consider them important food for trout. They simply fly too fast for most fish to catch, except when the females return to water to deposit their eggs. If you happen to be on the water when this happens, you are in luck, but it can be a real hit-and-miss proposition. Adult damselflies, on the other hand, are much more important in the diet of trout. Damselflies are weak flyers, seldom traveling far from the lake where they hatched, and on windy days they are often blown off their perch on shoreline vegetation into the water where they are soon pounced upon. I always carry a few imitations in my fly box for such days.
It is while they are in the nymphal stage that dragon and damselflies are one of the most important stillwater food items for trout. Both nymphs range in colour from dark green to brown but differ greatly in shape and size. Dragonfly nymphs are easily recognized by their thick hour-glass shape, large eyes, and the absence of a tail. Damsel nymphs, on the other hand, have long, thin abdomens and three paddle-shaped gills at the end of their body. They also have large eyes.
Migration patterns of damsel and dragonfly nymphs are the key to effectively imitating them, and catching fish. Both undertake spring migrations from deeper water, where they over-winter, to warmer inshore areas. Dragonfly nymphs crawl along the bottom using a water propulsion system which moves them forward in short jumps. Damsels, on the other hand, move up into the water column and swim slowly back and forth. Some nymphs spend the spring and summer feeding in the shallows while mature nymphs leave the water and hatch into adults. Both nymphs crawl out of the water onto rocks, logs, or vegetation to hatch. Damselflies generally hatch during mid-day while dragonflies hatch in the evening.
Sink-tip and full-sinking lines or floating lines with weighted flies are all effective in taking dragonfly nymphs down to where the naturals are found. I find fishing the fly back in six-inch strips to be effective. Since damselfly nymphs swim off the bottom at a more leisurely pace, floating lines and unweighted flies, combined with shorter and slower strips, are used. Flies imitating damselfly adults are best fished on a floating line around inshore vegetation, logs, and rocks.
Tying damsel and dragonfly imitations can be as simple or as complicated as you wish. The growing interest in stillwater fly fishing has resulted in a large number of fly patterns, some of which are extremely realistic. However, as with most flies, the more realistic flies are not necessarily the most effective. Two simple but effective patterns which do a great job of imitating dragon and damselfly nymphs are the Carey Special and Woolly Worm. The Carey Special was developed for stillwater fishing in British Columbia and the Woolly Worm has been catching fish for years. To imitate damselflies, both patterns should be tied sparse, and with a tail. For dragonfly nymphs, omit the tail and increase the bulk of the body. Whichever fly you choose should provide an exciting and productive fishing experience.
So next time you are on the water, keep your eyes open for dragons and damsels. They are beautiful and beneficial insects, both to us and to the fish.
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