Session TWO 1 Life Cycle of Trout 2

Session TWO 1

Life Cycle of Trout 2

Egg Trout eggs have black eyes and a central line that show healthy development. Egg hatching depends on the water temperature in an aquarium or in a natural habitat. 3

Alevin Once hatched, the trout have a large yolk sac used a food source. Each alevin slowly begins to develop adult trout characteristics. An alevin lives close the gravel until it “buttons up. ” 4

Fry Buttoning-up occurs when alevin absorb the yolk sac and being to feed on aquatic insects. Fry swim close to the water surface, allowing the swim ladder to fill with air and help the fry float through water. 5

Fingerling and Parr When a fry grows to 2 -5 inches, it becomes a fingerling. When develops large dark markings, it then becomes a parr. Local schools that participate with Cumberland Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited classroom trout raising project will release the Trout into its natural habitat at the fingerling stage. 6

Juvenile In the natural habitat, a trout avoids predators, including wading birds and larger fish, by hiding in underwater roots and brush. As a juvenile, a trout resembles an adult but is not yet old or large enough to spawn. 7

Adult In the adult stage, female and male Trout spawn in fall and winter. Trout turn vibrant in color during the spawning and then lay eggs in fish nests, or redds, in the gravel. The life cycle of the Trout continues into the egg stage again. 8

The Trout Body 9

Entomology (Bugs) A Successful Fly-Fisher must know about what trout eat. 10

Entomology (bugs) Purpose Ø Show the fly-fisher can use knowledge of aquatic critters Ø Improve fishing Ø Improve fly selection 11

Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Ø Aquatic = pertaining to water l Especially organisms living in fresh water Ø Macro___ = prefix meaning “large” l able to see with naked eye Ø Invertebrate = animal without a backbone l Insects, crustaceans, worms, others 12

What you need to know Ø Trout do NOT speak Latin Ø Trout can’t identify macroinvertebrates Ø Trout know what looks good to eat Ø Trout know what food items act like Ø Trout face upstream. . . l l aquatic macroinvertebrates drift downstream trout eat macroinvertebrates 13

Bug Characteristics Ø Shape – what does it look like? Ø Size – how big or small is it? Ø Color – what color or colors is it? Ø Habitat – where does it live in nature? Ø Behavior – what does it act like? 14

Adults have same Shape Ø Mayfly adults hold wings up like sails Ø Stonefly adults fold wings flat over back Ø Caddisfly adults fold wings like a pup tent 15

Match the natural with size & color variations of the same fly pattern Ø Choose fly pattern style based on type of water to be fished Ø Vary the color & size to match the naturals of the locale you fish Ø Use the appropriate stripping action or dead drift to match the natural’s behavior 16

Flies represent naturals Ø Dry Fly – fished on water’s surface l Ø Nymph – fished on or near bottom l l Ø Adult midge & emerging midge Soft-hackle – fished just under surface film l Ø Larval stage: mayfly, stonefly, caddis, etc. Scud, sowbug (NOT aquatic insects) Midge – fished in surface film l Ø Adult: mayfly (also dun), caddis, stonefly, dragonfly, terrestrial (grasshopper, ant, spider) Pupal stage of caddis & emerging mayfly dun Streamer – fished in water column or bottom l “minnow, ” leech, crayfish 17

Mayfly Life Cycle 18

Mayflies Egg – larva (nymph) – emerger – dun – adult Ø Diverse shapes of nymphs Ø Dun is a pre-adult with wings Ø Adults have no mouthparts or digestive tracts Ø Adult female spinners are susceptible to trout while laying eggs Ø Adult males & females may be different sizes and colors Ø 19

Mayfly larva (nymph) Single set of wing pads Ø 2 or 3 tails (usually 3) Ø Gills on abdominal segments Ø 20

4 mayfly larva body types Ø Swimmers l Ø Crawlers l Ø Mod-fast water Clingers l Ø Slow-mod water Swift water Burrowers l Placid water 21

Behavior more important than fly pattern of mayfly nymph Ø Swimmers in slow-mod. water • Move with bursts of rapid up & down flips, moving from a few inches to a few feet Ø Crawlers in mod. -fast water with weedbeds or rocks with nooks & crannies • Poor swimmers; drift with current while trying to get to the bottom Ø Clingers in swift water, like riffles • Good at staying on or under rocks • Migrates to slower water before emerging as duns Ø Burrowers in placid water • Live in burrows until emerging to surface to become duns 22

Various mayfly families 23

Stonefly Life Cycle 24

Stoneflies Ø egg – larva (nymph) with many moltings – adult Ø Mature larvae migrate to stream edges Ø Known as “clean water” insects Ø Not active swimmers l l Clings under rocks & crevices in swift water May drift with the current, esp. before emergence 25

Stonefly larva (nymph) Two distinct sets of wing pads Ø Always 2 tails – set wide apart Ø No gills or gills may resemble undulating tufts under thorax Ø 26

Various stonefly families 27

Caddis Fly Life Cycle 28

Caddisflies Ø egg – larva (on bottom) – pupa (rises to surface) – adult Ø Live as larvae most of the year l l As pupa one to several weeks As adults 1 -3 weeks (unable to eat) Ø Extremely diverse group, 2 major kinds l l Case-building (most common) Free-living 29

Caddisfly larva Ø Ø Ø No wing pads No tails May have stubby appendages with hooks at the end of abdomen Smallish head; fleshy segmented abdomen Looks like a caterpillar with 6 legs in thorax area 30

Various caddisfly families 31

Midges Egg – larva (2 or 3 moltings) – pupa – adult Ø Life cycle I week to 1 year Ø Abundant and diverse - makes up for small size Ø True flies – have only two wings Ø 32

Midge larva No wing pads Ø No tails (may have knobby protrusions at rear end) Ø No legs apparent Ø Tiny head Ø Elongated, maggot-like shape Ø Segmented abdomen (sometimes with pairs of fleshy Ø knobs) Ø Can’t swim, but grub around on the bottom 33

Midge pupae most important to the fly fisher Looks like a hunched-back midge larva Ø Wings bunched in a dark bundle at the thorax Ø Head barely visible; body tapers Ø May have gas trapped in pupal shuck Ø May have distinct tuft at head end Ø 34

Damsels & Dragons 35

Water Beetles 36

Water bugs Ø Water boatman Ø Water strider 37

Fishfly, Dobsonfly, & Alderfy Larva (Dobsonfly larvae are also known as hellgrammites) 38

Scuds & Sowbugs are crustaceans, NOT aquatic insect larvae Sowbugs flat top-to-bottom Scuds flat side-to-side Fast swimmers – short bursts Poor swimmers – dead drift 39

Crayfish aka crawfish or crawdads 40

Clams & snails aka mollusks 41

Aquatic worms & leeches 42

Relative Size Can you tell what they are? 43

Identify 44

Identify 45

Identify 46

Identify 47

Identify 48

Identify 49

End of Session TWO 50