(Ephemera simulans)
Characteristics
Three tails. Slender body. Yellowish tan to light brown with darker markings. Wings are mottled brown, and heavily spotted.
Timing of Hatches
Mid to late June immediately following the Green Drakes. Duns emerge at or just before dusk. Spinners normally fall about the same time. Some trout will often feed on nymphs or emergers, others on duns, and others on spinners.
Habitat
Very localized in the very slow sections of the Henry’s Fork in Harriman Park, the Gibbon in Yellowstone Park and other waters. Needs slow water with silt bottom.
Comments
Brown drakes are very important on the slow sections of the Harriman Park downstream to Pinehaven. They are classified as burrower nymphs. Nymphs can swim rapidly prior to emergence. The focal point of the emergence moves gradually upstream a day at a time. The overall emergence period is about two weeks. Brown drakes sometimes also emerge in the morning hours.
Patterns
Brown Drake Nymph, Emerger, Cripple, Paradrake, Mike’s Brown Drake, Brown Drake Partridge Spinner
Hook Sizes
10 & 12