Ephemeroptera · Leptohyphidae

Tricos

Tiny morning mayflies on flats and slower water. When the spinner carpet is down, trout can get selective — bring small tippet and patience.

Taxa: Tricorythodes spp.

Bait lens

Spinner carpet + sipping trout on a cool morning flat = go. Hot water ethics still rule.

Life stages

Mayfly path: egg → nymph → dun → spinner. Adults are minute; spinner falls on calm morning flats are the famous window.

Coming soon Photo pending confirmed nymph ID

Nymph — Small dark nymphs; often overlooked until the rise starts.

Coming soon Photo pending confirmed dun ID

Dun — Brief; many mornings jump straight to spinner talk.

Coming soon Photo pending confirmed spinner ID

Spinner — Morning flats — the classic Trico meal.

When it matters in the Southern Apps (NC–VA)

High summer (Jul–Aug) mornings on flats — spring creeks and suitable freestone/TW slow water. Ethics-critical months on freestones; prefer cooler water.

Matching artificials & techniques

Mimic the stage the fish are eating — size and silhouette first. Patterns are common SE shop language, not a brand list.

Nymph

Tiny Pheasant Tail, Trico nymph (#20–24)

Fine tippet, delicate drifts ahead of the rise.

Spinner

Trico Spinner, Double Trico, CDC spinner (#20–24)

Morning slicks; watch for sipping rises, not splashy takes.

Sources: Tricorythodes life history; SE calendar morning-on-flats tip. Stage photos: Coming soon until taxon-confirmed imagery. Regional note: Taxonomy and stage language follow standard aquatic entomology (Ephemeroptera / Trichoptera / Plecoptera / Chironomidae). SE timing is a regional prior from the hatch calendar — confirm with thermometer, seine, and local shop/agency charts.

SE hatch calendar All bugs Life-cycle basics

More in the guide: BWO · Midges · Caddis · October Caddis · Sulphurs · Quill Gordon