Damselfly

Overview

Damselflies (order Odonata) are slender, aquatic insects closely related to dragonflies, common in ponds, lakes, and slow-moving water. Their nymphs are aggressive underwater predators that make up a substantial part of the diet for stillwater trout and bass, while adults patrol banks and vegetation on the wing during warmer months, occasionally drawing surface strikes when they touch down on the water.

Nymph

Nymphs have a slender, elongated body ranging from green to brown, running 1/2 to 2 inches long, with three leaf-shaped tail gills. They're strong swimmers, so movement matters when fishing the fly — a strip, jerk, and pause retrieve works well. Hook sizes: 10 to 14.

Dry/Adult

Adults are told apart from dragonflies by their thinner, needlelike abdomens and by how they hold their wings at rest — vertically and together, rather than horizontally and spread, with few exceptions. The four wings are nearly identical in size, shape, and vein pattern, and the large eyes sit widely separated rather than touching, as they do on a dragonfly. Hook sizes: 10 to 12.

Curated by the IdentaFly fly fishing team.