[Ben Dixon]

Hi All,

If I said to you, "there were Mayflies on the water" what would you think I meant.

Will, say nothing 


Cheers

Ben

[Mike Barrio]

Early in the season, locally, on a river ......... I'd probably think that you'd seen March Browns.

I take it this is some kind of trick question Ben

Cheers
Mike

[Ben Dixon]

Hi Mike,

Not a trick question, just interested in what others think about the term.

If someone said to me,"Mayflies", I would presume they meant Mayflies and the term refers to three specific insects.  March Browns are March Browns.


Cheers

Ben

[Sandy Nelson]

If someone said to me,"Mayflies", I would presume they meant Mayflies

I would too, but I'm also used to referring to all upwings as generic mayflies (as that seems to help most people identify and upwing) and then sub dividing it into March Brown, LDO, BWO, Olive Uprights, Yellow May etc.
I guess ephemeroptera is a bit of a mouthful in general conversation

So I probably do both, depending on whom I'm talking too

Sandy

[Iain Cameron]

If I said to you, "there were Mayflies on the water" what would you think I meant

Having read a few US-produced books, I'd think you probably meant generic upwings as 'mayfly' seems to be an acknowledged fudge for ephemeroptera. - I usually say 'err, looks like an olive thing' to obscure my lack of detailed knowledge/poor eyesight...

[Irvine Ross]

If you delve into back issues of FF&FT you will find the Oliver Edwards has a lot to say about this subject. If I remember rightly he and the lads 'oop north' use mayfly as a generic term for all upwings. The genteel lot from the chalk steams only regard one species as 'mayfly'. So "mayflies on the water" could mean anything. 

Irvine

[Hamish Young]

Hi All,

If I said to you, "there were Mayflies on the water" what would you think I meant.

Will, say nothing 


Cheers

Ben

I'd think you meant you were on  a loch somewhere in Assynt 

Mayflies have always been Mayflies as far as I am concerned. The word never has been a generic term for up-wings in my fishing vocabulary but I can see how it would for some folk for the frequent generic use of the term/word in some articles; particularly those written by American writers. Initially I was confused by the use of the term, then understood what they meant, ignored it and carried on referring to Mayflies as Mayflies.

It's not a term I associate with anglers in Scotland when referring to anything other than Mayflies, I don't recall anyone talking about Mayflies and meaning something else.

H

[Marc Fauvet]

to me its Ephemeroptera. if you mean to say Danica, then just say Danica.

[Sandy Nelson]

Its funny you brought it up as I was speaking to an American on Thursday and he kept referring to them as 'Mayflies' I did explain the difference but it was lost even though he could identify the fact that Olive Upright, LDO and BWO were all different mayflies , Nice guy though

I've always heard the old Don fishers refer to them all as mayflies, equally my Grandad a Wearside fisher always referred to them all as Mayflies, It confused me when my addiction started as the books only ever listed the one 'Mayfly'. I guess its a bit like Hoover syndrome, for the uninitiated all similar bugs get branded with the most famous one.

Incidently the Don fishers also refer to the Yellow May duns as Yellow Sally's, this used to confuse me as well until I figured out what they were talking about

Sandy

[Rob Brownfield]

To me there is only one Mayfly, as described by the late great Jack Hargreves.

[Richard Tong]

Myself and everyone I know, use the term 'upwings' BUT never mayflies as a generic term. Either that or more often we use the actual common anglers name, such as large dark olive, olive uprights etc.

As to folk down South...not sure. Most anglers with a working knowledge of upwings I would imagine will be the same and will not use 'mayfly'as a generic term.

Richard

[Marc Fauvet]

its not just an american thing, Sandy. the generic 'mayfly' term seems to be readily accepted in a lot of other countries and continents. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfly
it simply designates the Order of the insect. after that, suborders can be used to differentiate when necessary.

while we're at it, if one's going to go all anal about this one, it might be better to name it the Gregorian Mayfly or switch over to Junefly... 

[Andy Wren]

Myself and everyone I know, use the term 'upwings' BUT never mayflies as a generic term. Either that or more often we use the actual common anglers name, such as large dark olive, olive uprights etc.

As to folk down South...not sure. Most anglers with a working knowledge of upwings I would imagine will be the same and will not use 'mayfly'as a generic term.

Richard

Having been darn south most of my fly fishing life the danica is the mayfly ,indeed it is the only latin name that sticks with the last few grey cells .All the other upwings get classed in my mind by size and colour .
Should be on the lambourn soon having won a day in one of the Monnow rivers trust auctions .Should be a duffers day specially fishing with these

[Ben Dixon]

Myself and everyone I know, use the term 'upwings' BUT never mayflies as a generic term. Either that or more often we use the actual common anglers name, such as large dark olive, olive uprights etc.

As to folk down South...not sure. Most anglers with a working knowledge of upwings I would imagine will be the same and will not use 'mayfly'as a generic term.

Richard

Exactly as I see it too. 'Mayfly' refers to a specific upwing fly just as Olive upright refers to another and not all upwing species are present in all places and habitats.

Cheers

Ben

[Will Shaw]

I would too, but I'm also used to referring to all upwings as generic mayflies (as that seems to help most people identify and upwing) and then sub dividing it into March Brown, LDO, BWO, Olive Uprights, Yellow May etc.
I guess ephemeroptera is a bit of a mouthful in general conversation

So I probably do both, depending on whom I'm talking too

Sandy

Just so. S'not complicated.

W.