[Noel Kelly]

Just off the phone from a friend who fished lochindorb yesterday. Rafts of heather fly on the water, up his waders and down his neck apparently. He said he has only seen an explosion of them like this once before. Isn't it awfully early for heather fly? 

[Jim Eddie]

Noel

I would say they are more likely Hawthorns which hatch mid April to mid May , simlar to the Heather fly which normally hatches late summer, both are Bibio something or other

 

Jim

[Iain Goolager]

what colour of legs did they have (and still will have  )

Iain

[Noel Kelly]

This guy has been fly fishing and fly tying for years so I reckon he would know what he saw . In fact he is a member on here so maybe he will add his bit.
 

[Iain Goolager]

This guy has been fly fishing and fly tying for years so I reckon he would know what he saw

Ah Noel!

you didn't say if he was a newbee or not. Although they are about at his time of year I've never seen any great numbers until later in the Summer. That said maybe I'm not fishing highland enough.

Loch Saugh last year was a soup of them late Summer - an absolute SOUP but either the fish were lying on the bottom with indigestion or they much prefered another food source as I only seen the very occasional one taken.

Iain

[Jim Eddie]

Noel

They are very similar and easily mixed up , the Heather fly is Bibio Pomane the Hawthorn is Bibio Marci , if you look at the 2nd picture in the link its tagged as a Heather fly, its actually a Hawthorn. Biggest difference is the red legs of the Heather fly.

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bibio+pomonae&rlz=1R2ACAW_enGB350&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=G3HHS6OsDqT60wSV7rzUDA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CBoQsAQwAw

 

Jim

[Noel Kelly]

Guys mystery solved, spoke to my mate again and it was heather beetles ...ahem..