When does the Early Black Stonefly hatch?

February–April, typically 11:00–15:00 (warmest part of a cold day). It starts from about 3°C, peaks around 7°C and tails off by 12°C.

What flies imitate the Early Black Stonefly?

Little Black Stonefly, Early Black Stone, Stimulator, typically on a #14–12 hook.

How big is the Early Black Stonefly?

Adult stage: 8–11mm. That matches a #14–12 hook.

Stonefly · Aquatic insect

Early Black Stonefly

Taeniopteryx burksi

Size

8–11mm

Hook size

#14–12

Hatch window

Season February–AprilPeak time 11:00–15:00 (warmest part of a cold day)

Water temperature

7° peak

3°12°

How fish feed on it

Adult insects on the water are inefficient — a caddis skittering to lay eggs, a stonefly blundering about after crawling out, neither built for elegance. Trout treat it as an easy meal and a bit of theatre at once, chasing a moving fly with more enthusiasm than they'd ever give a still one. Movement is the tell; a static adult imitation often just sits there unloved.

Flies that imitate this

Little Black Stonefly

Early Black Stone

Stimulator

Ecology

Rivers onlySpate rivers

Where you'll find this

North America — EastPresent

Present throughout

Identification

Taeniopteryx burksi , the eastern willowfly , is a species of winter stonefly in the family Taeniopterygidae. It is found in North America.