PMDs and Sulfurs

I have had the opportunity to live both on the East Coast and the West Coast - which means I have fished both.

West Coast PMDs

When I lived on the West Coast, a favorite hatch of mine was the  Pale Morning Dun mayfly hatch. As the name implies, these flies generally came off in the morning, and are very light in color, generally a pale yellow. 

The PMD hatch can be lengthy. It can start as early as May and continue into September depending on water temperatures and conditions.

East Coast Sulfurs

Now that I’m on the East Coast,  Sulfurs dominate the discussion. Sulfurs are found generally in Midwestern and Eastern waters. There are three prolific species with body colors range from pale yellow, to orange, to tan.

On a recent trip, I was using a RiverBum Sulfur parachute. It’s on the orange side as are most of our sulfurs. I couldn’t catch a cold. The bugs coming off the water were on the pale-yellow side of the color spectrum. I always carry a large supply of flies, like an obnoxiously large number of flies. I beat feet back to my truck and grabbed some PMDs. That was the ticket. Parachute and then spinner.

PMDs and Sulfurs are from the same family of mayfly. They really can be used interchangeably depending on the coloration of what’s coming off the water, especially on the east coast. 

Not seeing exactly what you want when looking for PMDs, try looking for Sulfurs and vice versa.  This is where a little entomology knowledge pays off. 

Until next time my fishy friends. Please remember to pack it in, pack it out.

Tight Lines and Screaming Drags.