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Why are mayflies used as models for artificial fishing lures?
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mayfly
An adult mayfly (Ephemera vulgata) in Europe.
Mayflies are used as models for artificial fishing lures because they are a primary food source for many species of fish in freshwater ecosystems. Because mayflies are key members of local food webs, fish frequently prey upon them throughout their life cycle.12
In the practice of fly-tying, anglers create artificial lures to imitate these insects at various stages of development:3
- Dry flies: These are designed to float on the surface, imitating adult mayflies that are emerging from the water, returning to lay eggs, or dying after mating.3
- Nymphs: These lures imitate the aquatic, immature stage of the mayfly, representing those that have been dislodged from the bottom or are rising to the surface to emerge.3
- Wet flies: These are designed to drift underwater, mimicking drowned mature flies or nymphs.3
Because mayflies are particularly vulnerable to predation by fish during their transformation to adulthood and during egg deposition, these artificial patterns are highly effective for recreational fly-fishing.21