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Hatches › Stonefly
Calineuria californica · species
A big, meaty stonefly that can turn trout onto heavy nymphs and skittering adults.
Category
Stonefly
Category
The insect or forage category for this profile.
Size
Large; generally imitated in bigger stonefly sizes.
Size
Typical size range anglers imitate on the water.
Key stages
Eggs, Nymph, Mature Nymph, Emerger, Adult, Egg Laying Female
Key stages
Life stages most relevant to fly fishing this hatch or forage.
Water types
Rivers, Freestone streams, Fast riffles, Runs
Water types
Water types where this bug or forage is commonly found.
Calineuria californica is a North American stonefly in the family Perlidae, often called the western stonefly. For anglers, it falls into the golden stone group: a large, high-value bug that matters most as a nymph and as an egg-laying or fluttering adult.
Also known as: Golden Stone
Female golden stoneflies deposit their egg pods into the river, where they settle on the bottom to develop.
Tiny grubs hatch from the eggs and begin feeding on decaying organic matter. These nymphs live among rocks underwater, growing through many molts over one to three years.
Once fully grown, the mature nymph prepares for emergence by migrating towards the shore, often crawling onto rocks or emergent vegetation.
The nymph crawls out of the water, onto a suitable surface. Here, the adult stonefly begins to hatch from its nymphal skin.
Adult golden stoneflies emerge and typically live only a short time above the water. Their primary focus during this aerial phase is to find a mate.
After mating, the female adult completes the cycle by returning to the water to deposit her egg pods, initiating the next generation.
Eggs
Yours Truly Fly Co.
Materials
nymph
Mainely Flies
Materials
Mature Nymph
Mainely Flies
Materials
Emerger
Savage Flies
Materials
Adult
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Materials
Egg Laying Female
Oholi's flies
Materials
Golden Stonefly
One species, multiple rivers.
