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Trying to learn my bugs. I found this little guy up in a creek in the San Bernardino Mtns. I pulled out my Hatch Guide For Western Streams, but can't tell if it is a Western Green Drake or a Flavilinea. Those are the only two in the book he looks like so maybe it is something else not even in the book? The stripes on the tails seem closer to the Drake, but the body and head are looking more Flavilinea.
Attachment 5840
Off the top of my head I would say it's a Flav, it seems smaller in size and Flavs are more prolific than the Green Drake. Putting it under a scope is the best way to get the exact details in gill structure and other subtle clues. If there is any wood in the water check for nymphs, they really like the recessed holes in the submerged wood. Regardless it's a great find.
I got it off a submerged log. Pretty cool looking and fun to learn about. Thanks for the reply. I used a dry with a Flashback Pheasant Tail dropper. I tried a Gold Ribbed Hair's Ear first, but no luck. Once I switched to the PT, the browns couldn't get enough.
Attachment 5841
It is definitely in the Ephemerellidae family (which includes flavilena, green drakes, PED, PMD, and a bunch of other common fly fishing named mayflies). It definitely belongs to the genus Ephemerella or Serratella. I remember keying something very similar in the past and I want to say it was Serratella. The distinguishing characteristic is hairs on the caudal filaments and your specimen doesn't appear to have much in the way of it.
Either way, any PT-type fly will work to imitate. I would be surprised to find an individual much larger than a 16, so if you were using a fly imitating a green drake (sizes 10-14) it may have been a bit too large.
If you are interested here is an identification key for the family Ephemerellidae:
http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/Projects/...MERELLIDAE.jpg
And also one for all of Ephemeroptera (mayflies):
http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/Projects/...EMEROPTERA.jpg
http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/Projects/...MEROPTERAB.jpg