Dragonflies
"Most dragonfly naiads can move forward by jet propulsion."
Order: Odonata
Family: Anisoptera
I am not certain but I believe Odonata is a compound of two Greek words: Odon- from the Greek noun –odwn- tooth - and the verb ‘ataw' meaning to hurt or harm.
Odonata, or ‘to harm with the tooth’, is a reference to the labium that dragon and damselflies fold under their head and thorax when not in use. It is like a long, sharp tooth with hooked lobes at the tip, which shoots out, grasps or impales its prey as it wanders by, and then retracts the unfortunate meal into its mouth. A quick dragonfly fact is that some species of odonata can shoot out their labium and catch prey in only 25 milliseconds.
Anisoptera, is derived from the Greek anisos- meaning unequal and ptera- wings. Referring to the fact that of the two pair of wings, the hind wings are broader than the front wings.
There are currently over 5500 identified species of odonata. While their adult form may be most obvious. A dragonfly fact to remember is that only the nymph or naiad form of the dragonfly is significant for fly fishing and trout.
Dragonfly nymphs
The dragonfly nymph looks similar to the damsel but is generally much larger. It undergoes many instars as well and will live up to four years in the nymphal form. A dragonfly fact is that dragonflies are aggressively predacious. They stalk other insects, shrimp, and even small fish by stealthily crawling on the bottom. They then strike rapidly by expelling water through their rectal orifice, which propels them forward. By repeating this process they can cover a lot of ground in a relatively short time.
Like the damsel, when the dragonfly moults it is usually a light green to tan colour and will darken as its exoskeleton hardens. Another dragonfly fact is that the colour is generally dictated by the aquatic environment and turbidity of the water.
When its time for emergence, the nymph migrates towards shore in short spurts, crawls out, sheds its exoskeleton and flies off into the sunset.
Fly Fishing With The Dragonfly
It sounds like some mythical quest: a knight errant off to rescue a beautiful damsel from the fierce, fire-breathing dragon. Of course sitting in a float tube as a dragonfly whizzes about is a little like coming under attack but in general they are fairly benign. Unless you are a mosquito that is, for they eat mosquitoes, and that, if anything, is a good reason to have them around.
Another reason is that trout love them. I fish dragon or damsel nymphs on an intermediate sink line or sink tip, over weed beds or along the bottom. I use a slow retrieve to imitate a crawling nymph. If the dragonflies are migrating I will fish a nymph towards shore, dragging it slowly for about a foot, then a quick strip to imitate its innate propulsion system. I like to use imitations made of deer hair as it keeps them buoyed and lends a more authentic appearance. Trout strike hard and often, so be sure to have a good tippet and sharp hook, and hold on.
Some More Dragonfly Facts You May Find Interesting
Scientists have documented large-scale migrations of dragonflies. One swarm was observed 1,400 km off the coast of Australia.
Another dragonfly fact is that many adult male dragonflies establish and defend territories along the perimeter of a lake or stream. Females will mate only with males that hold a territory, so population density is somewhat regulated by territory size.
Male Odonata have claspers at the end of their abdomen, but no external genitalia. Before finding a mate, a male attaches a spermatophore to his second abdominal segment. He then grabs a female around the neck with his claspers and she retrieves the spermatophore with the genital opening of her abdomen.
A very interesting dragonfly fact is that most dragonfly naiads can move forward by "jet propulsion". Rapid contraction of the rectal muscles forces water out the rear end and shoots the insect forward.
Dragonflies are known by many interesting common names, including "snake doctors", "devil's darning needles", and "mosquito hawks".
Click here to read more about the Damsel fly or inspect more interesting trout food:
