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Daddy Long Legs
We are creating profiles for the natural flies that are relevant to fly fishing and the fly fisherman, if there are any flies that you wish to have listed here please send details to andy@ukfishersonline.com
Crane Fly - Daddy Long Legs (Diptera - Tipulidae)
Tipulidae are more commonly known as Crane Flies or Daddy Long Legs. The adults are very slender bodied and very long-legged, Crane Flies can vary in length from about 260mm with some of the tropical species exceeding 100 mm.
Approximately 14000 species of Crane Fly have been discovered, making Tipulidae the largest family of the order Diptera.
Crane Fly - Daddy Long Legs - Larval Stage
The larva of the Crane Fly is of no importance to the fly fisherman, as they live underground, normally under grass. They are commonly known as "leather jackets" and have been known to become a pest as they damage the root systems of turf and occasionally plants.
We have included an image of the Crane Fly larva for reference.
Crane Fly - Daddy Long Legs - Adult Stage
In appearance crane flies seem long and gangly, with very long legs, and a long slender abdomen. The wings are often held out when at rest. Crane flies are weak and poor fliers with a tendency to "wobble" in unpredictable patterns during flight, and they can be caught without much effort.
However, it is very easy to accidentally break off their delicate legs when catching them, even without direct contact. This may help them to evade the birds who pursue them as prey.
It is the adult stage of the Crane Fly (Daddy Long Legs) that is very interesting to the fly fisherman. Crane Flies are weak fliers and consequently it takes very little breeze to find them being blown into lakes and rivers, where the feeding trout will often gorge on them. They will struggle helplessly on the waters surface and are easy prey for the trout.
Most commonly you will find them hatching in masses towards the beginning of autumn, especially when there is a good dew on surrounding grassy areas. Although they can be seen throughout the year in much smaller numbers.
Imitation
A standard Daddy Long Legs imitation is pictured here and would be fished high in the water or on the surface. A twitch retrieve with the occasional fast pull works well, especially in the ripple.
A good fly to fish static on the surface when you can see other "daddies" being blown onto the water. The Daddy Long Legs has accounted for many many trout and should be fished with the knowledge and confidence that it is truly a part of many a trout´s diet.