Michigan Flies

Hatches / stonefly

Little Yellow Sally

A

Isoperla spp. (I. bilineata and 11 other Michigan species)

Also called Yellow Sally, Little Yellow Stonefly, Isoperla.

A small yellow stonefly that trickles off on afternoons from May through June and sporadically into summer on the Upper Manistee, Au Sable, Jordan and Pine. Nymphs migrate to slow bank water before emergence, so drift a #12-14 yellow-brown stonefly nymph along the edges; the fishable surface event is females dipping to lay eggs in the afternoon, when a #14 yellow Stimulator or a yellow elk-hair caddis is a fine searching pattern. Motor City Anglers lists it late May through June at #12-14. On the Muskegon the chart's #14 golden stones are probably large Yellow Sallies.

#10–16afternoonnymphadultyellow to yellow-olive bodypale yellow wingred-orange egg sac tip (female)yellow-brown nymph

© Gordon Johnston · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist · Ottawa, ON · 2018

Timing by region

  1. Southeast Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 17 – Jun 16
    Peak
    —
  2. Southwest Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 21 – Jun 20
    Peak
    —
  3. Northeast Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    May 1 – Jun 30
    Peak
    —
  4. Northwest Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    May 1 – Jun 30
    Peak
    —
  5. Upper Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    May 22 – Jul 21
    Peak
    —

Flies that match

Yellow Sally (reference photo)Reference photo
Yellow Sally
A
Dry fly#12–16Yellow with red egg sacChartreuse-yellow

Isoperla Yellow Sallies hatch sporadically May through June and into summer on the Upper Manistee, Jordan and Au Sable, #10 to #16 depending on the chart. Fish a small yellow stimulator-style dry in the afternoon along the banks where nymphs crawl out, or as the indicator fly over a nymph.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
Stimulator (reference photo)Reference photo
Stimulator
I
Dry fly#6–14YellowOrangeOlive

A buoyant palmered dry that stands in for golden stone adults during the Hex weeks (Gates reports yellow and golden stones concurrent with the June Hex), Yellow Sallies in May and June, and October Caddis in fall. It also floats a dropper nymph in fast water on the Pine and Sturgeon.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00