Sallies vs. Golden Stones

[3$ Maddy]

I am confused. Are yellow sallies and golden stones the same type of bug? I have heard the names used interchangeably at times, but at other times people have talked like they are different? Many of you are more knowledgable than I. So what is the deal???

Thanks

[jim m.]

Yellow Sally:
http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/611

Goldens:
http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/965/Stonefly-Perlidae-Golden-Stones


I really like the Yellow Sallies. You (and the fish) see a lot more of them throughout the season.

[jccollier]

The main difference is size. Little yellow sallies are just that and they can be found in abundant numbers on the MP mid to late summer...best imitated # 14-16 light wire hooks..they're the ones with the little red asses (females), dapping the water when in the latter part of the day...could be mistaken as caddis. Golden Stones, as I recognize them, are quite large, almost as large as the Salmon Flies (also a "stone")....again, I think that the size is the major difference as they look quite a bit alike.......J.

Jim M. found the pictures....the nymphs are quite similar in appearance.

to answer your question, they are both Stoneflies, but they are not the same insect

[cheech]

The main difference is size. Little yellow sallies are just that and they can be found in abundant numbers on the MP mid to late summer...best imitated # 14-16 light wire hooks..they're the ones with the little red asses (females), dapping the water when in the latter part of the day...could be mistaken as caddis. Golden Stones, as I recognize them, are quite large, almost as large as the Salmon Flies (also a "stone")....again, I think that the size is the major difference as they look quite a bit alike.......J.

Jim M. found the pictures....the nymphs are quite similar in appearance.

to answer your question, they are both Stoneflies, but they are not the same insect

Nicely put. They are also both very fun to fish with.

[Jason]

The Little Yellow Stone and the Golden Stone are actually in two different families even though they look so similar. Believe or not, the Skwala stonefly is a relative of the Little Yellow Stone even though they don't look much a like.

The Little Yellow Stone hatches in much smaller sizes ranging from size 18 to size 10, but the Golden Stone is a larger bug ranging from sizes 10 to 6.

One other distinquishing feature of the Yellow Sally's is that the females have a little red/orange butt.

[3$ Maddy]

Thanks for the info everyone.

[fulano]

One trait I have read about and I believe I have observed it occuring on the MP is that Yellow Sallies hatch in the film, much like mayflies and caddisflies, while most other stoneflies crawl out of the water and hatch on dry land. They are very hard to see and I have not found a good dry fly to imitate them when they hatch, but the fish will take a greased nymph fished in the film.

What I've found weird is that even though they are abundant in local rivers and the fish go nuts for them sometimes, when you walk into local flyshops, most of them only have one nymph and one or two adult patterns for sale. At the same time, they have 10 styles each of adults, emergers and nymphs to imitate PMD's.

[Jason]

Yah, I've seen Yellow Sally's hatching in shallow slow riffles....especially on the Middle. They also crawl out on the banks and hatch on the rocks as well. I've seen both. I've thought about developing a Yellow Sally emerger pattern but those things pop out quicker than a caddis and they're off the water in half a second. Good stuff.