Central Pennsylvania’s Cicada Madness!
They’re here, the 17 year Cicada, brood 14.
After a 17 year nap the Cicadas are hatching in central Pennsylvania. On a recent fishing trip, we witnessed a massive Cicada hatch. The evening temperature hung in the 80’s when we noticed numerous holes below our feet around the campground table. Then we saw a few nymphs crawling through the grass towards a pine tree. Once we shined our headlamps on the tree we realized the magnitude of the hatch and the fascinating transformation that occurs. Cicadas burrow below the ground until the appropriate time. When nearing their emergence period the insect moves closer to the surface then waits for the perfect time to hatch. The hatch is very slow, as the photos show Cicadas propped half out of their exoskeleton which lasted for numerous minutes. The photo also shows Cicadas in early emergence hence the yellow color. Within hours their exoskeleton darkens; to a brown-black color in this case. It was pretty cool to watch, and a bit weird as they dropped out of the tree onto the ground, and sometimes my head. We drove home the next afternoon, to the distinct Cicada song reminding us of the previous night’s encounter and the fun to be had in the upcoming weeks. You can find my photos at
http://www.loopfly.net/photogal/thumbnails.php?album=14.
Here are a few video clips:
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I figured the Cicada song was made the same way Crickets or Grasshoppers but did you know that is not true. I referenced Wikipedia and found they use a different part of their body:
“Male cicadas have loud noisemakers called “timbals” on the sides of the abdominal base. Their “singing” is not the stridulation (where two structures are rubbed against one another) of many other familiar sound-producing insects like crickets: the timbals are regions of the exoskeleton that are modified to form a complex membrane with thin, membranous portions and thickened “ribs”. Contracting the internal timbal muscles produces a clicking sound as the timbals buckle inwards. As these muscles relax, the timbals return to their original position producing another click. The interior of the male abdomen is substantially hollow to amplify the resonance of the sound. A cicada rapidly vibrates these membranes, and enlarged chambers derived from the tracheae make its body serve as a resonance chamber, greatly amplifying the sound. They modulate their noise by wiggling their abdomens toward and away from the tree that they are on. Additionally, each species has its own distinctive song.[1]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada
As of the week of 06/01/2008 the Cicada fishing activity was not yet underway, but I would imagine it’s very close. Fishing Cicadas patterns is a blast, think of bass bugs. Short tapered leaders, some minor stripping or rod tip shake causing a bit of action to the fly. Talk with the guys at TCO or Spruce Creek Outfitters for more information.
If you plan to fish the Cicada hatch in Central PA:
TCO Fly Fishing Shops http://www.tcoflyfishing.com/
Spruce Creek Outfitters http://www.sprucecreekoutfitters.org
George Harvey wrote a great article, which can be found on Fly Fisherman http://www.flyfisherman.com/northeast/ghcicadas/index.html
Here’s a map posted at fishusa.com http://forums.fishusa.com/m_81327/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm#88643
Tying Cicada Patterns:
Loren Williams has a nice page about Cicadas with tying instructions:
http://www.flyguysoutfitting.com/cicada.html
For more information about Cicadas:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada
Here’s a $15.00 reward for the rare white eyed Cicada http://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/2008/06/02/reward-for-white-eyed-17-year-cicada/
Hope you enjoy the 17 year Cicada fun!