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Large overhead photograph of a natural dark Epeorus pleuralis aquatic specimen showing a flat head, paired wing pads, pale side gills, mottled legs, and two tailsRepresentative photo · one form in this family

Fly family · guide 50

Quill Gordon Patterns

An early eastern mayfly guide that uses three exact Epeorus pleuralis natural references to separate aquatic anatomy from wet, emerger, dry, and spinner fly choices.

Size range
No universal hook size; measure or use a current local source because the photographs provide no scale and the family label can refer to several stages
Common colors
olive-brown, chestnut-brown, dark wing pads, pale plate-like gills, locally matched gray or slate adult tones
Imitates
Quill Gordon mayfly stages
How to recognize it

Quill Gordon may refer to the eastern Epeorus pleuralis hatch, a stage-specific imitation, or the traditional Gordon dry. The photographed natural aquatic forms have a broad flattened head and body, paired wing pads, plate-like side gills, long legs, a tapered abdomen, and two tails. Those clues do not identify the adult dry, prove a local population, or turn every gray quill-bodied fly into the exact traditional pattern.

Large overhead photograph of a natural dark Epeorus pleuralis aquatic specimen showing a flat head, paired wing pads, pale side gills, mottled legs, and two tails
Representative photo · one form in this family

Epeorus pleuralis — dark dorsal view

Natural Epeorus pleuralis—not a Quill Gordon fly, a local-river finding, or a hatch report. The source identifies the species but does not state collection water, size, or instar; use the visible flat body, wing pads, gills, legs, and two tails only as one aquatic-form reference.

View
natural-species comparison — dark Epeorus pleuralis dorsal view
Color shown
dark chestnut-brown with pale cream gills and mottled legs
Look for
The complete overhead view makes the broad flat head, paired dark wing pads, plate-like side gills, long legs, tapered abdomen, and two tails readable together.
Open full-size photo ↗

On the water

Choose the right version.

Use these tips as a starting point. The river, depth, insects, and fish behavior still decide the final presentation.

01

Why it works

  • A Quill Gordon choice works when it matches the position of a verified Epeorus pleuralis event: flattened aquatic forms in fast water, a rising or wet stage during emergence, an upright winged form on the surface, or a later spent adult are different feeding lanes.
  • The natural photographs make the broad flat head, long legs, side gills, wing pads, tapered abdomen, and two tails visible without pretending one tied fly covers the lifecycle.
  • The dark, pale, and oblique individuals also show why body tone alone is weak evidence. Stage, measured size, waterline, local species confirmation, and observed feeding are more useful than copying one photograph's color.
02

When to use it

  • On eastern streams or rivers only when a current trusted report, observed natural specimen, fresh shuck, winged adult, or fish behavior supports a Quill Gordon event on that water.
  • Use an aquatic or wet approach in fast riffle and transition water before or during verified emergence; move to a surface fly only when the insects and rise form show that fish are taking at the film or above it.
  • NatureServe associates Epeorus pleuralis with creeks and small to medium rivers, but range and habitat do not establish today's hatch. Recheck the exact river rather than applying a fixed date or temperature nationwide.
03

How to fish it

  • Present an exact Quill Gordon aquatic-stage imitation close to the bottom or in the active drift lane with enough rig control to reach fast water while preserving the flattened mayfly profile.
  • During a verified emergence, use a separately named wet or emerger form through the rising path and film; a lift or swing should match observed movement rather than replace stage identification.
  • For surface feeding, choose an exact dun or spinner artificial by the natural's measured size, wing posture, body tone, and rise form. The gallery's natural aquatic specimens are identification references, not flies to tie on.
04

Mistakes to avoid

  • Calling every Epeorus-stage imitation the traditional Quill Gordon dry or treating the hatch name as one universal recipe.
  • Reading the three natural photographs as nymph, emerger, and adult stages; all are aquatic body references, and no winged adult is pictured.
  • Using a source-identified photograph as proof that Epeorus pleuralis occurs, is emerging, or has the same size and color on a different river.

Make the choice

Choose the form before the color.

A family name is only a starting point. Use the waterline, construction, and observed food to narrow it to the form that fits the river.

  1. Use the dark dorsal Epeorus pleuralis photograph for a complete high-contrast view of the broad head, paired wing pads, pale side gills, long mottled legs, tapered abdomen, and two tails.
  2. Use the pale dorsal specimen to keep translucent wing pads, gills, leg bands, and segmentation visible without treating the lighter individual as a separate stage or universal color.
  3. Use the oblique specimen for body depth and wing-pad structure. The dark pads are a visible anatomy clue, not a hatch clock or an artificial emerger recipe.
  4. Choose the fishable pattern only after confirming stage. Exact Quill Gordon nymph, wet, emerger, traditional dry, modern dry, and spinner artificials remain unpictured until licensed photographs pass review.

Common variations

Small changes can make a different fly.

Three verified, non-AI photographs compare separately sourced natural Epeorus pleuralis aquatic specimens in dark dorsal, pale dorsal, and oblique wing-pad views. The source records identify the species but do not state instar, size, collection water, or exact fishing stage; no Quill Gordon artificial, adult, spinner, local occurrence, or current hatch is pictured or inferred.

Natural Epeorus pleuralis dark dorsal reference

A complete source-identified natural specimen emphasizing the flattened body, dark wing pads, pale gills, long legs, tapered abdomen, and two tails.
Colors shown
dark chestnut-brown, cream gills, mottled legs
Weighting
Natural aquatic specimen; no artificial hook, ballast, size, or drift depth is implied.

Natural Epeorus pleuralis pale dorsal reference

A lighter source-identified individual that exposes translucent structures and demonstrates color variation without establishing maturity or stage.
Colors shown
pale olive-tan, translucent cream, amber leg bands
Weighting
Natural aquatic specimen; screen size and color do not define an artificial recipe.

Natural Epeorus pleuralis oblique wing-pad reference

A raised front angle emphasizing paired wing pads, body depth, head width, long legs, side gills, and the two-tail taper.
Colors shown
deep brown, black wing pads, warm brown abdomen
Weighting
Natural aquatic specimen; dark wing pads do not establish timing, weight, hook, or fly identity.

Related patterns

Mayfly Patterns by Stage ↗Soft-Hackle Wet Flies ↗March Brown Dry Flies ↗Gray Fox Mayfly Patterns ↗Blue Quill Patterns ↗

How this guide was checked

Fly information and photo sources.

Guide checked on 2026-07-13. Every image has its own source and usage record. Natural insects and hand-tied flies can vary in shape and proportion.

Pattern sources

Orvis NewsHow to Match the Hatch↗Orvis NewsPhil's Top 6 Patterns for Spring Mayfly Hatches↗NatureServe ExplorerEpeorus pleuralis↗USA National Phenology NetworkNature's Notebook: Quill Gordon↗

Image credits