Nemoura

Latin: Family Nemouridae — Nemoura, Amphinemura, Zapada spp. Family: Nemouridae (small winter stoneflies) Sizes: #14 – #18 (small) Where: Cold streams across the Northern Hemisphere

Overview

Nemouras (and the nemourid family generally) are small dark stoneflies that emerge in early spring, often a few weeks ahead of the skwala. Adults are 8–12 mm long, dark brown to black, with a body shape that closely mimics a small skwala — which is why a single dark Chubby Chernobyl in the 14–16 range covers both hatches without having to swap patterns.

Life cycle and angler relevance

Like all stoneflies, nymphs crawl to streamside rocks and vegetation to emerge. Adults are weak fliers and frequently end up on the water. The 3/26/2025 Kingfisher Blackfoot report explicitly called out the skwala/nemoura overlap and recommended a single foam fly for both.

Imitating patterns

Foam adults: small dark Chubby Chernobyl (size 14–16, black/dark olive), Luna Negra (purpose-built nemoura imitation). Nymphs: small dark Pat's Rubber Legs (size 14), small TJ Hooker.

References

• Wikipedia: Nemouridae
• Mentioned in: 2026-04-26 - 2025 Blackfoot River Historical Analysis - Kingfisher
• Field photo by sam10turner (CC-BY) via iNaturalist

Related Nemourid (Amphinemura)

Field photo (North Muskego River, ON)