Martin James MBE & Mark Sarul discover a rare mayfly on the banks of the river Soar

Ephemera lineata Eaton – common name Striped mayfly.

Back in July I was fishing the river Soar with Mark Sarul of the TFF, around 1600 hrs I went and sat with Mark in his pitch to discuss the day’s events, as we talked a small hatch of mayfly’s appeared, when a couple landed on the riverside reeds I leaned across and put my finger out to see if one would crawl onto the said finger as I wanted a close up picture of this fly which at the time I couldn’t identify. 

Mark managed to get me a good picture. Back home a few days later I pulled the book ‘A Pictorial Guide to British Ephemeroptera’ from the case where I discovered it was one of the rarest mayfly’s in the UK.

It was Ephemera lineata Eaton, common name Striped mayfly. One of the rarest Ephemeridae, thought to be found only in the River Wye (Monmouthshire) and the river Thames. 

As David Riding a top fly dresser and acknowledged expert told me, “You were very lucky and privileged to find such a specimen” and on the river Soar.

Writing Martin James MBE, Image Mark Sarul