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Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata

The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.

I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.

The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.

Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
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Partsman has attached these 3 pictures to this report. The message is below.

Report at a Glance

General RegionNorthern michigan
Dates FishedMarch 3
Fish CaughtBrown trout
Conditions & HatchesStreamers

Details and Discussion

Partsman
Partsman's profile picture
bancroft michigan

Posts: 321
Partsman on Mar 6, 2021March 6th, 2021, 6:46 am EST
Well winter may be on the way out here in Michigan, and I haven’t fished since early December. So, with temps projected to be in the 40,s and some sun, I went north on Wednesday. Fished my favorite river, water was low with a little runoff stain. Temps were 17 degrees when I started and got up to maybe the low 40’s. I fished streamers all day, but around noon I tied on a sparkle minnow pattern in black and caught 3 fish within a half hour. It ended up being a 4 mile hike as my 2 wheel drive equinox sucks in any cold water conditions and I got stuck pretty good last time so I walk now. I had a great time and I’m looking forward to better times every week.
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Mar 6, 2021March 6th, 2021, 9:25 am EST
Awesome! Good for you. I've not fished since my last smallmouth trip on November 13. I've learned steelhead are on the move where I normally fish and I'll probably be going up three days next week. That brown looks pretty thick considering it has endured along winter.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Red_green_h
Red_green_h's profile picture
New Mexico

Posts: 64
Red_green_h on Mar 6, 2021March 6th, 2021, 10:18 am EST
Color me jealous. Hoping to get out to my favorite spot in the next couple weeks. Browns won't be that big though.
Roguerat
Roguerat's profile picture
Posts: 456
Roguerat on Mar 7, 2021March 7th, 2021, 7:58 am EST
Mike,

NICE water and NICE Brown, thanks for sharing this! I'd ask what stream but know better...although I did 'borrow' the first pic for my computer's desktop image.

The streambed looks fairly wadeable, any rocksnot to speak of?

Anyway, this got my spring fever in high gear and I'm checking local flows...temps in the high 50's this coming week, maybe- just maybe- get out and wet a line.

Roguerat

'Less is more...'

Ludwig Mies Vande Rohe
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Mar 7, 2021March 7th, 2021, 9:08 am EST
Nice work! Thanks for sharing.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Mar 8, 2021March 8th, 2021, 6:39 am EST
DANG, Mike, you been out already??? Well done, big beefy brown you got there! Kudos to you for getting out in these cold temps. We've had sooooo much wind lately I sure haven't felt like doing much out-of-doors this winter, not to mention the Polar Vortex...

Nice job & thanks for the inspiration!

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...

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