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.
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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.
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.
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Martinlf on May 4, 2007May 4th, 2007, 6:38 am EDT
Jason, as noted before the photos of the ventral side, from the fish's eye view are great. These Show the lighter edges of the segments that Gonzo often imitates with lighter thread. I've been tying some of my baetids and paraleps with a unithread body ribbed with a lighter color (twisted to make the rib thin) and the trout seem to like it. I sometimes, (when I remember) add a coat of thinned flexament, which preserves the true thread color when it gets wet. I'd be curious to hear others ideas about Blue Quill imitations. A parachute has been working as well as Gonzo's upside down comparadun tie, one of which was readily gobbled (and seated in the lip on the hookset) by a nice spring creek brown as I hit the tail end of the hatch after a day of nymphing yesterday.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
JWW on May 13, 2007May 13th, 2007, 3:45 am EDT
Can I ask how do you thin the flexament?
GONZO on May 13, 2007May 13th, 2007, 3:53 am EDT
JWW--Dave's Flexament has a companion bottle of thinner (looks the same, but has "Thinner" on the label). The ability to thin this flexible cement to various consistencies makes it very versatile.
Flytyer0423 on Aug 2, 2009August 2nd, 2009, 5:13 pm EDT
what i use for this fly is a realistic mayfly its really easy to tie i use a rusty spinner orvis spectrablend dry fly dubbing and a hi-vis post http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg8Up5ph8Fo
i use this technique for all my mayfly patterns its really easy and high floating fly its even usefull for still water fly fishing
i use this technique for all my mayfly patterns its really easy and high floating fly its even usefull for still water fly fishing
(vistit my website @) www.natureboyoutdoors.weebly.com
Martinlf on Aug 3, 2009August 3rd, 2009, 10:25 am EDT
Impressive technique and fly. Thanks for sharing this.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Flytyer0423 on Aug 20, 2009August 20th, 2009, 8:16 pm EDT
and also if you dont have a nor-vise to tie this fly you can use a bodkin and spin it in your hand its a little bit more time consuming but it is worth since you can even catch the fish with this fly on still water
(vistit my website @) www.natureboyoutdoors.weebly.com
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