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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.

Dorsal view of a Skwala (Perlodidae) (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This Skwala nymph still has a couple months left to go before hatching, but it's still a good representative of its species, which was extremely abundant in my sample for a stonefly of this size. It's obvious why the Yakima is known for its Skwala hatch.
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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

About "Mystery Creeks": If you recognize one of these, you already understand why I'm keeping it a secret. I'm not as strict as some anglers about hiding where I fish, mostly because I don't expect to substantially affect fishing pressure on already well-known or simply unpopular waters. But there are some gems where I don't want to add a single unfamiliar bootprint to the mix, due to the fishing, their wild character, or keeping a friend's secret. They're all "Mystery Creek" here—even the lakes.

Landscape & scenery photos from Mystery Creek # 227

View up from the river

From Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana
Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana

On-stream insect photos from Mystery Creek # 227

Flying ants were falling very thick on the water during a beautiful Montana evening in August. They were collected in great numbers in this eddy, which made it difficult to entice a trout with a fly amidst all the naturals, but a few nice browns were fooled.

From Mystery Creek # 227 in Montana

Closeup insects by Troutnut from Mystery Creek #227 in Montana

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