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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.
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.

Updates from July 26, 2004

Photos by Troutnut

A whitetail deer pretends to be a moose, sticking its head underwater to graze on rich aquatic vegetation.
An annoying, trout-scaring brood of mergansers shoots a rapids in reverse.

Closeup insects by Troutnut from Miscellaneous Wisconsin and the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

Ruler view of a Female Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons) Mayfly Spinner from unknown in Wisconsin The smallest ruler marks are 1/16".
Female Paraleptophlebia (Leptophlebiidae) (Blue Quill) Mayfly Spinner from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
Ruler view of a Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Spinner from unknown in Wisconsin The smallest ruler marks are 1/16".

Updates from July 17, 2004

Photos by Troutnut

My dad nearly broke a long troutless slump fighting a 16-inch rainbow in fast water.  It spit the hook after a while.

Underwater photos by Troutnut

A school of large common shiners feeds in a frenzy on Tricorythodes mayfly spinners which were all over the surface on this July morning.
Here's the surface of the river viewed from below during a Tricorythodes spinner fall.  Several dead spinners are visible.

Updates from July 7, 2004

Photos by Troutnut

It seems somebody lost a fly on a tree limb as they floated down the river, and this bat flew by and attacked it and got stuck. Either that, or the bat caught their fly as they were fishing and wrapped it around the limb as he was fighting to get away. Either could happen, although the former possibility is a bit more likely.

Updates from July 6, 2004

Photos by Troutnut

Thunderstorms threatened on this early July evening but they luckily kept missing me and the fishing was excellent.
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