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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I was not fishing, but happened to be at an unrelated social event on a hill above this tiny creek (which I never even saw) when this stonefly flew by me. I assume it came from there. Some key characteristics are tricky to follow, but process of elimination ultimately led me to Sweltsa borealis. It is reassuringly similar to this specimen posted by Bob Newell years ago. It is also so strikingly similar to this nymph from the same river system that I'm comfortable identifying that nymph from this adult. I was especially pleased with the closeup photo of four mites parasitizing this one.
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Cream Cahills
Like most common names,"Cream Cahill" can refer to more than one taxon. They're previewed below, along with 5 specimens. For more detail click through to the scientific names.
Mayfly Species Stenonema femoratum
These are often called Cream Cahills.
This species is only one of many minor Light Cahills and the only species remaining in the Stenonema genus after the classic superhatches were reclassified into Maccaffertium and Stenacron. Its habitat and behavior is not different from those species, except as noted below, and you should consult the pages for those genera if you need angling information for this hatch.
Mayfly Species Stenonema mediopunctatum
These are often called Cream Cahills.
I have seen no mention of this species as a fishable hatch in angling literature, but it is noteworthy for the unusual coloration of the male spinners, which Malcolm and Knopp describe in Mayflies: An Angler's Study of Trout Water Ephemeroptera :
...the male only exhibits this coloration on segments eight to ten, against an otherwise whitish to translucent body.
See 1 more specimen...
Mayfly Species Stenonema mexicanum
These are often called Cream Cahills.
This species is usually mentioned under its former name, Stenonema integrum. Now integrum is a subspecies of Maccaffertium mexicanum. It is not said to produce fishable hatches.
I've tentatively identified several specimens I collected as members of this species based on their color patterns. It may be more likely that they belong to a Midwestern color variety of Maccaffertium vicarium which produces good hatches on the river where they were collected.
I've tentatively identified several specimens I collected as members of this species based on their color patterns. It may be more likely that they belong to a Midwestern color variety of Maccaffertium vicarium which produces good hatches on the river where they were collected.
Mayfly Species Stenonema modestum
These are often called Cream Cahills.
See 7 more specimens...
References
- Knopp, Malcolm and Robert Cormier. 1997. Mayflies: An Angler's Study of Trout Water Ephemeroptera . The Lyons Press.