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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This seems to be a young larva of Limnephilus. Although not clear in the picture, several ventral abdominal segments have chloride epithelia.
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Ants
This common name refers to only one family. Click its scientific name to learn more.
Insect Family Formicidae
These are pretty much always called Ants.
Ants are one of the best-known terrestrial food sources for trout. Wingless ants often stumble by accident into the water, making them a very common "occasional" item on the trout's menu. Imitations of these unlucky critters make excellent searching patterns in mid- to late summer.
The real fun with ants, however, comes from the mating swarms of winged species. They are spotty and hard to predict, but when they happen to fall over the water they can draw more trout activity than all but the best hatches of huge mayflies.
The real fun with ants, however, comes from the mating swarms of winged species. They are spotty and hard to predict, but when they happen to fall over the water they can draw more trout activity than all but the best hatches of huge mayflies.
This tiny size 24 flying ant was mixed with a larger variety (see this specimen) falling on the surface of a Catskill river. The trout seemed to respond well to ants of both sizes.
See 8 more specimens...