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.

Stream photos

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Ephemerella mucronata Mayfly Nymph Ephemerella mucronata Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.

17 Recently Added Photos

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.

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Troutnut.com User Red_green_h (Ryan Norris )

Real Name

Ryan Norris

Location

New Mexico

Biography & Thoughts

I started fly fishing as a way to quit smoking. Every time I felt like smoking I would go outside and practice casting. I actually didn't start fishing with a fly rod until about 5 years after I quit smoking. The first fish I caught was an 18 inch Rainbow on a 4wt 8 foot Redington combo using a Royal Wulff. I've been hooked (pun intended) ever since. As an avid fisher growing up in Iowa I've caught some decent large mouth in and around the ponds and old gravel pits I lived around. But living in New Mexico I've come addicted to backpacking or hiking up to small mountain streams and lakes and fishing for small native cutthroats or browns. What I've come to appreciate about fly fishing is the strategy involved and having to think things through if I want to catch anything. This is especially true on small streams which one needs to employ stealth to be able to catch the spooked ones. I love how I have had to adapt and evolve fishing techniques in order to catch fish and I feel more as if I am part of nature as opposed to something that is invading it.