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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 Zapada cinctipes (Nemouridae) (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
Nymphs of this species were fairly common in late-winter kick net samples from the upper Yakima River. Although I could not find a key to species of Zapada nymphs, a revision of the Nemouridae family by Baumann (1975) includes the following helpful sentence: "2 cervical gills on each side of midline, 1 arising inside and 1 outside of lateral cervical sclerites, usually single and elongate, sometimes constricted but with 3 or 4 branches arising beyond gill base in Zapada cinctipes." This specimen clearly has the branches and is within the range of that species.
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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Wbranch has attached these 5 pictures. The message is below.
Little hen
Average PA steelhead
Big buck all colored up - 30".
You will note these are just 2D eyes.  I now only use 3D eyes
I don't know if the addition of the lateral line is really required.  But adding them is pretty easy so I keep doing it.  It appears this fly doesn't have it.
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Oct 2, 2020October 2nd, 2020, 8:26 am EDT
These fish were all caught on that emerald shiner pattern.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Partsman
Partsman's profile picture
bancroft michigan

Posts: 321
Partsman on Oct 2, 2020October 2nd, 2020, 8:46 am EDT
Beautiful Matt, luckily for you the Lake Erie steelhead fishery has crashed, I wish I could say the same for the lake Huron fishery. The Ausable River below Foote dam is a nothing like it was in the 80's. But I you simply have to adjust for that fishery, so I did, and now I find myself fishing for trout in the special regs fisheries. I really enjoy streamer fishing, and Im always looking for new patterns to try.
Mike.
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Oct 2, 2020October 2nd, 2020, 11:28 am EDT
I re-posted two of the pictures.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.

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