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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 Epeorus albertae (Heptageniidae) (Pink Lady) Mayfly Nymph from the East Fork Issaquah Creek in Washington
This specimen keys to the Epeorus albertae group of species. Of the five species in that group, the two known in Washington state are Epeorus albertae and Epeorus dulciana. Of the two, albertae has been collected in vastly more locations in Washington than dulciana, suggesting it is far more common. On that basis alone I'm tentatively putting this nymph in albertae, with the large caveat that there's no real information to rule out dulciana.
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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Photos by Troutnut from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

The Namekagon River in Wisconsin
The Namekagon River in Wisconsin
The Namekagon River in Wisconsin
The Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Female Stenonema modestum (Heptageniidae) (Cream Cahill) Mayfly Spinner from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Although I couldn't key out this female spinner, I'm fairly comfortable calling her Stenonema modestum based on the markings on the abdomen and their similarity to those on the males of this species. This one probably came from the Namekagon River, although there's a possibility it came from the West Fork of the Chippewa River, because it was found in the truck after fishing those streams on back-to-back days.

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