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 is a striking caddis larva with an interesting color pattern on the head. Here are some characteristics I was able to see under the microscope, but could not easily expose for a picture:
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
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Chris_3g
Posts: 59
Posts: 59
Chris_3g on Nov 21, 2007November 21st, 2007, 7:19 am EST
I nabbed a 14-15" female brown (my first lake run) and headed upstream to land this mean looking dude, both on a streamer I tied, which makes things that much more satisfying. I don't have a tape, but scaling from the photograph puts this guy at 20-21". It was definitely a change from the 8-10" rainbows I've been catching over the past few weekends.
Chris.
Chris.
Martinlf on Nov 21, 2007November 21st, 2007, 8:38 am EST
Nice fish. Interesting about the lamprey mark.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Grannom on Nov 21, 2007November 21st, 2007, 9:03 am EST
Gorgeous brown...It is rare the we get a lake run in Erie...
"Be calm - you're there..." "...Tell yourself there's no rush, even if there is."
-John Gierach
-John Gierach
Shawnny3 on Nov 23, 2007November 23rd, 2007, 1:40 pm EST
A HEAVY 20-21", I'd say. Nice fish, Casey. Too bad they stopped the lamprey treatments in Cayuga before they were finished. Idiots.
-Shawn
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Smallstream on Nov 28, 2007November 28th, 2007, 2:57 pm EST
very nice! are those fish wild or fingerlings or do they actually stock brown trout in the lake?
Chris_3g
Posts: 59
Posts: 59
Chris_3g on Nov 29, 2007November 29th, 2007, 10:52 am EST
Hey Smallstream. This year the NY DEC stocked 24,960 eight to nine inch browns in Cayuga Lake, and they did the same last year. They also stock comparable numbers of landlocked salmon and lake trout. I don't know whether this guy was wild or stocked, but he's been around long enough that I would respectfully refer to him as wild.
Chris.
Chris.
Shawnny3 on Nov 29, 2007November 29th, 2007, 12:05 pm EST
Oops, I congratulated the wrong guy. Congratulations, CHRIS. Glad to see there are still a few big ones in Cayuga. I've heard bad things about it for the past several years. My dad, who used to be a daily lake fisherman in late Spring, went no more than a couple of times last year.
-Shawn
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Davez on Dec 7, 2007December 7th, 2007, 12:14 am EST
nice fish. 10 years ago that place rocked. landlocked atlantics and browns in the most "landable" sizes and lots of them too. I've heard its pretty BAD these days with crowds. and its a small stream.
he looks better than 20" to me, but what he lacks in length surely makes up for in attitude and girth!
Nice fish.
he looks better than 20" to me, but what he lacks in length surely makes up for in attitude and girth!
Nice fish.
Wbranch on Mar 15, 2008March 15th, 2008, 1:09 am EDT
That looks to be a huge 20" - 21" brown - maybe Chris is too modest looks like it could be 22" - 23".
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
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