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 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.
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Smallstream on Jan 23, 2008January 23rd, 2008, 5:04 am EST
CICADAS
I have heard that these things are going to hit certain areas this year from another forum, anybody have any cool fishing stories to tell concerning these huge insects. From what Ive heard from others, this hatch is supposed to be unreal!
I have heard that these things are going to hit certain areas this year from another forum, anybody have any cool fishing stories to tell concerning these huge insects. From what Ive heard from others, this hatch is supposed to be unreal!
SlateDrake9 on Jan 23, 2008January 23rd, 2008, 11:34 am EST
I fished it several years ago on the Yough. It was amazing. The first time I was not prepared at all, but enjoyed watching the fish slam every one that hit the water. I didn't have any cicada patterns on me, but I did have a few bass poppers that fooled a few browns, rainbows and smallmouth bass. I wnet back 3 more times in the following 2 weeks with some crapy deer hair cicada patterns and had a blast.
Fishing with bait is like swearing in church.
-- Slate Drake
-- Slate Drake
Jjlyon01 on Jan 23, 2008January 23rd, 2008, 1:44 pm EST
Do you think this hatch will occur farther North, such as in the Adirondacks?
I just watched a video in a zoology class about the 17 year cycle of the cicada and it seemed really amazing. I'd love to see a bunch of those monsters fall into the water and be swallowed by a hungry brown.
I just watched a video in a zoology class about the 17 year cycle of the cicada and it seemed really amazing. I'd love to see a bunch of those monsters fall into the water and be swallowed by a hungry brown.
"I now walk into the wild"
Smallstream on Jan 24, 2008January 24th, 2008, 5:56 am EST
Slate drake,
what you say gives me hope that it will be as awesome as people say it is, I cant even imagine what it will be like casting huge floating things and actually catching fish, it sounds like it will be all to easy, I cant wait to see this!
would be cool if anybody had a video clip of trout eating the cicadas, I saw on the discovery channel a video clip of a salmonfly hatch out west and the video footage showed in detail the trout actively rising to the huge bugs and it was one of the coolest things Ive seen on video. I can imagine that if the cicadas live up to the hype it would exhibit a similar situation as the salmonfly phenomenon out west.
what you say gives me hope that it will be as awesome as people say it is, I cant even imagine what it will be like casting huge floating things and actually catching fish, it sounds like it will be all to easy, I cant wait to see this!
would be cool if anybody had a video clip of trout eating the cicadas, I saw on the discovery channel a video clip of a salmonfly hatch out west and the video footage showed in detail the trout actively rising to the huge bugs and it was one of the coolest things Ive seen on video. I can imagine that if the cicadas live up to the hype it would exhibit a similar situation as the salmonfly phenomenon out west.
LittleJ on Jan 24, 2008January 24th, 2008, 8:48 am EST
as i side note, i fished the cicadas last time they were in, and did best when I let the fly "plop" fairly heavy on the water. When you see the naturals fall in it looks more like a stone falling in than a bug. any one else use the same technique.
i have no idea if it will make it that far north , i would ask your local fish & game commission.
jeff
i have no idea if it will make it that far north , i would ask your local fish & game commission.
jeff
CaseyP on Jan 24, 2008January 24th, 2008, 11:57 am EST
maybe wild fish are less picky or shy than stockies: in 2004 i watched as a cicada crash landed and buzzed his way across an entire pool in my favorite small stream. two small trout followed it very closely every inch of the way, but never got up the courage to bite it. they didn't look very big. after it flew away, they went back to their lies, and eventually fell for my adams.
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
SlateDrake9 on Jan 24, 2008January 24th, 2008, 1:06 pm EST
I let the fly "plop" fairly heavy on the water. When you see the naturals fall in it looks more like a stone falling in than a bug. any one else use the same technique.
Back then, that was my technique with just about all flies. Luckily I've learned to cast much better. ;-)
Back then, that was my technique with just about all flies. Luckily I've learned to cast much better. ;-)
Fishing with bait is like swearing in church.
-- Slate Drake
-- Slate Drake
Mtskibum on Jan 24, 2008January 24th, 2008, 2:28 pm EST
Those sound like a ton of fun to fish, every year out here we get to fish the salmonfly hatch. And they are #0-4 dry flies that are a ton of fun to fish. Its hard to find the actual hatch. I have tried to fish it 3 of the last 6 years on the madison, and it can be hard to find. I have only found the main hatch once. And boy it was on. Fishing drys that large was fun.
I remember cicada's from when i lived back east as a kid. We got them one year i lived there.
If i lived there now i would be fishing every body of water in a 100 mile radius(i take 100 mile fishing trips 15 times a year). For every species of fish.
I remember cicada's from when i lived back east as a kid. We got them one year i lived there.
If i lived there now i would be fishing every body of water in a 100 mile radius(i take 100 mile fishing trips 15 times a year). For every species of fish.
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