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.

A small, old rock wing dam has created an excellent riffle and pool in this classic trout stream.

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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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light & dark cahill nymph patterns

Lastchance
Portage, PA

Posts: 437

Lastchance on Feb 18, 2008February 18th, 2008, 9:49 am EST

Can anyone recommend light and dark Cahill nymph patterns for Western PA. I'm kind of lost on these nymphs. Are they a brownish-olive color? I guess it depends on stream bottom coloration. I know they are part of the same family as the March Brown. Would they be tied in sizes 12 & 14 2x? Any help will be appreciated.

Troutnut

Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758

Troutnut on Feb 18, 2008February 18th, 2008, 11:43 am EST

There are about a million mayfly species known as light or dark cahills, and there's quite a bit of variety in their nymphs. The more specific you can get about the exact hatches you want to match, the better -- rivers, time of year, size/color of adults, etc. Quite a few people here have enough local PA knowledge they might be able to help you, but just going by PA cahills isn't enough.

Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

JAD

Alexandria Pa

Posts: 362

JAD on Feb 18, 2008February 18th, 2008, 11:56 am EST

Lastchance February 18th, 2008, 5:49 pm
Portage, PA

Posts: 4 Can anyone recommend light and dark Cahill nymph patterns for Western PA. I'm kind of lost on these nymphs. Are they a brownish-olive color? I guess it depends on stream bottom coloration. I know they are part of the same family as the March Brown. Would they be tied in sizes 12 & 14 2x? Any help will be appreciated.
Replies:

Portage PA

HI Lastchance
I fish the same general area your located. I tie mine like a PT with a cream thorax and a dark wing case. 14 or 16 should do it. Sometimes I do well on a emerger, same general pattern with antron (Deer hair) short wing.

John

They fasten red (crimson red) wool around a hook, and fix onto the wool two feathers which grow under a cock’s wattles, and which in colour are like wax.
Radcliffe's Fishing from the Earliest Times,