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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.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.

I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.

The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.

Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
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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Grannom
Northwest PA

Posts: 87
Grannom on Apr 16, 2008April 16th, 2008, 8:38 am EDT
I fished a stream, near my house, after school Monday. It was stocked recently, but the fish have quickly developed nice colors. Each went maybe 10-11", so nothing spectacular, but they were the first of the year, and the weather was great...

The Water


Colt's Foot


And The Fish...




Mike
"Be calm - you're there..." "...Tell yourself there's no rush, even if there is."

-John Gierach
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Apr 16, 2008April 16th, 2008, 9:27 am EDT
Nice fat fish. It's great to see the year wake up and the bugs starting to come off. Another season ahead. Tight lines,
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Mcjames
Cortland Manor, NY

Posts: 139
Mcjames on Apr 17, 2008April 17th, 2008, 2:14 am EDT
those are chunky! i love the look of that water. thanks for sharing
I am haunted by waters

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