Header image
Enter a name
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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Flybyknight
Milton, DE

Posts: 82
Flybyknight on Apr 30, 2008April 30th, 2008, 4:26 pm EDT
Has anyone seen the flows in the Catskill Rivers?
It makes me shudder. East Branch is about 1/3rd.
normal for date.

Dick
Lightly on the dimpling eddy fling;
the hypocritic fly's unruffled wing.
Thomas Scott
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on May 1, 2008May 1st, 2008, 7:21 am EDT
I was thinking that we've had enough rain in the NE to have all streams at good levels. But the damn people do control Delaware flows (no misspelling) How's the West Branch looking? Around here there is plenty of water.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Flybyknight
Milton, DE

Posts: 82
Flybyknight on May 1, 2008May 1st, 2008, 9:46 am EDT
Louis,
West Branch at Hale Eddy normal is 875 cfs,
while today it is 250 cfs.

Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls normal is 650 cfs,
while today it is at 380 cfs.

Pity the poor fly shops.

Dick
Lightly on the dimpling eddy fling;
the hypocritic fly's unruffled wing.
Thomas Scott
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on May 1, 2008May 1st, 2008, 1:49 pm EDT
Fishs Eddy is just 650 cfs and main is just 1050 cfs. That is almost the minimum for me to float the Hyde w/o dragging in three places. WB is too low to float even with a pontoon boat or kayak.

I'm going up tomorrow for three days and will provide a report Sunday night.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on May 1, 2008May 1st, 2008, 4:52 pm EDT
Unbelievable. What happened to the flow plan? Let me know how things are looking.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Troutnut
Troutnut's profile picture
Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on May 1, 2008May 1st, 2008, 8:57 pm EDT
Hey, look on the bright side... you can still drive a truck across many of the rivers up here!
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

Quick Reply

Related Discussions

Topic
Replies
Last Reply
8
Aug 4, 2007
by Wbranch
24
Jan 10, 2013
by Wbranch
3
May 18, 2020
by Wbranch
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 (email Jason). privacy policy