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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.

Dorsal view of a Zapada cinctipes (Nemouridae) (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
Nymphs of this species were fairly common in late-winter kick net samples from the upper Yakima River. Although I could not find a key to species of Zapada nymphs, a revision of the Nemouridae family by Baumann (1975) includes the following helpful sentence: "2 cervical gills on each side of midline, 1 arising inside and 1 outside of lateral cervical sclerites, usually single and elongate, sometimes constricted but with 3 or 4 branches arising beyond gill base in Zapada cinctipes." This specimen clearly has the branches and is within the range of that species.
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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Lateral view of a Female Epeorus vitreus (Heptageniidae) (Sulphur) Mayfly Spinner from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Martinlf
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Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on May 25, 2008May 25th, 2008, 9:04 am EDT
I saw my first E. vitreus spinner yesterday on a small spring creek in Blair County, PA. What a gorgeous bug! It was love at first sight. Thanks for the photo, Jason. I'm saving it in my fish porn folder.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

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