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.
Featured on the forum
This one seems to lead to Couplet 35 of the Key to Genera of Perlodidae Nymphs and the genus Isoperla, but I'm skeptical that's correct based on the general look. I need to get it under the microscope to review several choices in the key, and it'll probably end up a different Perlodidae.
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.
GoofusBug
Posts: 31
Posts: 31
GoofusBug on Jan 1, 2009January 1st, 2009, 3:07 pm EST
The longer I fish for trout, the smaller my flies keep getting. My tippets keep getting smaller, too.
Is this the normal progression of things?
Is this the normal progression of things?
Martinlf on Jan 1, 2009January 1st, 2009, 6:40 pm EST
For some, I suppose.
I vary between smaller and larger, depending on conditions. Last season I caught some of my biggest trout on big bugs and heavy tippets, but the one I was proudest of was a big brown on the Delaware that took a small sulphur emerger and was landed on 6X (quickly, I'd add, for those who may think it was played too long. It swam off strong.) Smaller and lighter does require aggressive fighting techniques such as turning the fish's head, using side pressure, and pushing the tippet to it's breaking point to bring the fish to net quickly and avoid exhausting it.
I vary between smaller and larger, depending on conditions. Last season I caught some of my biggest trout on big bugs and heavy tippets, but the one I was proudest of was a big brown on the Delaware that took a small sulphur emerger and was landed on 6X (quickly, I'd add, for those who may think it was played too long. It swam off strong.) Smaller and lighter does require aggressive fighting techniques such as turning the fish's head, using side pressure, and pushing the tippet to it's breaking point to bring the fish to net quickly and avoid exhausting it.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
JAD on Jan 2, 2009January 2nd, 2009, 4:35 am EST
GoofusBug
Is that because your getting older ( loss of sight --aches and pains -fat fingers) or are the fish becoming college grads .
JAD
Is that because your getting older ( loss of sight --aches and pains -fat fingers) or are the fish becoming college grads .
JAD
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,
RleeP on Jan 2, 2009January 2nd, 2009, 5:24 am EST
>>Is this the normal progression of things?>>
Yes. But the flies aren't really getting smaller. The lighting (whether solar or artificial) simply isn't as strong as once was and everything is harder to see. This occurred to me one day when I was standing on a dining room chair reading the newspaper opened on the floor, having misplaced my glasses...:)
Yes. But the flies aren't really getting smaller. The lighting (whether solar or artificial) simply isn't as strong as once was and everything is harder to see. This occurred to me one day when I was standing on a dining room chair reading the newspaper opened on the floor, having misplaced my glasses...:)
Leakywaders on Jan 2, 2009January 2nd, 2009, 10:37 am EST
The trout are smarter. Tried a royal coachman with yellow hackle tail, trout told me it was wrong. Need more golden phessant crest for royal coachman tails.
Drag free??? If the fly didn't drag, I wouldn't know where it was!!
Troutnut on Jan 2, 2009January 2nd, 2009, 11:11 am EST
Of course, a real fisherman would realize that it's not your flies and tippets getting smaller, nor is it your eyes getting worse. Your flies just seem smaller, because your fish are getting bigger! See, there's a perfectly good explanation for everything...
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Martinlf on Jan 3, 2009January 3rd, 2009, 5:42 am EST
Great thread; I missed the joke at first. Leave it to John to point it out to me! I remember that day I was trying to tie on a midge and kept wondering why I couldn't find the eye. It was my eye that was at fault. Now I carry various magnifying aids--bifocals in my sunglasses, flip focals for nightime or whenever the sunglasses aren't in use, and a backup folding pair of reading glasses--just in case. I do like Troutnut's explanation too! The perspective thing.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Quick Reply
Related Discussions
Topic
Replies
Last Reply
2
Jul 5, 2007
by Shawnny3
by Shawnny3
13
Mar 27, 2008
by Martinlf
by Martinlf