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.
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I caught this tiny larva without a case, but it seems to key pretty clearly to to Glossosomatidae. From there, the lack of sclerites on the mesonotum points to either Glossosoma or Anagapetus. Although it's difficult to see in a 2D image from the microscope, it's pretty clear in the live 3D view that the pronotum is only excised about 1/3 of its length to accommodate the forecoxa, not 2/3, which points to Glossosoma at Couplet 5 of the Key to Genera of Glossosomatidae Larvae.
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Oldredbarn on Dec 18, 2009December 18th, 2009, 3:36 am EST
Everyone speaks of the Hex or maybe the Brown Drake here in Michigan, but the Henny's the fly that reminds us of Opening Day! The posting of this little prize fighter, look at those biceps...(You think that it's not adapted to fighting current, think again)reminds me that here in Michigan we only have 127 days until Opening Day...Whoa!
I have been tying at every free moment I can get and now I feel the pressure..."So much to do and so little time." Some folks are counting down to Christmas, but Jason here, ever the disciplinarian, is telling us to stop these frivilous postings and get busy! It will be spring again soon and your fly box is going to be bare, and found wanting, if you continue to dally...
Sometimes Opening Day is more about the tradition and hoopla than fishing, but it's hard to beat. I have been awakened at Gates' Lodge on Opening Day by a guy in the next room playing bagpipes! I have even spent an Opening Day weekend, sans fishing gear, at the Lodge for an anniversary...
My wife still remembers Julie Gates' Walleye the Friday evening before Opening Day...She actually enjoyed the atmosphere that evening more than the fancy restaurant I took her to the next day in Gaylord...The "old-guard" shows for that weekend even if they are so old they haven't been able to fish in years. We all smuggle in cases of wine in to the dining room and scotch and let the bullshitting begin!
Opening Day...Out come the Hardy's and cane and the small vials of something to warm you...Some last "Saturday's in April" in Crawford Co can be down right mean...You try and find an unoccupied spot on the bank somewhere along the "Holy Water", preferably with an old angling buddy and wait for a hatch.
Sometimes ugly weather can be a blessing...May bring out Mr. Baetis vagans by the droves...Maybe you'll see the Little Slate-Winged Mahogany, or if you get some sun the Little Black Caddis...If you have been a good boy during the preceding winter...Pop! "There's a Henny! Look! Look! Over there in the bubble stream..." Ahhh yes! "Hey! What's this crawling across my waders? Some kind of stonefly...We are sitting, after all, in what Rusty calls 'Stonefly Alley'"
Thanks for the reminder Jason and the reverie I'll apologize for...Now the rest of you...Don't you be asking me for a fly come Opening Day! You have been forwarned...Only 127 days to an anglers christmas morning...
Spence
I have been tying at every free moment I can get and now I feel the pressure..."So much to do and so little time." Some folks are counting down to Christmas, but Jason here, ever the disciplinarian, is telling us to stop these frivilous postings and get busy! It will be spring again soon and your fly box is going to be bare, and found wanting, if you continue to dally...
Sometimes Opening Day is more about the tradition and hoopla than fishing, but it's hard to beat. I have been awakened at Gates' Lodge on Opening Day by a guy in the next room playing bagpipes! I have even spent an Opening Day weekend, sans fishing gear, at the Lodge for an anniversary...
My wife still remembers Julie Gates' Walleye the Friday evening before Opening Day...She actually enjoyed the atmosphere that evening more than the fancy restaurant I took her to the next day in Gaylord...The "old-guard" shows for that weekend even if they are so old they haven't been able to fish in years. We all smuggle in cases of wine in to the dining room and scotch and let the bullshitting begin!
Opening Day...Out come the Hardy's and cane and the small vials of something to warm you...Some last "Saturday's in April" in Crawford Co can be down right mean...You try and find an unoccupied spot on the bank somewhere along the "Holy Water", preferably with an old angling buddy and wait for a hatch.
Sometimes ugly weather can be a blessing...May bring out Mr. Baetis vagans by the droves...Maybe you'll see the Little Slate-Winged Mahogany, or if you get some sun the Little Black Caddis...If you have been a good boy during the preceding winter...Pop! "There's a Henny! Look! Look! Over there in the bubble stream..." Ahhh yes! "Hey! What's this crawling across my waders? Some kind of stonefly...We are sitting, after all, in what Rusty calls 'Stonefly Alley'"
Thanks for the reminder Jason and the reverie I'll apologize for...Now the rest of you...Don't you be asking me for a fly come Opening Day! You have been forwarned...Only 127 days to an anglers christmas morning...
Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Tilman on Dec 18, 2009December 18th, 2009, 5:33 am EST
Nice post.
When you mention mayflies, it reminds me, that i have not tied any myflies yet. Could you post me some links to some good versions of the drakes´nymph ?
I have oliver edwards explanation of how to tie the mohican mayfly, maybe i´ll give that one a go, too. Doesn´t look that difficult.
When you mention mayflies, it reminds me, that i have not tied any myflies yet. Could you post me some links to some good versions of the drakes´nymph ?
I have oliver edwards explanation of how to tie the mohican mayfly, maybe i´ll give that one a go, too. Doesn´t look that difficult.
Oldredbarn on Dec 20, 2009December 20th, 2009, 3:19 pm EST
I'm just re-posting this to the top of our posts due to it's contents.
It is appropriate, and a little odd, that the evening prior to his passing I was waxing about Opening Day and Rusty Gates and the Hendrickson which are all so famous on the Au Sable in Michigan.
Many anglers have similar memories and those that have known the Au Sable and it's fishing tradition and Rusty Gates are in mourning.
Spence
It is appropriate, and a little odd, that the evening prior to his passing I was waxing about Opening Day and Rusty Gates and the Hendrickson which are all so famous on the Au Sable in Michigan.
Many anglers have similar memories and those that have known the Au Sable and it's fishing tradition and Rusty Gates are in mourning.
Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
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