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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 Amphizoa (Amphizoidae) Beetle Larva from Sears Creek in Washington
This is the first of it's family I've seen, collected from a tiny, fishless stream in the Cascades. The three species of this genus all live in the Northwest and are predators that primarily eat stonefly nymphs Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019).
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.

Troutnut
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Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Feb 2, 2010February 2nd, 2010, 7:10 am EST
A friend took me & Lena out mushing with her dog team at Wickersham Dome about an hour north of Fairbanks. This was our 10-month-old husky puppy Taiga's first chance to run with a real dog team, although she got tired of being hooked up after the first 3-4 miles so we just had her run free alongside the team. The scenery up there in the winter is pretty amazing.

You can right-click each image and select "view image" (in Firefox, should be similar in other browsers) to see them a bit larger.

Here's Taiga:





Sled dog traffic jam:





















Happy Taiga!



Oh, and there's a YouTube video of a few minutes of the run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzhCeNqazJg
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Jmd123
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Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Feb 2, 2010February 2nd, 2010, 7:20 am EST
FABULOUS photos, Jason!!!!!!!!!!!!

But tell me honestly...isn't this how you get to your favorite unknown, hard-to-reach fishing holes, hmmm???

Jonathon ;oD
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Troutnut
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Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Feb 2, 2010February 2nd, 2010, 7:25 am EST
But tell me honestly...isn't this how you get to your favorite unknown, hard-to-reach fishing holes, hmmm???


Even if it were, they're all covered by about 3 feet of ice. Actually, I don't have any favorite unknown fishing spots in Alaska. There's good grayling fishing all over the place, so I go more for variety than for repeatedly hitting certain good spots.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Oldredbarn
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Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Feb 2, 2010February 2nd, 2010, 9:04 am EST
Jason,

Very nice! You have managed to make me feel not so cold down here on the "outside" in the lower 48...I have a question...Were you able to see Russia from the sled? I thought I saw a Russkie waving at you guys off in the bush to your left...Of course...It would have to be to your left wouldn't it...On the other hand I guess them old Bolsheviks aren't even left of center these days...Poor old Vladie must be rolling over in his tomb!

Seriously...You two are making some nice memories up there. Not too many folk get to see what you guys have. You know I don't want to bum you out or be selfish, but there are some species holes on Trout Nut and we need you here to fill them! Now quit playing around in the snow and get your work done!

Spence the Jealous...It is actually snowing here at least...No dog sleds, but snowing.
"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

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