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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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.
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.
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Jlw_5178 on Apr 22, 2010April 22nd, 2010, 6:34 am EDT
I was hoping someone could help me out..I got this fly from a department store in a dry fly multi-pack, but i cant find one like it online cause i dont know what its called. It is some peacock herl with a turn or two of brown hackle at the front and a piece of red yarn at the back. does anyone know what this best imitates and what the common name of this pattern is? thanks, Jody
Jlw_5178 on Apr 22, 2010April 22nd, 2010, 6:35 am EDT
i took a picture and will post if i can figure out how???
Jlw_5178 on Apr 22, 2010April 22nd, 2010, 7:00 am EDT
ok heres the pic at flikr.com copy and paste to your address bar
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14563723@N07/?saved=1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14563723@N07/?saved=1
GONZO on Apr 22, 2010April 22nd, 2010, 7:14 am EDT
Jody,
Your fly is an old wet-fly pattern called the "Brown Hackle" (sometimes known as the "Brown Hackle Peacock"). The "Gray Hackle" is a similar fly tied with grizzly hackle. The red "tag" was variously tied with red hackle fibers, red wing-quill sections, or red wool. Like many of the older wet flies, it was not tied as an imitation of anything in particular.
Your fly is an old wet-fly pattern called the "Brown Hackle" (sometimes known as the "Brown Hackle Peacock"). The "Gray Hackle" is a similar fly tied with grizzly hackle. The red "tag" was variously tied with red hackle fibers, red wing-quill sections, or red wool. Like many of the older wet flies, it was not tied as an imitation of anything in particular.
Jlw_5178 on Apr 22, 2010April 22nd, 2010, 7:33 am EDT
i guess im mostly curious about this fly cause there is a really great caddis hatch every evening right now at the antietam creek where i generally go to. the hatch gets pretty heavy, off and on throughout the late afternoon untill sunset. i rarely do see any surface activity,
but id have to assume their feeding on the emergers like crazy.
do you think this fly is a descent caddis emerger? if I could ask another one, why do they use red yarn in some patterns? It must be effective though bc i was talking to someone at the lake nearby and he was taking rainbows on a fly he called the proffesor. it also had red yarn trailing behind it and he swore by that pattern. thanks so much for your help! jody
but id have to assume their feeding on the emergers like crazy.
do you think this fly is a descent caddis emerger? if I could ask another one, why do they use red yarn in some patterns? It must be effective though bc i was talking to someone at the lake nearby and he was taking rainbows on a fly he called the proffesor. it also had red yarn trailing behind it and he swore by that pattern. thanks so much for your help! jody
GONZO on Apr 22, 2010April 22nd, 2010, 7:57 am EDT
The red tag was a common feature of a number of "attractor" wet-fly patterns, including the Woolly Worm, Zulu, Montreal, Grizzly King, and the Professor. A general approach to covering many common caddisfly emergers might start with a selection of simple soft hackles in tan, yellow, green, black, and peacock bodies. If the caddisfly activity you are seeing is an emergence rather than egg-laying, you can determine which color to use by looking at the body color of a freshly emerged adult. (Many adult caddisflies will darken considerably as they "age" after emergence.)
Jlw_5178 on Apr 22, 2010April 22nd, 2010, 8:20 am EDT
your advice is greatly appreciated! thank you so much, im gonna do some experimenting with them soft hackles. jody
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