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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 Neoleptophlebia (Leptophlebiidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
Some characteristics from the microscope images for the tentative species id: The postero-lateral projections are found only on segment 9, not segment 8. Based on the key in Jacobus et al. (2014), it appears to key to Neoleptophlebia adoptiva or Neoleptophlebia heteronea, same as this specimen with pretty different abdominal markings. However, distinguishing between those calls for comparing the lengths of the second and third segment of the labial palp, and this one (like the other one) only seems to have two segments. So I'm stuck on them both. It's likely that the fact that they're immature nymphs stymies identification in some important way.
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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Report at a Glance

General RegionWestern Catskills
Specific LocationN/A
Dates FishedJune 22 - 24
Time of Day1:30 - 5:00 pm
Fish CaughtNumerous wild browns 15" - 21"
Conditions & HatchesSulfurs also blanket hatch of #20 Baetis

Details and Discussion

Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Jun 27, 2010June 27th, 2010, 2:27 pm EDT
Don't really know what kind of mayfly it was. If it was a "Sulfur" as some guys said it was a species with which I'm unfamiliar. Light yellow wings, light yellow body, three tails, small red eyes, about a size #15. Blanket emergence!~ So many bugs that the trout just lost interest and stopped surface feeding as I'm assuming there was a subsurface glut of swimming and emerging nymphs.



Anyone know why my images are being deleted - I see it has happened in a number of my older post.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Jun 27, 2010June 27th, 2010, 4:29 pm EDT
Nice fish there Matt! You may have been unfamiliar with whatever bug was on the water, but you did something right! Sweet...

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

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