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.

This little pool in update New York is enjoyed by many tourists every day, and it still holds a few trout -- stockers mostly, but you can't complain about the setting!

From Mystery Creek # 62 in New York

Stream photos

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Perlodidae (Springflies and Yellow Stones) Stonefly Nymph Perlodidae (Springflies and Yellow Stones) Stonefly Nymph

Artistic view of a Perlodidae (Springflies and Yellow Stones) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

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.

11 Recently Added Photos

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.

Hexagenia Mayflies

Motrout

Posts: 319

Motrout on Jun 28, 2010June 28th, 2010, 1:06 am EDT

I'm headed up to the Adirondacks tomorrow for a two week trip, and I was planning to spend most of my time on the West Branch of the Ausable. With that said, I got a call from a friend who lives up there last night, telling me the Hex hatch was on on the ponds. This is a fly I've never encountered before, but he said they are really large , something like #6 or #8, so I thought it might be worth checking out. Does anyone know of any good dry fly patterns to imitate them? Also, what time of day do they usually come off?

"I don't know what fly fishing teaches us, but I think it's something we need to know."-John Gierach
http://fishingintheozarks.blogspot.com/

Taxon

Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311

Taxon on Jun 28, 2010June 28th, 2010, 9:14 am EDT

Motrout-

You don't need to leave this site to get the information you seek. Here is a link to Jason's terrific article on Hexagenia limbata.

Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com

Oldredbarn

Novi, MI

Posts: 2600

Oldredbarn on Jun 30, 2010June 30th, 2010, 9:08 am EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dulwjktZ1BI

Copy and paste this link in to your browser...We have an ad campaign here in Michigan called "Pure Michigan" and it's sent all over to try and attract tourist here...This is a spoof of that ad campaign just for us anglers...

Check it out!

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