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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Report at a Glance
| General Region | Upper Peninsula |
| Specific Location | Sorry =) |
| Dates Fished | 2010 |
| Fish Caught | Browns, Brooks, Bows. |
| Conditions & Hatches | Higher water than most years. |
Details and Discussion
Pryal74 on Sep 13, 2010September 13th, 2010, 4:39 am EDT
Hello. My name is James Pryal. I am a guide and owner of Into The Wild Fly Fishing in Escanaba Michigan.
I have had one of the best years of my life this year fishing trout.
With trips starting to roll in I have been busy but I have had some time to wrangle some dandies myself.
Here are some of the trout I have caught this year.
These are all the photos I will post for now. I have a lot more.
Thanks and hope to see you on the water!
I have had one of the best years of my life this year fishing trout.
With trips starting to roll in I have been busy but I have had some time to wrangle some dandies myself.
Here are some of the trout I have caught this year.
These are all the photos I will post for now. I have a lot more.
Thanks and hope to see you on the water!
-James Pryal
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
Pryal74 on Sep 13, 2010September 13th, 2010, 4:42 am EDT
I forgot to title this one. My apologies. These fish are from our home waters here in the U.P.
-James Pryal
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
MT319 on Sep 13, 2010September 13th, 2010, 8:08 am EDT
Bro you harvest or C and R?..if C and R you gotta watch the fingers in the gill plates...nice brookies tho
Pryal74 on Sep 14, 2010September 14th, 2010, 3:02 am EDT
I rarely harvest. Personally, it doesn't seem to harm them the way I hold them. If a fish is going to die for some reason I'll bring him home. On the Esky, I usually don't take too many fish. They are reproducing pretty well now and with high water there will be even more fish next year. I can't wait. It was such a great year for Brook Trout too.
-James Pryal
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
Gutcutter on Sep 14, 2010September 14th, 2010, 5:17 am EDT
james
well, if it "doesn't seem to harm them" then all of my techniques in many years of catch and release are just plain wrong. i guess next time i'm just gonna shove my fingers in their gills and hope for the best.
if there are going to be even "more fish for next year" then i guess we can say what's wrong with a bit of delayed mortality of the 5 fish shown in your pictures.
and, we (on this forum at least) can usually tell when a guide holds a fish out away from his body towards the camera in an attempt to embellish the size of the fish.
instead of blatently advertising for your guide service (and it looks like you know where the fish are and how to catch them), how about some nice reports and photos of the trout food that you are noticing up there in the U.P. and your techniques for fooling those fish instead of merely photos of the (soon to be dead) fish.
gut
well, if it "doesn't seem to harm them" then all of my techniques in many years of catch and release are just plain wrong. i guess next time i'm just gonna shove my fingers in their gills and hope for the best.
if there are going to be even "more fish for next year" then i guess we can say what's wrong with a bit of delayed mortality of the 5 fish shown in your pictures.
and, we (on this forum at least) can usually tell when a guide holds a fish out away from his body towards the camera in an attempt to embellish the size of the fish.
instead of blatently advertising for your guide service (and it looks like you know where the fish are and how to catch them), how about some nice reports and photos of the trout food that you are noticing up there in the U.P. and your techniques for fooling those fish instead of merely photos of the (soon to be dead) fish.
gut
All men who fish may in turn be divided into two parts: those who fish for trout and those who don't. Trout fishermen are a race apart: they are a dedicated crew- indolent, improvident, and quietly mad.
-Robert Traver, Trout Madness
-Robert Traver, Trout Madness
Oldredbarn on Sep 14, 2010September 14th, 2010, 5:56 am EDT
Tony,
Ouch!!!
You need to get out your old copies of John Voelker's "Trout Madness" or "Trout Magic"! Here'a a fella in the U.P. and he's fishing with something other than stump-busters! Give him some credit here...:)
He's not fishing in a heavily pressured, "take-a-number-to-fish" PA stream! Now this is coming from the vegetarian/Mr. Catch-&-Release...but even if those fish didn't make it... I promise you they didn't go to waste...They fed something up there along the stream.
If we are going to welcome folks in to our "church" I doubt very much that they will pay us any mind if we stand at the door of that church throwing stones at them. IMHO
Spence
Ouch!!!
You need to get out your old copies of John Voelker's "Trout Madness" or "Trout Magic"! Here'a a fella in the U.P. and he's fishing with something other than stump-busters! Give him some credit here...:)
He's not fishing in a heavily pressured, "take-a-number-to-fish" PA stream! Now this is coming from the vegetarian/Mr. Catch-&-Release...but even if those fish didn't make it... I promise you they didn't go to waste...They fed something up there along the stream.
If we are going to welcome folks in to our "church" I doubt very much that they will pay us any mind if we stand at the door of that church throwing stones at them. IMHO
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
Gutcutter on Sep 14, 2010September 14th, 2010, 7:13 am EDT
yes - but -
when the members of our church recite the ten commandments and then go out and break them...
when the members of our church recite the ten commandments and then go out and break them...
All men who fish may in turn be divided into two parts: those who fish for trout and those who don't. Trout fishermen are a race apart: they are a dedicated crew- indolent, improvident, and quietly mad.
-Robert Traver, Trout Madness
-Robert Traver, Trout Madness
Pryal74 on Sep 14, 2010September 14th, 2010, 9:39 am EDT
It's ok. I run into people like this sometimes. I have both of those books actually, handed down from my Grandfather. Sorry gutcutter, apparently you didn't read my post correctly, sometimes I do keep a few brook trout in my travels. I do know the difference of a fish that is going to die or not. If you also read my other post, you could see what I had posted. From now on, maybe you will be grown up enough to keep your rude attitude to yourself. Also holding under the gill plate does not harm them. If you do in fact run your fingers "through the gill rakers etc", that will in fact harm them. I'm sure you're an absolute expert on the subject. I'm sure you know what happens to them better than I. You live in PA, but I'm sure you know what happens on our rivers better than I would. You can put words in my mouth all you want. You're horrible post is not appreciated, for the record. But, you are entitled to your opinion. Where does your handle come from? Gutcutter... curious handle for a C and R guy.
-James Pryal
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
Dryfly on Sep 14, 2010September 14th, 2010, 10:07 am EDT
Also holding under the gill plate does not harm them. If you do in fact run your fingers "through the gill rakers etc", that will in fact harm them.
You got any studies to prove holding them by the gill cover does no harm? Holding trout in that manner puts your fingers close to the gill and you admit that running your "fingers through the gill rakers" will cause harm. So why even put your fingers near the gills?
Adirman on Sep 14, 2010September 14th, 2010, 12:04 pm EDT
Wow!! This place reminds me of another forum I belong to!!
Martinlf on Sep 14, 2010September 14th, 2010, 12:06 pm EDT
As a fisheries biologist in training, Jason's probably the best person to have an informed opinion. I'd like to see him weigh in on this one, but hope the tone will shift to one of inquiry and learning rather than blame. It's my current understanding that if one intends to release them, fish need to stay in the water as much as possible, and never should be hung from the jaw or gill plates. But I'm pretty neurotic about releasing fish quickly, and won't even photograph them as I've read that every second out of water takes them one second closer to potential problems. It especially troubles me to see photos of trout laid on dry land--unless they are being harvested, which I have no problem with in waters where keeping fish doesn't threaten the population. Ufortunately, most of the streams I fish don't fall into that category.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Lastchance on Sep 15, 2010September 15th, 2010, 7:01 am EDT
I guess photos can be misleading because the manner in which you are holding those fish gives the appearance you are going to harvest them. Photos can be deceiving. For instance, we've all seen the countless numbers of photos of people holding 10-inch fish with their arms extended out toward the camera so it looks as though it's 20 inches. That has always annoyed me. Welcome to the board.
Jmd123 on Sep 15, 2010September 15th, 2010, 7:49 am EDT
Those are real beauties, James. Thanks for showing off the magnificent fisheries of our home state! And as far as those PA guys go, well, they've got a hell of a long drive to reach your "undisclosed locations" so I think you're safe for now...
I am hoping to move "up north" to the Tawas City/Oscoda area next year (I will be up there in a few weeks for a several-month-long research project). If I do make it up there, James, I might have to pay you a visit sometime as I will be a few hours closer than I am here (and have some $$$ after getting back to work for a while)...And don't worry, I won't give away your favortie fishing holes either! I am currently exploring a couple of "undisclosed locations" myself right now...
Jonathon
I am hoping to move "up north" to the Tawas City/Oscoda area next year (I will be up there in a few weeks for a several-month-long research project). If I do make it up there, James, I might have to pay you a visit sometime as I will be a few hours closer than I am here (and have some $$$ after getting back to work for a while)...And don't worry, I won't give away your favortie fishing holes either! I am currently exploring a couple of "undisclosed locations" myself right now...
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Jesse on Sep 15, 2010September 15th, 2010, 6:45 pm EDT
Nice fish son keep doing work!
Most of us fish our whole lives..not knowing its not the fish that we are after.
http://www.filingoflyfishing.com
http://www.filingoflyfishing.com
Pryal74 on Sep 16, 2010September 16th, 2010, 4:28 am EDT
@ Lastchance, thanks and I agree. Ever watch Infisherman? they use the Fisheye camera alot. They catch a 20 inch walleye and make it look like it's ten pounds. I like that show cause it is informative but slightly misleading. As a matter of fact, they walleye fish our waters here in tournaments.
@ Jmd123, you wouldn't be disappointed, that's for sure. Spring is the best for bigger fish on our main river. Brookies can be caught in great sizes and numbers in the spring but when the water warms, they find cooler deeper water and feed more towards dark. Any other time of the season you can catch monster Browns and Bows. There are so many places to go, you name the species and I'll bring you to them. Those undisclosed locations are packed with fish most of the time. I caught career numbers this year at a few of those places, you would be astonished.
@ Jesse, thanks. Like the rest of the members here, it's a passion.
@ Jmd123, you wouldn't be disappointed, that's for sure. Spring is the best for bigger fish on our main river. Brookies can be caught in great sizes and numbers in the spring but when the water warms, they find cooler deeper water and feed more towards dark. Any other time of the season you can catch monster Browns and Bows. There are so many places to go, you name the species and I'll bring you to them. Those undisclosed locations are packed with fish most of the time. I caught career numbers this year at a few of those places, you would be astonished.
@ Jesse, thanks. Like the rest of the members here, it's a passion.
-James Pryal
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
Into The Wild Fly Fishing
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