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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This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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Motrout on Sep 23, 2010September 23rd, 2010, 9:38 am EDT
"If you don't believe me that we attract an odd lot to our sport look in the faces of the "regular" folk in the canoes that may pass you when you are out in the middle of the woods...You can almost hear them saying, "Now don't say anything to it and maybe we can just slide on by and it won't bother us. How in the hell did it get out here in the middle of nowhere anyway?!"
It's the truth... I know the exact kind of weird look your talking about- I get it a lot fishing down in the Ozarks where anyone who doesn't fish Powerbait under a bobber is something of a novelty . I was fishing a hike-in stretch of the upper Current the other day, and a lady in a passing canoe actually asked her husband "What the heck is that thing he's waving around in the air? And he's three miles from the county bridge and he doesn't even have a boat!" Her husband said back to her in a low,unsure voice, "I don't know honey, but I think it might be one of them fly poles."
It's the truth... I know the exact kind of weird look your talking about- I get it a lot fishing down in the Ozarks where anyone who doesn't fish Powerbait under a bobber is something of a novelty . I was fishing a hike-in stretch of the upper Current the other day, and a lady in a passing canoe actually asked her husband "What the heck is that thing he's waving around in the air? And he's three miles from the county bridge and he doesn't even have a boat!" Her husband said back to her in a low,unsure voice, "I don't know honey, but I think it might be one of them fly poles."
"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/
http://fishingintheozarks.blogspot.com/
Lastchance on Sep 23, 2010September 23rd, 2010, 11:59 am EDT
Tell me about odd looks. My sister and I were at Heinz Field watching the last preseason football game between the Steelers and Tennessee when I looked up in the sky and saw white mayflies. I got excited and pointed into the night saying, "See those bugs flying around, those are white mayflies." After she gave me one of those, you're nuts and I don't give a damn looks, other people around us began to look into the sky and then, they too, gave me weird stares. I was so excited I called Gutcutter at home to give him the Three Rivers stream report. I know all about those weird looks.
CaseyP on Sep 26, 2010September 26th, 2010, 3:53 pm EDT
My sister and I were at Heinz Field watching the last preseason football game
oh my does that post make me feel better...one June evening at Nationals Stadium, something in the mayfly line hatched in the wretched Anacostia River and flew up to enjoy the lights. i nabbed one and had a long and interesting discussion with the Light of my Life about its identity, gender, and possible imitator patterns.
gee, it did get a little quiet around us, up there in the good seats...especially when I claimed out loud that Blue Plains must be doing its job if there were mayflies to be had!
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
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