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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.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
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.
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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Fish24_7
P.A.

Posts: 3
Fish24_7 on Sep 9, 2006September 9th, 2006, 6:39 pm EDT
im trying to find a good all around fly what dose everyone think personally right now i like an adams it is one of the simpler flies to tie and fishes very well but i would like to know what everyone else thinks
Sundula
Littleton, Colorado

Posts: 35
Sundula on Sep 10, 2006September 10th, 2006, 6:14 pm EDT
I have found that an all around dry is hard to find. This year I have fished the mercury RS2 (created by Pat Dorsey) in sizes #18 - #22 almost all year as a dropper in my two fly rigs I discovered this fly when reading Dorsey's book and gave it a shot. I have fished literally all year with it and I have fooled many trout with it. It is a very simple fly to tie and can be fished at varying depths with different presentatioins. I believe in most situations it is your presentation that will fool the fish, granted there are those times when you will have to "match the hatch", but for a good all around fly this one has been great for me. The recipe:
Hook: TMC 101 #18 - #22
Thread: Light Gray 8/0
Tail: Light Dun Hackle 2/3 body length
Abdomen: Adams Gray
Wing: White Antron or Z-Lon clipped to middle of Abdomen
Thorax: Adams Gray
Bead: Mercury Extra small
Troutnut
Troutnut's profile picture
Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Sep 11, 2006September 11th, 2006, 9:06 am EDT
Interesting Sundula. I've never tried that one -- I'll have to tie one up and give it a shot.

My favorite all-around fly, by far, is the Royal Wulff. It's a pretty generic choice, but it's popular for a reason. I really haven't found anything else that attracts trout so well under a variety of conditions, so it's usually the first dry I try when there's no hatch to match.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Sundula
Littleton, Colorado

Posts: 35
Sundula on Sep 11, 2006September 11th, 2006, 2:46 pm EDT
-Jason
I sent you a pic of the fly hope it works as well for you as it has for me. Is there a place on your site to submit fly recipes and pics?
Fish24_7
P.A.

Posts: 3
Fish24_7 on Sep 14, 2006September 14th, 2006, 3:22 pm EDT
Hey thanks alot i will give them a try and let you know how they work for me and again thanks
Troutnut
Troutnut's profile picture
Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Sep 14, 2006September 14th, 2006, 3:37 pm EDT
Thanks for the pic. I'll give that one a try too.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Softhackle
Softhackle's profile picture
Wellsville, NY

Posts: 540
Softhackle on Sep 21, 2006September 21st, 2006, 5:17 am EDT
Fish,24_7,
Try something that imitates Baetis. I believe the Adams does, to some extent. Yet, something with a little more olive coloring works better. As a soft-hackle enthusiast, I like a Little Olive Soft-hackle I tie or a Partridge and Olive emerger as tied by Hans Weilenmann.

Mark
"I have the highest respect for the skilled wet-fly fisherman, as he has mastered an art of very great difficulty." Edward R. Hewitt

Flymphs, Soft-hackles and Spiders: http://www.troutnut.com/libstudio/FS&S/index.html

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