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 a striking caddis larva with an interesting color pattern on the head. Here are some characteristics I was able to see under the microscope, but could not easily expose for a picture:
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
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Shawnny3 on Dec 14, 2010December 14th, 2010, 10:19 am EST
Very nice description, Flytier37 - each thing you described (with the exception of the huge fish) reminds me of a place on some small stream I've fished, making me feel like I almost know this place. Welcome to the forum. I haven't had time to read the other posts on this thread yet, but I'm sure there's a lot of good stuff.
-Shawn
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Flatstick96 on Dec 15, 2010December 15th, 2010, 4:15 am EST
Having seen, firsthand, the joy that Shawnny derives from fishing the smallest, most brush-choked mountain brookie streams he can find, I was stunned that it took so long for him to visit this thread.
I've heard through the grapevine, though, that's he's been consumed with a top secret artistic project on which he's been sworn to secrecy.
It looks like the rest of us may get to see what he's working on soon, though; I found this little teaser online (scroll down to the "looking ahead" section):
http://www.facebook.com/theanthropologist
I've heard through the grapevine, though, that's he's been consumed with a top secret artistic project on which he's been sworn to secrecy.
It looks like the rest of us may get to see what he's working on soon, though; I found this little teaser online (scroll down to the "looking ahead" section):
http://www.facebook.com/theanthropologist
PaulRoberts on Dec 15, 2010December 15th, 2010, 4:57 am EST
Shawn, have you found yourself a nice little ballerina -a tiny dancer in your head? I sure hope it's that gold wire in the shot next to her. Women and fishing don't really mix, despite what they say at first.;) But women and gold wire...
Shawnny3 on Dec 15, 2010December 15th, 2010, 9:45 am EST
I suppose it's for the best that women cannot read minds, though that does not seem to deter them from trying - my wife would probably not react well to the ballerinas in my head.
That fly is definitely for the ladies, though. That pic was made intentionally vague as a teaser. It was a really hard fly and turned out really well - I'm excited for people to see it. The full spread will come out in January.
As for fishing, I've been known to frequent the occasional small stream, the sorts of places that seem custom-made to frustrate Flatstick. I'm afraid his patience for bushes in his back-cast is limited. But he didn't seem to mind yanking fish after fish out of that little plunge pool I discovered that can only be fished on hands and knees. What a difference a few willing brookies make to the experience.
-Shawn
That fly is definitely for the ladies, though. That pic was made intentionally vague as a teaser. It was a really hard fly and turned out really well - I'm excited for people to see it. The full spread will come out in January.
As for fishing, I've been known to frequent the occasional small stream, the sorts of places that seem custom-made to frustrate Flatstick. I'm afraid his patience for bushes in his back-cast is limited. But he didn't seem to mind yanking fish after fish out of that little plunge pool I discovered that can only be fished on hands and knees. What a difference a few willing brookies make to the experience.
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Bippie on Dec 19, 2010December 19th, 2010, 1:33 pm EST
Elk Lick, Potter County Pennsylvania. It's a little mountain Brookie stream, you don't need boots to fish it's entire length. There are only a few pools that you can't reach all the way across with a 9 foot rod (not that you'd use a 9 foot rod on this little stream... never caught anything bigger than 8 to 9 inches... but it is a beautiful creek to fish!
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