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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As far as I can tell, this species has only previously been reported from one site in Oregon along the Columbia gorge. However, the key characteristics are fairly unmistakable in all except for one minor detail:
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.
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Jmd123 on Mar 18, 2011March 18th, 2011, 6:55 am EDT
You know, Kurt, at work we used magnifier lamps - the ones with a big magnifying glass ringed with a flourescent bulb on a flexible stand - to sort tiny benthic inverts from the debris we collected. I suppose I should invest in one of those and then perhap I can also aspire to tie size 20 Royal Wulffs as well. My eyes alone just won't allow it and I'm only 47!!
Very nice. The Royal Wulff is probably my all-time favorite attractor fly. It works well on my "natal" fly-fishing stream, the Maple River in northern MI. Brookies just love 'em!
Jonathon
Very nice. The Royal Wulff is probably my all-time favorite attractor fly. It works well on my "natal" fly-fishing stream, the Maple River in northern MI. Brookies just love 'em!
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Aaron7_8 on Mar 20, 2011March 20th, 2011, 5:32 am EDT
Wow what a thread. I was attending a fly tying class last week and the Instructor said he got out fished four to one on of the streams I frequent on the difference between a size 20 and a size 18. Sometimes it is great to have the exact right thing and other times I go out and catch fish on four or five different flies in all types of water.
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