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 | Missouri Ozark Foothill region |
| Specific Location | a pond |
| Dates Fished | 4/29/2011 |
| Time of Day | 5 P.M. to dark |
| Fish Caught | bass, bluegill, green sunfish, and redear sunfish |
| Conditions & Hatches | Off color water, about 2 feet of visibility. Air temp lower 70s dropping into the mid-60s right before dark. Didn't take water temp but it is probably a bit over 60 degrees, give or take |
Details and Discussion
Motrout on Apr 29, 2011April 29th, 2011, 9:06 pm EDT
Well, here's another warm-water report. Pretty soon I'll no longer be considered a trout nut I guess if I keep posting these reports, but whatever:)
After heavy and prolonged rains, all the trout creeks are blown out, even the little spring creeks that I can usually count on in times of high water, and even the warm-water pond near my home just became fly-fishable yesterday-and it doesn't muddy easy and clears quickly. Anyway, I got out tonight because I thought the clarity was definitely good enough to take some fish on small woollies and other subsurface stuff, and I thought with luck I could maybe take some on top too. I started off at five o'clock, with a #12 Olive Woolly tied on, and I almost immediately got into some nice redear sunfish that are so easy to fool this time of year. They grow up to 9" in this pond and put up a fight that at least equals that of the average stocking size trout. I also caught a few small largemouth bass, as well as plenty of bluegill and green sunfish, which are both plentiful and stunted in this pond. Then about 7 P.M. I started to see some surface activity and switched over to a Dave's Hopper (which shouldn't work in April but panfish don't know that). I was able to land some pretty decent bluegill and green sunfish on that, although the bass and the redear didn't show any interest at all.
In all, the fishing wasn't too special, so I spent a lot of time looking around. Spring is already passing in the part of Missouri where I reside. The trees are fully leafed out, the early spring flowers are come and gone, and things are starting to look a lot like summer again. But the evening air still had the chill of a spring day, and the dogwoods that were reflected in the still surface of the pond were still in full bloom. Soon it will be time for the hot weather, and the dawn and dusk fishing associated with that, but not yet. For now, spring still hangs on, and I'm not in any hurry for my favorite time of the year to pass by.
After heavy and prolonged rains, all the trout creeks are blown out, even the little spring creeks that I can usually count on in times of high water, and even the warm-water pond near my home just became fly-fishable yesterday-and it doesn't muddy easy and clears quickly. Anyway, I got out tonight because I thought the clarity was definitely good enough to take some fish on small woollies and other subsurface stuff, and I thought with luck I could maybe take some on top too. I started off at five o'clock, with a #12 Olive Woolly tied on, and I almost immediately got into some nice redear sunfish that are so easy to fool this time of year. They grow up to 9" in this pond and put up a fight that at least equals that of the average stocking size trout. I also caught a few small largemouth bass, as well as plenty of bluegill and green sunfish, which are both plentiful and stunted in this pond. Then about 7 P.M. I started to see some surface activity and switched over to a Dave's Hopper (which shouldn't work in April but panfish don't know that). I was able to land some pretty decent bluegill and green sunfish on that, although the bass and the redear didn't show any interest at all.
In all, the fishing wasn't too special, so I spent a lot of time looking around. Spring is already passing in the part of Missouri where I reside. The trees are fully leafed out, the early spring flowers are come and gone, and things are starting to look a lot like summer again. But the evening air still had the chill of a spring day, and the dogwoods that were reflected in the still surface of the pond were still in full bloom. Soon it will be time for the hot weather, and the dawn and dusk fishing associated with that, but not yet. For now, spring still hangs on, and I'm not in any hurry for my favorite time of the year to pass by.
"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/
Troutnut on Apr 29, 2011April 29th, 2011, 10:30 pm EDT
Thanks for the report!
If you miss spring, just come up to Alaska... we're still waiting for it to start! It lasts a good 48 hours and, then, summer!
If you miss spring, just come up to Alaska... we're still waiting for it to start! It lasts a good 48 hours and, then, summer!
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
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