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.

The North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho

Stream photos

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Psychodidae True Fly Larva Psychodidae True Fly Larva

Lateral view of a Psychodidae True Fly Larva from Mystery Creek #308 in Washington

This wild-looking little thing completely puzzled me. At first I was thinking beetle or month larva, until I got a look at the pictures on the computer screen. I made a couple of incorrect guesses before entomologist Greg Courtney pointed me in the right direction with Psychodidae. He suggested a possible genus of Thornburghiella, but could not rule out some other members of the tribe Pericomini.

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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.

Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Preserving Deer Hair

Bcvizina
Northern Michigan

Posts: 30

Bcvizina on Nov 16, 2011November 16th, 2011, 9:23 am EST

Since it's the middle of deer season, I was wondering if anybody has saved the cape from a deer they shot. I can also see the opportunity of contacting a taxidermist or local game meat processing facility to get other capes to convert to tying material as well, but how do you do it?

Troutnut

Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758

Troutnut on Nov 16, 2011November 16th, 2011, 10:24 am EST

I've never needed so much deer hair that I had a professional do a proper tanning of a cape, and I'm not sure how that would influence the hair. I just take small pieces, scrape the skin clean of any flesh, and use salt and/or borax to dry it out. That seems to work fine. The skin hardens and curls up some, so the pieces don't seem as professional as the soft, tanned squares you buy in the store, but it all looks the same on the fly.

Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

Sayfu
Posts: 560

Sayfu on Nov 16, 2011November 16th, 2011, 1:21 pm EST

Over the years, I have learned to highly regard being organized, and tanned, high quality deer hair in an easily stored package is my choice. I went the hide route once, and ended up throwing it away. One good patch from a flyshop and I can tie an enormous number of comparaduns let's say. And a spinning hair patch. I can't even grade hair very well, and determine good spinning grade hair for instance. I let the experts do it. And I don't have to worry about the bugs as I do relying on myself to properly care for the hide. And I sure like handling the flexibility of a tanned hide. But that is me. Other game I do myself like the pheasants I shoot, and the grouse, and Hungarian Partridge I shoot.