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.

A beautiful braided reach of the Sag River, with the Philip Smith Mountains in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in the background.

From the Sagavanirktok River in Alaska

Stream photos

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Setvena wahkeena (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph Setvena wahkeena (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Setvena wahkeena (Perlodidae) (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington

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.

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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.

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Snipe fly

Serotonin has attached these 3 pictures to aid in identification. The message is below.

Serotonin
Posts: 6

Serotonin on Feb 22, 2007February 22nd, 2007, 7:51 am EST

Serotonin posted these pics without a message, so I'm posting a quote from another thread in which I believe he references these pics --Troutnut

Serotonin wrote:

First, I'd like to say that I've really enjoyed this site since its inception, and I like it even more w/the new format. There is an incredible wealth of knowledge here.

I have encountered the bug pictured above, in a New York stream. I don't recall it's Latin name, but if memory serves, in Schwiebert's "Nymphs" he refers to it as a Snipe Fly Larva. I have also heard it called a Water Sprite.

I don't have the Nymphs book in front of me, but here's some photos I took a few winters ago. When disturbed, the things would thrash wildly until able to gain a foothold on something. I am considering making highly articulated larvae to mimic this behavior. Appx 1.5 cm.

Troutnut