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.

View from Upper to Lower Titcomb Lake

From Titcomb Basin in Wyoming

Stream photos

Featured on the forum

Re: Trico emergers
In the Mayfly Genus Tricorythodes by Bwoklink (Martinlf replied)

Re: Trico Tips
In the Mayfly Genus Tricorythodes by Martinlf

Re: UV spectrum and trout
In General Discussion by Martinlf

Re: closing the gender gap in flyfishing
In General Discussion by Konchu (Smallflyguy replied)

Re: Fishing Kupa River, Slovenia
In Fishing Reports by Slocum (Fish1 replied)

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.

7 Recently Added Photos

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.

Brook Trout 2011

Pryal74 has attached these 20 pictures. The message is below.

There was a tiny nick on him where maybe a heron took a stab it him... you can see it below his lateral line.

About 5 inches and has some of the prettiest coloration for a fish that size. Out of a U.P. river right next to a city and totally native.

Pryal74

Escanaba, MI

Posts: 168

Pryal74 on Jan 26, 2012January 26th, 2012, 10:05 pm EST

These are my favorite trout to hunt down and toss a fly to. For anyone who has trekked through four miles of two track roads, poplar forests, nasty swamps, beaver dam pools, tag alders or any horrid, taxing, encumbering obstacle... knows exactly what it means to work for your quarry. I love to watch their fall colors flash as they strike a white marabou streamer or smash boldly on an elk hair caddis. These are just a few of my favorite photos of some Brook Trout I landed in 2011.

-James Pryal
Into The Wild Fly Fishing

PaulRoberts

Colorado

Posts: 1776

PaulRoberts on Jan 27, 2012January 27th, 2012, 6:24 am EST

Sure love those brookies.

Oldredbarn

Novi, MI

Posts: 2600

Oldredbarn on Jan 27, 2012January 27th, 2012, 6:46 am EST

Sure love those brookies.

Paul,

Even though my Calvinist cousins are sure I'm "preterite", I can't tell you how many times I've found myself uttering, "Thank God for Brookies!" :)

Spence

"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood

Jmd123

Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474

Jmd123 on Jan 27, 2012January 27th, 2012, 6:56 pm EST

Beautiful brookies there, James! They are my favorite fish, fresh water or salt. And yes, they live in the most beautiful streams (and ponds) too. I have two great brookie hotspots where I live now and last year I think I caught more brookies than I may have in my whole life combined! In one spot I can snorkel with them too in the summer - warm water on top, ice cold on the bottom!

I can't wait for trout opener this year! But I'll be content with ice fishing for now - 12 perch so far, three of them keepers! One spot, actually two, have the possibility of rainbow trout as well...

Jonathon

No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...

Adirman

Monticello, NY

Posts: 479

Adirman on Jan 28, 2012January 28th, 2012, 2:20 am EST

No arguments here; Brookies are the best!!

Motrout

Posts: 319

Motrout on Jan 28, 2012January 28th, 2012, 12:24 pm EST

Beautiful brookies, thanks for posting!

"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/

BigTrout

Posts: 18

BigTrout on Jan 30, 2012January 30th, 2012, 3:43 pm EST

Sweet pics! I love them Brookies!

The great charm about fly fishing is that we are always learning; no matter how long we have been at it, we are constantly making some new wrinkle. - Theodore Gordon