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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.

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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.

Roguerat
Roguerat's profile picture
Posts: 456
Roguerat on Mar 19, 2012March 19th, 2012, 8:51 am EDT
Does anyone have a favorite Early Brown Stonefly pattern? I've tied various patterns from books and magazine articles, but none of these seem 'just right' in matching what's happening on The Rogue this month.

Crazy-warm in West MI lately...we're headed for low 80's in mid-March, things are just a little ahead of schedule.

I Peter 5:7 'Cast your cares upon Him...'
Oldredbarn
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Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Mar 19, 2012March 19th, 2012, 11:53 am EDT
Crazy-warm in West MI lately...we're headed for low 80's in mid-March, things are just a little ahead of schedule.


Better have your Henny box with you! :)

Don't know what to say about this weather. I just went to the post office and everyone's in shorts, T-shirts, and the kids, who just got out of school, are lined up at the local Sppedway for slurpies!

The hockey playoffs aren't even here yet! Might as well bring on opening day of baseball.

Spence

Look up Mattress Thrasher and shrink it down to a proper hook size and change the colors, if that matters.
"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
Martinlf
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Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Mar 19, 2012March 19th, 2012, 12:18 pm EDT
Try a trude style pattern, with clear or dun antron/hi viz/zelon for the downwing, and a brown dubbing body with slightly undersized brown hackle up front.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Roguerat
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Posts: 456
Roguerat on Mar 20, 2012March 20th, 2012, 9:26 am EDT
Oldredbarn: well, I'll be @#$%#, there IS a pattern for a Mattress Thrasher, and it looks like a good one, too. At first I thought this was humor on the scale of my dear departed Dad, although his Mattress Thrasher was red-breasted, and I'll leave it at that.
I'll be tying some of these in 14's and 16's, figure a Mustad 9671, and see what the trout say. That and some black Stonefly nymphs, some BWO's in 18, should be good to go for this March/June fishing.

Weird Weather, part II...it'll hit 86 today, a new record high.

The Roguerat

I Peter 5:7 'Cast your cares upon Him...'
Entoman
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Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Mar 20, 2012March 20th, 2012, 10:22 am EDT
Roguerat,

To bad you didn't check in a couple of weeks back. You just missed at least four topics on the subject that just fell off the board. They're scattered between the "General Discussion" and "Get Bugs Identified" sections, but you can click on my name and scroll down the list of "my recent posts" to find 'em easier. Entomology, some cool looking patterns, fishing advice & fly recommendations, along with the usual banter and story telling included.:)
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman

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