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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Report at a Glance
| General Region | Catskills |
| Specific Location | West Branch of the Delaware |
| Dates Fished | July 27 and 28 |
| Time of Day | All day every day |
| Fish Caught | Browns |
| Conditions & Hatches | Lower water; the level was between 400 and 500 cfs. Tricos and midges, as well as a few Cahills, sulphurs, olives. |
Details and Discussion
Martinlf on Jul 29, 2012July 29th, 2012, 6:31 am EDT
About 20-25 fish over the two days, the biggest a 17 inch brown on a size 20 sulphur emerger. 7X was a necessity for dry flies. All the other fish were 12 inches or smaller. Most fish were caught on a Trico parachute, including some midging fish. I also caught about 7 or 8 fish on nymphs tightlining with 5X. The fishing was very challenging, and weather didn't always cooperate. Saturday morning it rained at about 7 and knocked most of the Trico spinners down, simultaneously keeping the fish off them. There weren't many sulphurs, mostly a flush of size 20's just at dark. I also saw some olives and cahills, but never enough to get fish up and eating steadily, except right at dark, in a very few spots. I think there are typically more bugs than this on the West Branch this time of the year. Some have speculated that with the early hatches, perhaps the sulphurs hatched out ahead of time. Any thoughts on this?
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Jmd123 on Jul 29, 2012July 29th, 2012, 10:43 am EDT
Louis, I haven't seem much hatching the last few times I have gone out. I think the early spring got things going early and that they may have finished early. To be honest, I haven't fished much in July due to the heat, drought, deer flies, and tourists. It is most definitely hopper time around here, caught a 13" brookie on [REDACTED] Pond a week ago on a #10 Joe's Hopper (my favorite hopper pattern & size). I have family coming to visit this week but afterward I'll be hitting my favorite spots again, hoping the deer flies will have thinned out by then - that's one hatch I could do without!!!
Jonathon
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
PaulRoberts on Jul 29, 2012July 29th, 2012, 10:58 am EDT
Dunno.
Was the 17" on 7x?
Was the 17" on 7x?
Martinlf on Jul 29, 2012July 29th, 2012, 11:48 am EDT
Yep. I've been catching some larger fish on Tricos on 7X so the practice with them helped. The water was very cold (in the upper 50's) and I put maximum pressure on him, netted him pretty quick, and got him back in without too much ado.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
PaulRoberts on Jul 30, 2012July 30th, 2012, 7:02 am EDT
Very nice. Wish I was there.
Martinlf on Jul 30, 2012July 30th, 2012, 12:00 pm EDT
Me too, if you're over this way sometime, let me know and we'll wet a line.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Shawnny3 on Jul 30, 2012July 30th, 2012, 12:05 pm EDT
Congrats on the big fish on small tippet, Louis. Well done.
-Shawn
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
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