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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 Neoleptophlebia (Leptophlebiidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
Some characteristics from the microscope images for the tentative species id: The postero-lateral projections are found only on segment 9, not segment 8. Based on the key in Jacobus et al. (2014), it appears to key to Neoleptophlebia adoptiva or Neoleptophlebia heteronea, same as this specimen with pretty different abdominal markings. However, distinguishing between those calls for comparing the lengths of the second and third segment of the labial palp, and this one (like the other one) only seems to have two segments. So I'm stuck on them both. It's likely that the fact that they're immature nymphs stymies identification in some important way.
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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Jmd123 has attached these 20 pictures. The message is below.
Dr. Olin Joynton, President of Alpena Community College and a Doctor of Philosophy
Olin's brother Stan and colleague Don McMaster
Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), a common plant along the rocky shores
Rainbows off Daisy Farm campground
Moonrise over Rock Harbor from Daisy Farm
Very friendly bunny at Daisy Farm!
Shore and dock at Three Mile campground
Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) - blooming all along the hiking trails
Very friendly red squirrel!  I wondered if the wildlife was on the National Park payroll...
Rocky shoreline at Three Mile campground
Shelter in which I stayed at Three Mile campground
WAAAAAAAY overloaded backpacker!
My reward for four days of humping that damned pack!
The view from the balcony of my lodge room - Rock Harbor
Spotted jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) - blooming by the seaplane dock at Todd Harbor
Aster blooming by the seaplane dock at Todd Harbor
Another example of "tame" wildlife, this time a green frog at Hidden Lake
Hidden Lake, supposedly home to brookies but none came out to play for me...
Horned bladderwort (Utricularia cornuta) - a genuine carnivorous plant!
A mountain ash (Sorbus americana or decora) living on the edge (of Lake Superior)!
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Nov 4, 2012November 4th, 2012, 5:44 pm EST
On Spence's urging, I thought I would post some photos from my Isle Royale backpacking trip over Labor Day Weekend. Neither fly fishing nor spinning yielded any fish, but this is big water and if I had my kayak like last time (2000) I'm sure I would have caught something. There are trout streams on the west end of the island, but I didn't have the time on a four-day trip to reach them. I did try a small inland lake that supposedly held brookies but had no luck there either. In any case, the scenery is worth sharing, so enjoy!

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Nov 5, 2012November 5th, 2012, 5:45 am EST
Jonathon,

Nice!!!

The nice thing about diverse interests, say birding on my end, botany on yours, is one has something to do when the fish aren't cooperating, eh?! :)

How did you guys get over there? What's involved in arranging a trip there? I know that there are limited places to stay etc.

I'm not sure if your encounters with the "friendly" fauna was due to their lack of human contact, too much feeding from the folks that do journey there, or that you guys really didn't look all that threatening..."Oh...Here comes more of them "science" types...They will just take our photos, measure and weigh us, and give us a treat." :)

Good stuff! Looks like we both were "in a Lake Superior state of mind" this late summer. The UP has interested me since I used to visit some school friends when they were at Michigan Tech in the early 70's. A friend had an aunt and uncle in Baraga and they would let us stay there when we were up. My uncle now has a place over by Big Bay, up the road from Marquette. Big Bay was the real life setting and where they filmed Voelker's, "Anatomy of a Murder"...I have dined in the Big Bay Inn where they filmed it and Henry Ford used to stay.

We spent Haloween night, on our way home, at Gates' in Grayling...We dined at Spike's Keg-O-Nails in town...My wife insisted that my German friend have a Spike's Burger. :) The place isn't that much bigger than a large home's living room and I have been so happy to visit there post the smoking ban...Prior to that I think I had been there no more than two or three times and my lungs are probably still paying for those visits...It attracts more families now, families that don't want to expose their kids to second-hand smoke...It was so bad in there in the past that the differences between second-hand smoke and actually smoking were none existant. :)

Thanks for the post...It's "Pure Michigan"!

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
Jesse
Jesse's profile picture
Posts: 378
Jesse on Nov 5, 2012November 5th, 2012, 2:06 pm EST
Fantastic!
Most of us fish our whole lives..not knowing its not the fish that we are after.
http://www.filingoflyfishing.com

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