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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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.
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Wbranch on Feb 13, 2013February 13th, 2013, 5:02 am EST
Sorry for posting my picture here relative to the "Fly Boxes" thread but when I post in the regular forum my pictures come up thumbnail size and don't enlarge when you click on them. This is most of my fly boxes although I know there are two boxes of Clouser minnows and one box of Sucker spawn, Glo-bugs, and Blood dots down in my closet in the garage but was just too lazy to go get them.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Feathers5
Posts: 287
Posts: 287
Feathers5 on Feb 13, 2013February 13th, 2013, 5:05 am EST
You better start tying, buddy, it looks like your short a few flies for the new year. Ha! Ha!
I know how they add up for sure. My boxes would cover a queen size bed.
Bruce
PS. Don't your dry fly hackels get matted in those C & F style boxes?
I know how they add up for sure. My boxes would cover a queen size bed.
Bruce
PS. Don't your dry fly hackels get matted in those C & F style boxes?
Wbranch on Feb 13, 2013February 13th, 2013, 5:26 am EST
Bruce,
"PS. Don't your dry fly hackels get matted in those C & F style boxes?"
No, because I never put winged dries in the swing leaf page and all the dries in the front and rear, deeper, covers are no larger than #16 and most are #18 - #22.
I just hate it when I smash delicate CDC or turkey flat wings or bend nicely split microfibbet tails. I never crowd the flies into the compartments of the Dewitt boxes. I try and nor put more than 6 - 8 #14's and less as the hook size gets bigger.
"PS. Don't your dry fly hackels get matted in those C & F style boxes?"
No, because I never put winged dries in the swing leaf page and all the dries in the front and rear, deeper, covers are no larger than #16 and most are #18 - #22.
I just hate it when I smash delicate CDC or turkey flat wings or bend nicely split microfibbet tails. I never crowd the flies into the compartments of the Dewitt boxes. I try and nor put more than 6 - 8 #14's and less as the hook size gets bigger.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Oldredbarn on Feb 13, 2013February 13th, 2013, 6:15 pm EST
Damn Matt! I'm not so surprised about the number of flies there, but you are so organized! I am impressed sir...I could use a little of that in my fly tying life. Ok I could use alot.
Spence
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
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Wbranch on Feb 14, 2013February 14th, 2013, 12:28 am EST
Spence wrote,
"I'm not so surprised about the number of flies there, but you are so organized! I am impressed sir."
Yep, I'm very fastidious about the appearance of all my boxes and especially the C&F boxes. Two reasons; when friends are around and I open it they always anxious to grab the boxes out of my hands and oogle all my handiwork and admittedly I get pleasure from that. The other reason being since the very design of the rows and slits lends itself to at least some organization I can load the boxes hatch specific and by life cycle stage. Say 3 rows for nymphs, 4 rows for emergers, 4 rows for duns, and 3 rows for spinners. Then as I expend flies I'll see what empty slits need to be re-filled. I also just enjoy organizing the boxes over the winter when I'm not fishing.
"I'm not so surprised about the number of flies there, but you are so organized! I am impressed sir."
Yep, I'm very fastidious about the appearance of all my boxes and especially the C&F boxes. Two reasons; when friends are around and I open it they always anxious to grab the boxes out of my hands and oogle all my handiwork and admittedly I get pleasure from that. The other reason being since the very design of the rows and slits lends itself to at least some organization I can load the boxes hatch specific and by life cycle stage. Say 3 rows for nymphs, 4 rows for emergers, 4 rows for duns, and 3 rows for spinners. Then as I expend flies I'll see what empty slits need to be re-filled. I also just enjoy organizing the boxes over the winter when I'm not fishing.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Falsifly on Feb 14, 2013February 14th, 2013, 9:21 am EST
Yep, I'm very fastidious about the appearance of all my boxes
Matt, you have once again exposed yourself.....(♍)
Falsifly
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
Wbranch on Feb 14, 2013February 14th, 2013, 9:47 am EST
"Matt, you have once again exposed yourself.....(♍)"
Yes, I was a closet fly freak but now I've come out and you all know the truth of my afflictions!
Yes, I was a closet fly freak but now I've come out and you all know the truth of my afflictions!
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Jmd123 on Feb 14, 2013February 14th, 2013, 6:07 pm EST
Matt, your level of organization AND productivity are both impressive! Looks like you are ready for anything and everything! Truth be known, I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum - I work out of maybe 6-8 fly boxes during any given year. But, they are all flies that work for my local conditions and I don't have the income to do much travelling these days. I assume that every box in there has found some use to you on some day within the past few years...or are you just padding your collection to impress us?
;oD
Jonathon
;oD
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
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