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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It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.
I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.
The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.
Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.
The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.
Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
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Report at a Glance
| General Region | Northern WI |
| Specific Location | .... |
| Dates Fished | 3/29-3/30 |
| Time of Day | 9 am - 7 pm |
| Fish Caught | 3 browns |
| Conditions & Hatches | Spring...finally! High of 50 on Friday, 44 on Saturday. Stoneflies hatching consistently on Friday. Raining Saturday, so no bugs. |
Details and Discussion
Kschaefer3 on Apr 1, 2013April 1st, 2013, 7:15 am EDT
I made it up to northern Wisconsin this weekend for the first nice weather of the year. I fished alone and on foot Friday. It was partly sunny on Friday with a high around 50. The wind was blowing 10-15 mph all day. The stoneflies were hatching and with the wind were ending up in the river. Rising was spotty, but when I found fish rising, they were rising pretty heavy. I caught a very fat 15" brown around 11 am on a streamer. Around 2:30 I came up to 6 or 7 fish rising consistently. I picked one out, cast a streamer to it, and caught it. Another fat healthy fish, 14". The fish continued rising, so I switched to a dry. Admittedly, I am a terrible dry fly fisher. I felt I was making pretty quality casts, but no fish. I switched between a few different small black dries. Towards the end I started skating them a little bit. I was hoping this would work because I could pick out a bug on the water, watch it skitter around, then get sucked down with a violent splash from a trout. Still no takes. I didn't even need to catch one, it was just fun to watch. From what I can gather, this river is one of Troutnut's old haunts. I think I could have used his help with the hatch.
I switched back to a streamer and switched spots on the river. I chose a stretch that I know well. I had 1.5 hrs until sundown. I walked downstream fishing every piece of water that could hold fish, concentrating on down trees. I finished fishing the spot I usually stop at. There was still some light so I decided to keep going, hoping a big brown was waiting until dark to eat. I spotted a nice little down tree. After that the water looked thin for quite a ways. I knew that tree was my last shot. On my third cast I saw a flash, a swirl, and my rod was doubled over. The fish put up a nice fight. It came completely out of the water twice. I finally hauled it in, got a quick measurement, and put it back. The fish measured at 19". I am still waiting on something 20" or better, but a nice fish for sure.
Saturday was cool and rainy in the morning. The rain quit and the sun made an appearance around 3 pm. The high was 45. A friend and I fished together on Saturday. We took out our new pontoons for the first time. No hatches, and no fish. We spent more time figuring out and fine tuning the pontoons than we did fishing. Also, I think 8 miles was a bit lofty for our first time out floating. I didn't care about the lack of fish. The scenery along this river was great and it was fun to spend a day floating with a good friend.
Things are looking up from here. Spring is upon us, and the fishing is about to get good!
Tight lines!
Kyle
I switched back to a streamer and switched spots on the river. I chose a stretch that I know well. I had 1.5 hrs until sundown. I walked downstream fishing every piece of water that could hold fish, concentrating on down trees. I finished fishing the spot I usually stop at. There was still some light so I decided to keep going, hoping a big brown was waiting until dark to eat. I spotted a nice little down tree. After that the water looked thin for quite a ways. I knew that tree was my last shot. On my third cast I saw a flash, a swirl, and my rod was doubled over. The fish put up a nice fight. It came completely out of the water twice. I finally hauled it in, got a quick measurement, and put it back. The fish measured at 19". I am still waiting on something 20" or better, but a nice fish for sure.
Saturday was cool and rainy in the morning. The rain quit and the sun made an appearance around 3 pm. The high was 45. A friend and I fished together on Saturday. We took out our new pontoons for the first time. No hatches, and no fish. We spent more time figuring out and fine tuning the pontoons than we did fishing. Also, I think 8 miles was a bit lofty for our first time out floating. I didn't care about the lack of fish. The scenery along this river was great and it was fun to spend a day floating with a good friend.
Things are looking up from here. Spring is upon us, and the fishing is about to get good!
Tight lines!
Kyle
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