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 one seems to tentatively key to Holocentropus, although I can't make out the anal spines in Couplet 7 of the Key to Genera of Polycentropodidae Larvae nor the dark bands in Couplet 4 of the Key to Genera of Polycentropodidae Larvae, making me wonder if I went wrong somewhere in keying it out. I don't see where that could have happened, though. It might also be that it's a very immature larva and doesn't possess all the identifying characteristics in the key yet. If Holocentropus is correct, then Holocentropus flavus and Holocentropus interruptus are the two likely possibilities based on range, but I was not able to find a description of their larvae.
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MvEijk on May 3, 2013May 3rd, 2013, 12:50 pm EDT
Clingfilm is a stretchy film coming on a roll to keep the food fresh. Available at the local supermarket.
4 till 8 layers laminated together makes a nice nerved wingmaterial.
4 till 8 layers laminated together makes a nice nerved wingmaterial.
Entoman on May 3, 2013May 3rd, 2013, 12:55 pm EDT
Ah, thanks! I feel silly. We call it Cling Wrap or Saran Wrap over here. Don't know how I missed the obvious connection.
"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
PaulRoberts on May 3, 2013May 3rd, 2013, 1:00 pm EDT
Maarten, neat idea. Love that kind of creativity. Hey, very nice photos too, in your photo stream.
Martinlf on May 3, 2013May 3rd, 2013, 7:29 pm EDT
Thanks for the suggestions, Maarten. Yes, it was a sunny day.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
MvEijk on May 5, 2013May 5th, 2013, 11:17 am EDT
In the image below you can see some samples made from laminated clingfilm and foam. They are colored before laminating and are all less or more translucent. Color one layer and trap it between several other layers, then laminate gives you the result shown below.
The medalion seehting looks very nice, I've never worked with it but it has the same nerved texture as the clingfilm.
Anyhow I post this picture to show the result and flexibility you have when combining these cheap materials.
The medalion seehting looks very nice, I've never worked with it but it has the same nerved texture as the clingfilm.
Anyhow I post this picture to show the result and flexibility you have when combining these cheap materials.
Sayfu
Posts: 560
Posts: 560
Sayfu on May 5, 2013May 5th, 2013, 3:16 pm EDT
Here is a question on caddis wings. There is a great article on the proliferation of Nectopsyche (White Millers) in Yellowstone Park Rivers replacing Hydropsyche, and how it has effected the fishing in those rivers...published in the latest Fly Fisherman Mag. One of my guru's is quoted as the authority on this new caddis that has taken over, Craig Mathews. Mathews states the big discovery that improved the response to his imitation dramatically was to realize that the body size was #18 pale green, and not the wing size tied on #14 hooks. That was the revelation....tie them on the body sized #18's, but why not the wing size, and just tie your body short? Now you have a much better holding hook. Of course the body on a caddis is always shorter than the wing. So you should tie caddis imitations based on the body size? Dangerous to say always, but that is how they appear to me for the ones I fish over.
Martinlf on May 5, 2013May 5th, 2013, 3:54 pm EDT
Joshua, I sometimes tie my flies on shorter hooks with bigger gaps. For size 18 flies I may use a Tiemco 921 size 14 which has a size 18 shank (2X short) for better hooking and holding. Then I can make the wing as long or short as is needed. Or you could use a size 14 Tiemco 100 and tie the body short. Makes sense to me.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Entoman on May 5, 2013May 5th, 2013, 6:02 pm EDT
Jere,
The stream fauna has been changing in those parts of the Yellowstone country that have warmed considerably since the earth quake. Sometimes it seems like yesterday when the Firehole was an Ephemerella d. infrequens factory - even Green & Brown Drakes! Gone with the wind... White Millers tolerate warmer waters than their cousins so are starting to fill the niche. The Hydros are still doing fine in the snowmelt freestones.
I like the latter solution mentioned by Louis for caddis imitations with a stiff wing. Pokey stuff too far beyond the bend of the hook often leads to missed and/or poorly hooked fish for some reason. Here's quotes and photos from an older thread on this topic.
The stream fauna has been changing in those parts of the Yellowstone country that have warmed considerably since the earth quake. Sometimes it seems like yesterday when the Firehole was an Ephemerella d. infrequens factory - even Green & Brown Drakes! Gone with the wind... White Millers tolerate warmer waters than their cousins so are starting to fill the niche. The Hydros are still doing fine in the snowmelt freestones.
I like the latter solution mentioned by Louis for caddis imitations with a stiff wing. Pokey stuff too far beyond the bend of the hook often leads to missed and/or poorly hooked fish for some reason. Here's quotes and photos from an older thread on this topic.
Shawn,
... soft-hackles... present the simplest way to be prepared for the range of possible caddis situations that might arise on the stream. They could pass as larvae, pupae, or egg-laying adults and can be fished in myriad ways. Does that seem like a good place to concentrate my tying energies?
Yes, though I wouldn't give up on dries all together. Here's a dry pattern that has worked very well for me as a general caddis dry. I trim the hackle underneath for a flush float if the situation demands. The bodies of caddis are generally much shorter than the wings. I don't like the stiff wing sticking out too far beyond the bend for better hookups, so I just tie the bodies short.
Hairwing Caddis, olive green #18
"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
PaulRoberts on May 6, 2013May 6th, 2013, 9:03 am EDT
In the image below you can see some samples made from laminated clingfilm and foam. They are colored before laminating and are all less or more translucent. Color one layer and trap it between several other layers, then laminate gives you the result shown below.
The medalion seehting looks very nice, I've never worked with it but it has the same nerved texture as the clingfilm.
Anyhow I post this picture to show the result and flexibility you have when combining these cheap materials.
Neat. Will try that.
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