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.

I caught a nice brookie a few weeks earlier in this pool at the junction of a split channel in the stream. The huge fallen tree is great cover.

From the Mystery Creek # 23 in New York

Stream photos

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Amphizoa Beetle Larva Amphizoa Beetle Larva

Dorsal view of a Amphizoa (Amphizoidae) Beetle Larva from Sears Creek in Washington

This is the first of it's family I've seen, collected from a tiny, fishless stream in the Cascades. The three species of this genus all live in the Northwest and are predators that primarily eat stonefly nymphs Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019).

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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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Californicas v. Hex

Byhaugh
Hawaii

Posts: 56

Byhaugh on Feb 19, 2014February 19th, 2014, 2:55 pm EST

Ok, please settle an argument. Which is the larger insect: Salmonfly or Hexagenia?
Thanks,
Byron

Entoman

Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604

Entoman on Feb 19, 2014February 19th, 2014, 3:33 pm EST

Hi Byron -

The Salmonfly is much larger. While some strains of Hex females can approach 40mm body length and some strains of Salmonfly males can be in the 30mm range, the latter are still substantially bulkier. With more typical strains and with gender differences aside those length ratios are reversed making the size difference even more dramatic.

"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