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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 Zapada cinctipes (Nemouridae) (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
Nymphs of this species were fairly common in late-winter kick net samples from the upper Yakima River. Although I could not find a key to species of Zapada nymphs, a revision of the Nemouridae family by Baumann (1975) includes the following helpful sentence: "2 cervical gills on each side of midline, 1 arising inside and 1 outside of lateral cervical sclerites, usually single and elongate, sometimes constricted but with 3 or 4 branches arising beyond gill base in Zapada cinctipes." This specimen clearly has the branches and is within the range of that species.
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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Stokes
Columbia county,NY

Posts: 76
Stokes on May 30, 2014May 30th, 2014, 12:19 pm EDT
Out on the lake today,saw some bass chasing the sawbellies.I know from past experience that it is almost impossible to get them to bite anything,but I had to try.Tossed a black wooly bugger into the fracas and pulled two nice browns out,one about 12" one about 14.I guess the bass werent letting them play
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on May 30, 2014May 30th, 2014, 5:06 pm EDT
Next time you see that throw a streamer that is more of a realistic pattern. Personally I like to throw Clousers either gray over white or blue over white with lots of silver flash in the middle. I tie them on micro barb salt water hooks in #6 - #1/0. I catch lots of big trout on them. Big meaning 22" and more.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Stokes
Columbia county,NY

Posts: 76
Stokes on May 31, 2014May 31st, 2014, 5:01 pm EDT
Doesnt matter what you throw,I've even used live sawbellies while spinning and cant get those bass to bite.Its pretty cool to watch,tho.I remember one morning watching with my son when he was about 8yrs old,there were about 20 very large bass coralling the baitfish into a screened corner of a tee shaped dock we have and as you saw the school of bait fish get really dense the bass would all leap thru the cloud and break the surface.Amazing watching them work together like that.

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