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.

Stream photos

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Skwala (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph Skwala (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Skwala (Perlodidae) (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

This Skwala nymph still has a couple months left to go before hatching, but it's still a good representative of its species, which was extremely abundant in my sample for a stonefly of this size. It's obvious why the Yakima is known for its Skwala hatch.

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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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hook up or down?

Dochollow

top secret southern missouri trout stream

Posts: 1

Dochollow on Nov 12, 2015November 12th, 2015, 6:57 am EST

I have gotten myself confused, to make a hook ride up do you put the dumbbell eyes on the top or bottom of the hook? it makes since to me to put it on top! thanks DOC.

"the terror of knowing how the world really works"

Wbranch

York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635

Wbranch on Nov 13, 2015November 13th, 2015, 9:31 am EST

The dumbbell goes on the top. Think about it; if the weight is on the top the hook should invert. However I think it will only invert if you use hooks with straight eyes. I fish Clousers often and I tie them with down eye hooks. I often look at the streamer to see how it is behaving in the water and invariably it is always riding hook point down. After seeing that I tie the materials in on the normal position rather than assuming that if the hook rides point up I would need to put the darker, or dorsal, hair on the bottom and the belly hair on the top.

Does that make any sense?

Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.