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.

A beautiful braided reach of the Sag River, with the Philip Smith Mountains in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in the background.

From the Sagavanirktok River in Alaska

Stream photos

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Tricorythodes (Trico) Mayfly Nymph Tricorythodes (Trico) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Tricorythodes (Leptohyphidae) (Trico) Mayfly Nymph from Mystery Creek #308 in Washington

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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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Mayfly swarm

Millcreek
Healdsburg, CA

Posts: 344

Millcreek on Apr 4, 2016April 4th, 2016, 6:09 am EDT

Thought some folks might be interested in this. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160403-mayflies-swarms-insects-bugs-spain/?google_editors_picks=true

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein

Jmd123

Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474

Jmd123 on Apr 4, 2016April 4th, 2016, 10:44 am EDT

HEX HATCH!!! Looks like one anyways... I wonder what genus and species that is?

Jonathon

No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...

Crepuscular

Boiling Springs, PA

Posts: 920

Crepuscular on Apr 4, 2016April 4th, 2016, 10:54 am EDT

looks like Ephoron sp (Polymitarcyidae) to me.

Taxon

Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311

Taxon on Apr 4, 2016April 4th, 2016, 11:55 am EDT

looks like Ephoron sp (Polymitarcyidae) to me.

Ephoron virgo. Interestingly (to me at least), this is the genus of (winged lifestages) mayflies which has either (2) tails or (3) tails, depending on whether male or female.

Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com

Millcreek
Healdsburg, CA

Posts: 344

Millcreek on Apr 4, 2016April 4th, 2016, 1:02 pm EDT

Roger -

Interestingly (to me at least), this is the genus of (winged lifestages) mayflies which has either (2) tails or (3) tails, depending on whether male or female.

Do all Polymitarcyidae have 2 or 3 tails? Also which sex has 2 tails and which sex has 3 tails?

Just curious,
Mark

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein

Taxon

Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311

Taxon on Apr 4, 2016April 4th, 2016, 11:19 pm EDT

Roger -
Do all Polymitarcyidae have 2 or 3 tails? Also which sex has 2 tails and which sex has 3 tails?

Just curious,
Mark

Hi Mark-

The N. American species of family Polymitarcyidae are as follows:

Campsurus cuspidatus
Campsurus decoloratus
Ephoron album
Ephoron leukon
Tortopsis primus
Tortopsis puella
Tortopus circumfluus

It is my belief that only genus where winged males have (2) tails, and winged females have (3) tails is Ephoron, and the other three genera all have only (2) tails, independent of sex.

Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com

Crepuscular

Boiling Springs, PA

Posts: 920

Crepuscular on Apr 5, 2016April 5th, 2016, 4:20 am EDT

we get a few E. leukon here... :)