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 is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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The green blob contained in this case is a pupa in the early stages of transformation from larva to the final stage we generally picture and imitate. This specimen and several like it were fixed to a rock I picked up, and each one had the front of its case sealed off, protecting the helpless pupa from predation. It's neat to see the insect part-way through such a radical transformation.
It was very hard to extract this thing from its case, so there's a bit of extra goo near the head from where I accidentally punctured it.
It was very hard to extract this thing from its case, so there's a bit of extra goo near the head from where I accidentally punctured it.
Powderfinge on Jan 8, 2017January 8th, 2017, 10:52 pm EST
what pattern/colors do u find effective? thanks
PABrownie on Jan 9, 2017January 9th, 2017, 12:57 am EST
Jeez man, I already responded to your other grannom post, but I didn't realize you were talking about the j! Seriously, grannom soft hackles are freakin killers !
Feathers5
Posts: 287
Posts: 287
Feathers5 on Jan 9, 2017January 9th, 2017, 2:35 am EST
I use a size 16 gray hackle peacock. You may be able to use a size 14 early in the hatch. Just like PABrownie says, "they're freakin' killers.
Wbranch on Jan 9, 2017January 9th, 2017, 10:57 pm EST
Please do a Forum search for prior Grannom threads there are likely pages of posts.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Martinlf on Jan 10, 2017January 10th, 2017, 1:26 pm EST
Or just look below at "Related Discussions."
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
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