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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.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.

I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.

The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.

Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
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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Wbranch has attached these 3 pictures to this report. The message is below.

Report at a Glance

General Region West Branch Delaware
Specific LocationFloated from Deposit to Balls Eddy
Dates FishedMay 16 - 20
Time of DayVarious
Fish CaughtBrowns and rainbows
Conditions & HatchesMostly tan caddis and Ep subvaria males and females. Good spinner falls in the later afternoons. Temperatures varied from 60 to 89 ove the course of five days.

Details and Discussion

Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on May 29, 2017May 29th, 2017, 2:31 am EDT
A couple pictures from the trip.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on May 29, 2017May 29th, 2017, 10:55 am EDT
Nice fish, Matt. I like #2, pretty red spots and looks like a chunker! So you're still seeing some Hendricksons?

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on May 29, 2017May 29th, 2017, 12:41 pm EDT
Jonathon,

Yes, hennies but that was two weeks ago tomorrow. Now March Browns, Sulfurs, and caddis in the mornings.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on May 29, 2017May 29th, 2017, 1:23 pm EDT
Nice fish, Matt!
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Partsman
Partsman's profile picture
bancroft michigan

Posts: 321
Partsman on May 29, 2017May 29th, 2017, 1:59 pm EDT
Beautiful Matt, I had a night two weeks ago that was brining up some big fish, and it was so cool. Jonathon this one is for you also, I cant down load pics yet because my wonder s7 keeps screwing up. But there was a hatch and spinner fall going on at the same time, really my first time experinceing something like that. It was awesome, Jonathon your favorite spot on the canoeing river. I'm no longer naming rivers, I know you guys and if you want specific info I will share with you guys.
David82nd
David82nd's profile picture
Upstate,New York

Posts: 63
David82nd on Jun 1, 2017June 1st, 2017, 11:13 pm EDT
Great looking fish Matt,

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