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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 Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
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.
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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Millcreek has attached these 11 pictures. The message is below.
Millcreek
Healdsburg, CA

Posts: 344
Millcreek on Dec 25, 2017December 25th, 2017, 4:26 am EST
These have all been taken from the Russian River within the last month. First from the top are photos of some Baetis tricaudatus and Baetis alius, next are Pteronarcys californica and Isoperla pinta, then a Chimarra sp. and last an Ameletus sp.
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Jan 2, 2018January 2nd, 2018, 6:53 am EST
Nice to think that there's a bunch of those still alive right now under all that ice around here, including the Au Sable!

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

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