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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Martinlf on Apr 16, 2018April 16th, 2018, 5:13 pm EDT
Matt, that sounds like fun. I'll be in Oregon some of May, but when our schedules settle I'll see if I can get up to the Delaware. Looks like hatches may be a bit late this year, if local conditions match.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
JOHNW on May 22, 2018May 22nd, 2018, 1:08 pm EDT
Well leave it from a prodigal trout fisherman to dredge up an old thread.
I am glad to see many of the old familiars still kicking around the boards. I have strayed from the clear and cold trout waters to the somewhat warmer haunts of those fiesty brown bass for the last few seasons. Every once in a while attempting to drag the good Doctor Martin over to the dark side. However it never seems to fail that this time of year finds me back on a trout stream and invariably dreaming of my to date largest dry fly trout (a snarky 23" Ausable brown ) that was facilitated by Spence.
I will try to not be such a stranger and hope all of you are doing well.
Regards,
JohnW
I am glad to see many of the old familiars still kicking around the boards. I have strayed from the clear and cold trout waters to the somewhat warmer haunts of those fiesty brown bass for the last few seasons. Every once in a while attempting to drag the good Doctor Martin over to the dark side. However it never seems to fail that this time of year finds me back on a trout stream and invariably dreaming of my to date largest dry fly trout (a snarky 23" Ausable brown ) that was facilitated by Spence.
I will try to not be such a stranger and hope all of you are doing well.
Regards,
JohnW
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
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