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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.

Lateral view of a Onocosmoecus (Limnephilidae) (Great Late-Summer Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
This specimen keys pretty easily to Onocosmoecus, and it closely resembles a specimen from Alaska which caddis expert Dave Ruiter recognized as this genus. As with that specimen, the only species in the genus documented in this area is Onocosmoecus unicolor, but Dave suggested for that specimen that there might be multiple not-yet-distinguished species under the unicolor umbrella and it would be best to stick with the genus-level ID. I'm doing the same for this one.
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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Adirman
Adirman's profile picture
Monticello, NY

Posts: 479
Adirman on Apr 14, 2018April 14th, 2018, 9:56 am EDT
Hey guys, went out on the Neversink for awhile today and had a look around, saw a lot of little dark flies, may be the little black stone fly? Hard to tell cuz looked like Caddis too. Looks like about a size 16? Any pics of available of this species would be great.


Thanks
Adirman
Adirman's profile picture
Monticello, NY

Posts: 479
Adirman on Apr 14, 2018April 14th, 2018, 10:03 am EDT
If it’s caddis maybe Apatania? Not sure if too early right now for them thiugh
Wiflyfisher
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Wisconsin

Posts: 622
Wiflyfisher on Apr 14, 2018April 14th, 2018, 12:39 pm EDT
I saw the Little Black Stonefly (also called the Winter Snowfly) a couple of weeks ago in northern WI.

http://www.wiflyfisher.com/Little-Black-Stonefly-Hatch.asp
Adirman
Adirman's profile picture
Monticello, NY

Posts: 479
Adirman on Apr 14, 2018April 14th, 2018, 1:04 pm EDT
Thank you for the link w the pics!! This is clearly NOT what u observed today so must be caddis .
Wiflyfisher
Wiflyfisher's profile picture
Wisconsin

Posts: 622
Wiflyfisher on Apr 15, 2018April 15th, 2018, 9:59 am EDT
Trying Googling "chimarra caddis" that might be what you saw.

I guess you also posted on the SGM forum.

HTH.
Adirman
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Monticello, NY

Posts: 479
Adirman on Apr 15, 2018April 15th, 2018, 1:23 pm EDT
Yes you are correct, I believe that I saw Chimarra thanks 😊
Jmd123
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Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Apr 16, 2018April 16th, 2018, 2:14 am EDT
Little black stones should be showing up in these parts any time now. I have seen them in March on the Huron and Red Cedar Rivers downstate. Not this year, though! In fact, we have had absolutely zero insect life of any kind yet this year. Been a cold one and that's not over yet.

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

Posts: 479
Adirman on Apr 16, 2018April 16th, 2018, 12:05 pm EDT
What are goodnikitation patterns for the little black stones and how would one fish them? 😊
Jmd123
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Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Apr 16, 2018April 16th, 2018, 4:09 pm EDT
I think maybe a dark Elkhair Caddis, black with grey wings? About a #14-16. Thing is, I've never seen fish surface feeding at this time of the year...? Too high, too fast, too cold? Here in MI I have never seen any dry fly activity (i.e. hatches heavy enough to bring fish up top) until we have some fairly warm weather - which we have none of this year. Early season is gonna be ssssslllllooooowwwwww around here...

The earliest dry fly activity I have ever seen here in MI was on the Rifle back in 2012, after a short winter and early spring, on the 13th of April. Early brown stones, imitated by a brown EHC, which brought three strikes but no hook-ups. Consolation prize was a beautiful 14-inch brown that slammed a streamer on the way back down to the car!

Hard to imagine right now...

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

Posts: 479
Adirman on Apr 17, 2018April 17th, 2018, 4:45 am EDT
Ok sounds good and I hear you about the lack of dry action early season so maybe fishing it wet could be productive?

Congrats for the brown

Thanks Johnathon,


Wbranch
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York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Apr 20, 2018April 20th, 2018, 12:45 pm EDT
I see Little Black Stoneflies all over the lower WB of the Delaware if I go up in mid April. I have seen them flying over the river and have seen fish rising to them while doing spring yard clean-up.

I tie them on a #16 dry fly hook, very simple, no tail, wrap a abdomen with black floss or black fur, tie in a hank of light gray or white Antron for the wing. Tie it so it lays down on a 45 degree angle, then 3-4 turns of a good black hackle. That is all there is to it.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Adirman
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Monticello, NY

Posts: 479
Adirman on Apr 21, 2018April 21st, 2018, 2:03 am EDT
Thanks Matt, you fish this pattern wet or dry?
Martinlf
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Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Apr 21, 2018April 21st, 2018, 11:58 am EDT
It's a dry pattern, and one a favorite Delaware guide showed me years ago. It's a great pattern!
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

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