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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Nymphs of this species were fairly common in late-winter kick net samples from the upper Yakima River. Although I could not find a key to species of Zapada nymphs, a revision of the Nemouridae family by Baumann (1975) includes the following helpful sentence: "2 cervical gills on each side of midline, 1 arising inside and 1 outside of lateral cervical sclerites, usually single and elongate, sometimes constricted but with 3 or 4 branches arising beyond gill base in Zapada cinctipes." This specimen clearly has the branches and is within the range of that species.
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Brian314 on Jul 7, 2019July 7th, 2019, 2:54 am EDT
One summer (years ago) on the Au Sable South Branch (at Truettner's, to be exact) I kept running into these weird-but-beautiful flies - took me forver just to figure out what they were - was wondering if anyone has ever seen a trout take one ??
Falsifly on Jul 8, 2019July 8th, 2019, 2:20 am EDT
Yes I have but they were females ovipositing. The technique required would be dapping. Unfortunately they were laying their eggs under a thick very low hanging willow through which it was impossible to gain access. It was interesting to watch and I gave it some thought but had to move on.
Falsifly
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
Troutnut on Jul 11, 2019July 11th, 2019, 3:53 am EDT
The larvae are found more often in still water than running water, although that can include still-water sloughs connected to a river. I wouldn't be surprised if trout take a few, although I've never seen them in numbers that would make a trout selective enough to require an imitation.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Jmd123 on Jul 12, 2019July 12th, 2019, 12:38 am EDT
Their larvae like iron seeps - places where Iron-rich groundwater comes to the surface, and makes that funky orange-yellow looking flocculent stuff called "yellowboy" (an iron oxide-hydroxide mixture). Find this, dig around in it, and you will find the larvae, and probably a few adults flying around too. They're cool and pretty!
Jonathon
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Brian314 on Sep 1, 2019September 1st, 2019, 9:34 pm EDT
Been fishing the HW and the SB a lot - haven't seen one in years - very cool though :-)
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