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 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.
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Photos by Troutnut from Mystery Creek #56 in Wisconsin
Comments / replies
Martinlf on Sep 14, 2019September 14th, 2019, 4:35 pm EDT
Beautiful fish, Jason. That's a special place.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Wbranch on Sep 21, 2019September 21st, 2019, 6:38 pm EDT
Very interesting coloration on those brook trout. Is it because the water is stained? They have to be the darkest brookies I have ever seen. The little stream looks like an awesome place to fish. It appears to be quite deep for it's narrown width. Very cool.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Troutnut on Sep 22, 2019September 22nd, 2019, 4:14 am EDT
The stained water is as good a guess as any for the coloration, but I don't know for sure.
This was my second time visiting this creek, which is apparently not on anyone's radar as a trout stream (except for being regulated as one), and I mostly wanted to investigate because it's a convenient drive. The first time I checked it out, in May many years ago, I saw no sign of trout. This time I walked in to a more promising stretch with more difficult access through an alder swamp. I caught four very nice brookies in about 20 yards of creek.
What looks on Google Earth like a grassy meadow is actually giant tussucks around 7 feet tall at this time of year, and the gaps between tussocks were mostly flooded after a week with lots of rain. I didn't dare step down into the creek, because I couldn't see very far into it, the bottom seemed silty, and it was clearly fairly deep in most places. It was all I could do to flatten enough grass in a couple places to make some short casts, and I caught the fish there.
I tried to continue up the bank, but the swamp just got sketchier with a deep, muddy old oxbow channel blocking my way. This would be a good one to explore with a partner, ideally much earlier in the year when the grass is shorter and the water is lower. With mere knee-high grass and dry ground between the tussocks, it could be a lot of fun.
This was my second time visiting this creek, which is apparently not on anyone's radar as a trout stream (except for being regulated as one), and I mostly wanted to investigate because it's a convenient drive. The first time I checked it out, in May many years ago, I saw no sign of trout. This time I walked in to a more promising stretch with more difficult access through an alder swamp. I caught four very nice brookies in about 20 yards of creek.
What looks on Google Earth like a grassy meadow is actually giant tussucks around 7 feet tall at this time of year, and the gaps between tussocks were mostly flooded after a week with lots of rain. I didn't dare step down into the creek, because I couldn't see very far into it, the bottom seemed silty, and it was clearly fairly deep in most places. It was all I could do to flatten enough grass in a couple places to make some short casts, and I caught the fish there.
I tried to continue up the bank, but the swamp just got sketchier with a deep, muddy old oxbow channel blocking my way. This would be a good one to explore with a partner, ideally much earlier in the year when the grass is shorter and the water is lower. With mere knee-high grass and dry ground between the tussocks, it could be a lot of fun.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Wbranch on Sep 28, 2019September 28th, 2019, 4:13 am EDT
Jason,
That was wise of you not to step into the unknown. A few years ago in Spring Creek near Bellefonte, PA I was wading alone, as I always do, and came upon a mucky section. I wanted to fish above it and didn't want to bushwhack around the mucky area. It was a foolish move - as I stepped into it both legs sunk deep into thick mud over my knees. I couldn't lift a leg out to make another step. I was pretty much totally stuck. Luckily though I was just a foot or so from the bank and some willows with strong branches. I put my rod down on the bank and grabbed the thickest branch I could and pulled as much as I could to get one leg out and then the other. I was successful but shaken up by the experience. I had my cell phone and there is good service there and my next move would of been to call 911 to help rescue me.
I didn't dare step down into the creek, because I couldn't see very far into it, the bottom seemed silty
That was wise of you not to step into the unknown. A few years ago in Spring Creek near Bellefonte, PA I was wading alone, as I always do, and came upon a mucky section. I wanted to fish above it and didn't want to bushwhack around the mucky area. It was a foolish move - as I stepped into it both legs sunk deep into thick mud over my knees. I couldn't lift a leg out to make another step. I was pretty much totally stuck. Luckily though I was just a foot or so from the bank and some willows with strong branches. I put my rod down on the bank and grabbed the thickest branch I could and pulled as much as I could to get one leg out and then the other. I was successful but shaken up by the experience. I had my cell phone and there is good service there and my next move would of been to call 911 to help rescue me.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Martinlf on Sep 30, 2019September 30th, 2019, 2:26 pm EDT
Matt, something similar happened to me on Big Spring years ago. It is scary. I almost lost a boot that day.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
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