Not Quite Yet

Everyone is anxious to find out if our favorite mayfly hatch of the season, the Hexagenia Limbata, has indeed begun at Back Lake. My answer is not yet … but it’s not too far off and perhaps we can expect to see the emergence start over the course of the next week or so.

We’ve been having our normal mayfly hatches happening that precede the hex hatch lately: cahills, green drakes, and even a few brown drakes have shown themselves in the last two weeks. Usually, the brown drakes usher in the hexagenias, so hopefully the timing is right again.

June 20 to July 4 is the typical timing of the hexagenia hatch on Back Lake, and while last year was an outlier, with it primarily occurring right around Independence Day, this year seems to be much more “on schedule”.

The weather has been sunny, sometimes hot, and very dry. Humidity also plays a big factor in getting the hexes flowing toward the surface of the lake from their muddy burrows, and we have a fair amount of humidity on tap for this weekend. I’m thinking next week, if not this weekend, to see the first tasty morsels trying to escape their shucks.

As usual, there are an assortment of emerger patterns and dries that entice a hungry trout or bass to strike. Early on in the evening, a Woodduck Heron or Brown Owl, slowly stripped on a sink tip line can be devastating patterns. As the duns emerge and are seeking to escape a watery death, dry patterns such as the Hex Cripple and Emma Nymph can elicit the responses we’re looking for. For true dry fly purists, the Foam Hex, Hex Usual, Hex Dun and a multitude of other behemoths make for exciting top water action.

Yes, there’s a few different ways to skin this cat called the hex hatch. Bring two rods if you can, as you might need them. It’s pure torture as you’re trying to change flies or lines while the trout are going nuts all around the boat you’re in – bring a second rod.

More news to come whenever the hatch gets started.