Here’s a sight to get a dry-fly angler’s blood pumping: the annual arrival of the Hexes.
Photos courtesy Brian Kozminski, True North Trout
Every June, anglers in the Midwest start to get jittery, in anticipation of the first sighting of Hexagenia limbata, the monster mayfly known as the “Hex.” (Or, the forbidden fly.) Former Trout Bum of the Week, Brian Kozminski of True North Trout, shot these images around his home in Boyne City, Michigan, where the big bugs seem to be taking over. It’s the busiest season for guides like Brian, who says he survives on “regular intervals of coffee, Red Bull, and energy drinks.”
Need help identifying this bug?
The nighttime Hex hatches can be thick, and they’ll land on anything.
Brian can get a little artsy with his photos, as you can see.
Brian ties on something big an foamy to match the monster mayflies.
Such big meals bring big brook trout to the surface.
What wine would you pair with a handful of Hexes?
They must tie them on a 4 or 6 hook?
I tie mine on size 2 dry fly hooks