Hexed

June 19, 2008 By: Marshall Cutchin

The legendary Hexagenia limbata hatches that cause midwestern snowplows to come out of hibernation and make bridges unsafe in early summer are also one of the least predictable “macro events” in fly fishing. The only real answer, according to Eric Sharp, is to fish more. “At one point, a fish started rising closer than the length of my nine-foot rod, and when I dapped four feet of leader on the water I got an instant strike from an 18-incher. I’ll never forget that night. However, I would rather forget the 200 or so other nights when the Hex hatch produced a few trout of moderate size, and the 100 nights when I got absolutely nothing.” In the Detroit Free Press.