The hex hatch provides a great opportunity to catch a 25”+ brown on a dry fly. When it’s on, this hatch seems to draw every fish in the river to the surface. The catch is that these insects emerge late in the evening and the angler must fish after dark.

My trip was a little early to hit the hatch on most streams, but I didn’t want to leave the region without seeing at least one hex. Steve Born kindly took me to Black Earth Creek in search of this unique creature.

Steve is an Emeritus Professor in Planning and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is also highly involved in TU efforts on both local and national levels. Through his professional and volunteer work, Steve has contributed tremendously to salmonid conservation. In addition, he is a well-traveled and highly respected angler. While Steve frequents the hot fishing destinations like West Yellowstone and Patagonia, he is always excited to return to Madison and his local streams.

Today, Black Earth Creek is an internationally-renowned spring creek fishery in Madison’s backyard. This was not always the case. Black Earth has been abused from many angles over the years. Agricultural runoff, urban and rural development, sedimentation, and a superfund site negatively impacted the stream, diminishing the fishery to a fraction of its potential.

Fortunately, concerned TUers and other local residents have devoted years of restoration work into the system. They have implemented stream improvements, secured conservation easements, and worked with the state and landowners to reduce non-point source pollution. While the job is never done and development still threatens key reaches of the stream, the work completed so far has achieved amazing results. Black Earth is one of the best small stream fisheries in the nation and it serves as a poster child for stream restoration in Wisconsin and beyond.

We arrived on the stream a few hours before dark, so I could actually see the place and get a sense for the restoration work. I couldn’t have found a more knowledgeable host than Steve. In addition to learning about Black Earth Creek, I enjoyed talking with Steve about fisheries. As I embark on my fish-squeezing career, it is always nice to talk with someone who has “done it right.”

Dan Wisniewski, Wisconsin’s TU National Leadership Council representative, met us on the stream. Steve and Dan set me up on a great looking pool with a large downed tree and deep water, prime big brown habitat. The word is out that the hexes are hatching, so we each staked out a nice spot before the hatch began. The stream wasn’t crowded, but other anglers were around and it was nice to reserve a little elbow room.

Anticipation is part of the fishing experience and I got a big dose of it while sitting on the bank of that pool. I knew this place held large fish and I could only wait and hope for a good hatch.

Towards dusk, a few hex started to emerge. They are clumsy on the water, squirming downstream as they dry their floppy wings. Early in the hatch, a few stocked rainbows started rising. They were “gimmies” on a big parachute imitation. The naturals started emerging with more regularly and some browns started to rise. One big fish was working the surface, but it was tucked way back in the downed tree, totally inaccessible to any cast.

As dusk transitioned into night, Steve and I worked our way upstream, into a slow run that has produced well for him in the past. We landed some small- and medium-sized trout, but the lunkers remained elusive.

Even small fish are exciting in the dark. The pleasures of night fishing include listening to the trout take your fly and then tightening the line into a specimen of unknown size. Trout seem particularly surprised when hooked after dark. They fight hard, almost indignantly. Trout also become bold when the sun goes down. Large fish move out from protective cover and their "lockjaw" eases considerably.

I highly recommend that you try night fishing. Wading and casting at night take a little practice, but once you get it down, you have effectively doubled your potential fishing time. The hex hatch offers the nation’s best night fishing opportunity. The next few weeks are prime hexagenia time across the upper Midwest, so get out there and check it out. “You’ve got to play to win” and you are certainly not going to catch that once-in-a-lifetime brown trout if you stay home and sleep.

See the photos HERE