FLY FISHING THE HEX HATCH
by Leighton Wass
“When we are in the right place at the right time with the right gear, a Hex hatch can be one of the most exciting experiences in fly fishing. The author’s own excitement comes through loud and clear in this thorough and entertaining guide to the Hex hatch in Northern New England. Wass writes in a friendly, chatty, and light-hearted conversational style. He explains where to go and how to prepare for the challenges of fishing at or after dark. I’ve marked my calendar to get out there and put his advice to work.”
----David Van Wie, author of Storied Waters (2019) and The Confluence (2016) “The Hexagenia limbata, or Hex mayfly, is the star of Wass’s book and he explains in patient detail and good humor all of the distinctions in a way that even I can understand. Insofar as I know, Wass is plowing new ground in a field populated with books about fly fishing tactics and insect identification. Fly Fishing the Hex Hatch has voice, humor, heart and a breeziness that I found engaging. It’s a comprehensive, instructive book and a fun read for the novice angler or the seasoned veteran. Wass knows his stuff. His book is a winner!” ---V. Paul Reynolds, Editor, Northwoods Sporting Journal “Nothing beats early evenings spent in a canoe on quiet water, fly rod in hand, when Hex hatches get underway. Those experiences inspired Leighton Wass to write this book. This is likely the first and only book ever published that focuses solely on the topic of the Hex hatch in New England – and it may be the only such book to cover that topic for any region across the entire United States. Readers will know all the important aspects of nymphs and duns and molting. They will follow the insect through the different seasons, as it sheds its outer membrane as many as 30 times before getting large enough to swim to the surface. The Hex hatch – the Holy Grail for fly anglers – is a fascinating subject, and Wass does an outstanding job giving this natural, wondrous spectacle the attention it deserves.” ---Will Lund, Editor, The Maine Sportsman |
Leighton Wass
Leighton grew up in Southwest Harbor, Maine, and
graduated from Pemetic High School in 1960. He graduated from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, (1960-1964) with a BS in Science Education. He taught high school biology for 33 years in Vermont. Since 1972 Leighton has written articles for magazines that include: The Vermont Sportsman, The Maine Sportsman, New England Game and Fish, Vermont Life, Northern Woodlands, and the Bangor Daily News. Leighton has used the outdoors as his playground for decades that has included hunting, foraging for mushrooms, searching for moose sheds, and of course, fishing the Hex Hatch. He is a fly tyer and woodworker and lives in Adamant, Vermont, with his wife Jane and two Labradors. |
