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Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

Dorsal view of a Skwala (Perlodidae) (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This Skwala nymph still has a couple months left to go before hatching, but it's still a good representative of its species, which was extremely abundant in my sample for a stonefly of this size. It's obvious why the Yakima is known for its Skwala hatch.
27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
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Caddisfly Species Dolophilodes distincta (Tiny Black Gold Speckled-Winged Caddisflies)

What a weird species is Dolophilodes distinctus. It emerges year-round, and the female adults in the winter do not have wings. In the summer they do, and in the spring there is a mix.

This is the most important species of Dolophilodes in the East and Midwest. It is never an intense emergence, but it may be present at times of the year when nothing else is available.

Where & when

Time of year : All year; typically two peaks in winter and again in midsummer

Species Range

Hatching behavior

Time of day : Morning and afternoon

The pupae swim to the surface and then scoot across it to the shore to emerge. Swisher and Richards comment on the importance of this behavior in Selective Trout:

When fishing to an emergence, the adult and emerger imitations are usueless. The angler must use a hackled pupa skated over the water toward shore.

Larva & pupa biology

Environmental tolerance: Prefers cold water

Specimens of the Caddisfly Species Dolophilodes distincta

1 Male Adult
1 Female Adult
1 Larva

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References

Caddisfly Species Dolophilodes distincta (Tiny Black Gold Speckled-Winged Caddisflies)

Taxonomy
Species Range
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