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Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana
Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

Lateral view of a Male Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #308 in Washington
This dun emerged from a mature nymph on my desk. Unfortunately its wings didn't perfectly dry out.
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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Millcreek has attached these 8 pictures. The message is below.
Calineuria californica. 21 mm (excluding cerci). January 28, 2014. Live specimen.
Calineuria californica. 21 mm (excluding cerci). January 28, 2014. Live specimen.
Calineuria californica. 20 mm (excluding cerci). April 30, 2013. In alcohol.
Calineuria californica. 20 mm (excluding cerci). April 30, 2013. In alcohol.
Calineuria californica. 20 mm (excluding cerci). April 30, 2013. In alcohol.
Calineuria californica. 20 mm (excluding cerci). April 30, 2013. In alcohol.
Hesperoperla pacifica. 18 mm (excluding cerci). June 3,2013. In alcohol.
Hesperoperla pacifica. 18 mm (excluding cerci). June 3,2013. In alcohol.
Millcreek
Healdsburg, CA

Posts: 344
Millcreek on Sep 20, 2014September 20th, 2014, 4:04 pm EDT
Both nymphs were identified to genus using Merritt, Cummins and Berg {2008) as well as Stewart and Stark's "Nymphs of North American Stonefly Genera (Plecoptera)" (2002). Identification to species is simple for Calineuria californica since it's the only species in the genus. Hesperoperla pacifica is almost as easy since there are only two species in the genus,H. hoguei and H. pacifica. I used Baumann and Stark's article "Hesperoperla hoguei, a new species of stonefly from California (Plecoptera: Perlidae)" to identify Hesperoperla pacifica. Their paper can be seen here: http://biostor.org/cache/pdf/45/13/be/4513bea08a52c948d6ed015eb7908ff3.pdf

Neither stonefly is common in the area of the Russian River I've been sampling but they are both common in smaller creeks that are tributaries to the river. They're most commonly found in riffles and glides with a moderate to fast current and a substrate of medium sized gravel and cobbles.
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jan 29, 2016January 29th, 2016, 9:22 pm EST
Don't know how I (or others) failed to comment on these stunning photos previously, but . . . wow!
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

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