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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.

Dorsal view of a Glossosoma (Glossosomatidae) (Little Brown Short-horned Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
I caught this tiny larva without a case, but it seems to key pretty clearly to to Glossosomatidae. From there, the lack of sclerites on the mesonotum points to either Glossosoma or Anagapetus. Although it's difficult to see in a 2D image from the microscope, it's pretty clear in the live 3D view that the pronotum is only excised about 1/3 of its length to accommodate the forecoxa, not 2/3, which points to Glossosoma at Couplet 5 of the Key to Genera of Glossosomatidae Larvae.
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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Landscape & scenery photos from the Chatanika River

The Chatanika River in Alaska
Here's the first of many new pictures of Alaska that I'll be putting online as soon as I get the chance. It's a panorama of my dad standing and looking across the valley of the river where we both caught our first arctic grayling an hour or so later.

You've got to see it full-size to appreciate it.

From the Chatanika River in Alaska
My dad went to great lengths to place a good cast above this high spruce sweeper into a little back slough where he saw a grayling rise.  The cast was good, he assures me, but the grayling did not take.

From the Chatanika River in Alaska
The Chatanika River in Alaska
The Chatanika River in Alaska
The Chatanika River in Alaska
The Chatanika River in Alaska
The Chatanika River in Alaska
The Chatanika River in Alaska
Here's a little bigger arctic grayling from my first day fishing for them.
The Chatanika River in Alaska

Underwater photos from the Chatanika River

This simple rubber-legged foam beetle is one of my favorite flies for Arctic grayling.  It's quick to tie so I don't mind losing one or two on snags.  It's durable, so one fly can last a hundred fish or more.  It never needs floatant to ride the surface well.  Most importantly, it catches fish, although grayling often hit almost anything.  The bold profile and attention-grabbing plop of the beetle, I think, draw fish from farther away than a more subtle fly might, and it often draws unusually savage strikes.

From the Chatanika River in Alaska
The Chatanika River in Alaska
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