Troutnut: Fly Fishing and Hatch Knowledge, Photos, and Discussions : Blog, page 108

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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.

Lone tree on a rock in the middle of Big Lake. Fittingly, Big Lake is the largest of several short wide spots in the upper Brule River.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

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Re: Trico emergers
In the Mayfly Genus Tricorythodes by Bwoklink (Martinlf replied)

Re: Trico Tips
In the Mayfly Genus Tricorythodes by Martinlf

Re: UV spectrum and trout
In General Discussion by Martinlf

Re: closing the gender gap in flyfishing
In General Discussion by Konchu (Smallflyguy replied)

Re: Fishing Kupa River, Slovenia
In Fishing Reports by Slocum (Fish1 replied)

Glossosoma (Little Brown Short-horned Sedge) Caddisfly Larva Glossosoma (Little Brown Short-horned Sedge) Caddisfly Larva

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.

11 Recently Added Photos

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.

Updates from June 11, 2005

Photos by Troutnut

A whitetail fawn struggles through strong current to return to its mother. It lost its footing a couple times, and I thought for a moment it was going to wash down to me.

On-stream insect photos by Troutnut

Several large stoneflies recently emerged and left their nymphal skins on this log in fast water. Imitating the fluttering adults helped me hook a couple trout.

When the freshly shed nymphal skins of large stoneflies cover a log like this, imitating the nymphs is a good bet for large trout.

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Updates from June 10, 2005

Photos by Troutnut

On-stream insect photos by Troutnut

Large stonefly nymphs sometimes crawl quite far from the water before emerging. This empty case is from a nymph that hatched about 5 feet up in a tree 10 feet from the river.

Two Ephemera simulans (Brown Drake) spinners hang from tree leaves along the river. It's worthwhile to look for these in afternoons during the Brown Drake hatch, because their presence may reveal the best place to fish in the evening.

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Updates from June 9, 2005

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Male Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly Spinner

Lateral view of a Male Stenacron interpunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Light Cahill) Mayfly Spinner from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Collected June 9, 2005 from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Added by Troutnut on May 26, 2006

Collected June 9, 2005 from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin and added by Troutnut on May 26, 2006

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Canoe float down the Brule with my mom

By Troutnut on June 8th, 2005

This was a great trip down the classic trout water of the Brule, fishing and collecting bugs along the way. In one of the lakes, we got to watch the cutest little bear cub brutally maul the cutest little whitetail fawn—a salient reminder that nature doesn't particularly care about cuteness.

Photos by Troutnut from the Bois Brule River and in Wisconsin and

Here I'm looking through the sampling net for interesting nymphs, some of which ended up on this site.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

Cedar sweepers line the fertile spring creek headwaters of a famous trout stream.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

Here I'm tying on a fly in the middle of a warm summer day. Despite the conditions, the trout responded well.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

Gnarled cedars twist out over a nice trout stream.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

This tail end of a large glassy flat holds many nice rising trout most summer evenings, and it's extremely demanding of both stealth and fine casting.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

The Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

Lone tree on a rock in the middle of Big Lake. Fittingly, Big Lake is the largest of several short wide spots in the upper Brule River.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

A Canada goose and gosling poke their heads out of the grass along a trout stream.

A canada goose looks over some large, downy goslings.

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

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Male Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Male Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

This male nymph is probably in its final instar. The wing pads are extremely black and the large turbinate eyes are very apparent inside the nymph's head.

6
Teloganopsis deficiens (Little Black Quill) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Teloganopsis deficiens (Ephemerellidae) (Little Black Quill) Mayfly Nymph from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

This nymph has tiny, barely detectable tubercles on its abdominal segments, and I could not find the maxillary palpi. I tentatively guessed that it is Serratella deficiens back when that was a thing; the species is now known as Teloganopsis deficiens. One of the key characteristics, tarsal claws with a subapical denticle being larger than the preceding denticles, seems to be visible in some of the pictures.

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Ephemerella needhami (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella needhami (Ephemerellidae) (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

I photographed three strange striped Ephemerella nymphs from the same trip on the same river: this one, a brown one, and a very very striped one. I have tentatively put them all in Ephemerella needhami for now.

3
Stenonema vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Stenonema vicarium (Heptageniidae) (March Brown) Mayfly Nymph from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

I keyed this nymph to Stenonema fuscom, which is now synonymized with Maccaffertium vicarium. However, the size, markings, and time of year make me very skeptical of this identification.

5
Ephemerella excrucians (Pale Morning Dun) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella excrucians (Ephemerellidae) (Pale Morning Dun) Mayfly Nymph from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

I spent a while with a microscope to fairly positively identify this specimen as Ephemerella excrucians.

4
Leucrocuta hebe (Little Yellow Quill) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Leucrocuta hebe (Heptageniidae) (Little Yellow Quill) Mayfly Nymph from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

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Ephemerella needhami (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella needhami (Ephemerellidae) (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

I photographed three strange striped Ephemerella nymphs from the same trip on the same river: a black and olive one, a brown one, and this one. I have tentatively put them all in Ephemerella needhami for now.

2
Ephemerella needhami (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella needhami (Ephemerellidae) (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

I photographed three strange striped Ephemerella nymphs from the same trip on the same river: a black and olive one, this one, and a very very striped one. I have tentatively put them all in Ephemerella needhami for now.

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Updates from June 7, 2005

Closeup insects by Troutnut and Bnewell from the Namekagon River and the Vermillion River in Wisconsin and Montana

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Hexagenia limbata (Hex) Mayfly Nymph

Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

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Male Neoleptophlebia mollis (Jenny Spinner) Mayfly Dun

Lateral view of a Male Neoleptophlebia mollis (Leptophlebiidae) (Jenny Spinner) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

4
Caenis (Angler's Curse) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Caenis (Caenidae) (Angler's Curse) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

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Female Stenonema (March Browns and Cahills) Mayfly Dun

Lateral view of a Female Stenonema (Heptageniidae) (March Browns and Cahills) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

4
Female Epeorus vitreus (Sulphur) Mayfly Dun

Female Epeorus vitreus (Heptageniidae) (Sulphur) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

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Eurylophella (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Eurylophella (Ephemerellidae) (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

2
Siphlonurus alternatus (Gray Drake) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Siphlonurus alternatus (Siphlonuridae) (Gray Drake) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

3
Male Attenella attenuata (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

Lateral view of a Male Attenella attenuata (Ephemerellidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

This specimen came from the same hatch as a female.

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Female Attenella attenuata (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

Lateral view of a Female Attenella attenuata (Ephemerellidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

This specimen came from the same hatch as a male.

2
Stenonema mediopunctatum (Cream Cahill) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Stenonema mediopunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Cream Cahill) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

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Stenonema mediopunctatum (Cream Cahill) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Stenonema mediopunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Cream Cahill) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

3
Baetisca laurentina (Armored Mayfly) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Baetisca laurentina (Baetiscidae) (Armored Mayfly) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

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Ephemerella needhami (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph

There are postero-lateral projections on adominal segments 4-9.

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella needhami (Ephemerellidae) (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

I took quite a few notes at the microscope when I collected this specimen. They're attached to the appropriate pictures. I found this specimen in the same collection as a similar one. Since I only have strange views of this one, it's possible that they're actually the same specimen and I somehow confused my picture-ordering and got the impression that they're different nymphs.

3
Ephemerella needhami (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella needhami (Ephemerellidae) (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

2
Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph

Ventral view of a Ephemerella (Ephemerellidae) (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

I found this specimen in the same collection as a similar one. Since I only have strange views of this one, it's possible that they're actually the same specimen and I somehow confused my picture-ordering and got the impression that they're different nymphs.

1
Alloperla (Sallfly) Stonefly Nymph

Alloperla (Chloroperlidae) (Sallfly) Stonefly Nymph from the Vermillion River in Montana

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