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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.

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 September 1, 2004

Photos by Troutnut from the Beaverkill River in New York

This is a really deep hole on a famous Catskill river.

From the Beaverkill River in New York
I missed one strike in this pool after taking the picture. It was a good fish that first showed itself with a telltale bulge and eddies below my fly, the sign of a nice trout refusing without quite breaking the surface. Five or ten drifts later it took convincingly, but I missed the hookset. That was the story that day -- missed hooksets. I didn't stay to fish this pool very long, because I tried to cross to fish it from the side that's on the right in the picture, obviously the best angle, and I found that what looked like an easy crossing near the tail was a swift, bouldery flat of very deceptive depth in the clear water. I found myself half-way across, past what had originally looked like the deepest water, only to find that the water that looked easiest was even swifter and deeper. I thought surely I was in for a swim, but somehow I made it back to the near bank dry and jumped in the car to head for less treacherous wading.

From the Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Beaverkill River and Miscellaneous New York in New York

Male Epeorus vitreus (Heptageniidae) (Sulphur) Mayfly Dun from the Beaverkill River in New York
This is my favorite mayfly from 2004, and it appears on my popular Be the Trout: Eat Mayflies products. Check them out!

Its identification is really up in the air. It might be a late-season vitreus dun but it may very well be one of the more obscure species in that genus.
Female Isonychia bicolor (Isonychiidae) (Mahogany Dun) Mayfly Dun from the Beaverkill River in New York
Ruler view of a Female Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from unknown in New York The smallest ruler marks are 1/16".
This little gal is of the usual size for Baetid mayflies, around size 20. She came with two tails, but it's kind of hard to transport size 20 mayflies without a little bit of damage.

Updates from August 24, 2004

Photos by Troutnut from the Salmon River in New York

The Salmon River in New York
The Salmon River in New York
The Salmon River in New York
The Salmon River in New York
Thousands of big trout and salmon pass by here each year.

From the Salmon River in New York

Updates from August 23, 2004

Photos by Troutnut from the Beaverkill River and the West Branch of the Delaware River in New York

This 15" brown trout took a small emergent sparkle pupa on a large Catskill river.
Here's an underwater post-release picture of a 15" brown trout I caught in a clear Catskill river.
This is one of the most famous trout streams in the country.

From the West Branch of the Delaware River in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
Here's the most famous pool in the world. I was shocked that the fishing was so good--I had expected such a legendary place to be overfished. While it certainly sees a lot of pressure, it's still possible to have the whole 300-yard pool to yourself once in a while, and in the fall it doesn't get anywhere close to the combat fishing it sees during the major hatch seasons. It supports a terrific population of the most picky free-rising trout I've ever seen.

From the Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
The West Branch of the Delaware River in New York
A beautiful deep current tongue runs along a manmade wall on a famous Catskill river.

From the Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York

On-stream insect photos by Troutnut from the Beaverkill River in New York

Here are the empty nymphal cases of Isonychia bicolor mayflies which hatched in early fall in the Catskills by crawling out onto a rock.

From the Beaverkill River in New York

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Beaverkill River and Miscellaneous New York in New York

Ruler view of a Female Isonychia bicolor (Isonychiidae) (Mahogany Dun) Mayfly Dun from the Beaverkill River in New York The smallest ruler marks are 1/16".
Ruler view of a Male Ephemerellidae (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs, BWOs) Mayfly Dun from unknown in New York The smallest ruler marks are 1/16".

Updates from August 22, 2004

Photos by Troutnut from Salmon Creek in New York

Salmon Creek in New York

Updates from August 21, 2004

Photos by Troutnut from Willowemoc Creek and the Beaverkill River in New York

Willowemoc Creek in New York
Two storied Catskill rivers become one at this pool.

From the Beaverkill River in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
Willowemoc Creek in New York
The Beaverkill River (Upper) in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York
The Beaverkill River in New York

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Beaverkill River in New York

Female Leucrocuta hebe (Heptageniidae) (Little Yellow Quill) Mayfly Dun from the Beaverkill River in New York
I found Catskill brown trout eagerly surface feeding to this species.
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