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.

Looking across Island Lake toward the Titcomb Basin—one of the popular crown jewels of the Wind River Mountains

From Island Lake in Wyoming

Stream photos

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Clostoeca disjuncta (Northern Caddisfly) Caddisfly Larva Clostoeca disjuncta (Northern Caddisfly) Caddisfly Larva

Lateral view of a Clostoeca disjuncta (Limnephilidae) (Northern Caddisfly) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington

This one was surprisingly straightforward to identify. The lack of a sclerite at the base of the lateral hump narrows the field quite a bit, and the other options followed fairly obvious characteristics to Clostoeca, which only has one species, Clostoeca disjuncta.

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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.

Cream Cahills

Like most common names,"Cream Cahill" can refer to more than one taxon. They're previewed below, along with 5 specimens. For more detail click through to the scientific names.

Mayfly Species Stenonema femoratum

These are often called Cream Cahills.

This species is only one of many minor Light Cahills and the only species remaining in the Stenonema genus after the classic superhatches were reclassified into Maccaffertium and Stenacron. Its habitat and behavior is not different from those species, except as noted below, and you should consult the pages for those genera if you need angling information for this hatch.

Stenonema femoratum (Cream Cahill) Mayfly Nymph

6 Pictures

Dorsal view of a Stenonema femoratum (Heptageniidae) (Cream Cahill) Mayfly Nymph from Mongaup Creek in New York

Collected May 5, 2007 from Mongaup Creek in New York

Added by Troutnut on May 18, 2007

Collected May 5, 2007 from Mongaup Creek in New York and added by Troutnut on May 18, 2007

Mayfly Species Stenonema mediopunctatum

These are often called Cream Cahills.

I have seen no mention of this species as a fishable hatch in angling literature, but it is noteworthy for the unusual coloration of the male spinners, which Malcolm and Knopp describe in Mayflies: An Angler's Study of Trout Water Ephemeroptera :

...the male only exhibits this coloration on segments eight to ten, against an otherwise whitish to translucent body.

Stenonema mediopunctatum (Cream Cahill) Mayfly Nymph

4 Pictures

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

Collected June 7, 2005 from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Added by Troutnut on May 26, 2006

Collected June 7, 2005 from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin and added by Troutnut on May 26, 2006

See 1 more specimen...

Mayfly Species Stenonema mexicanum

These are often called Cream Cahills.

This species is usually mentioned under its former name, Stenonema integrum. Now integrum is a subspecies of Maccaffertium mexicanum. It is not said to produce fishable hatches.

I've tentatively identified several specimens I collected as members of this species based on their color patterns. It may be more likely that they belong to a Midwestern color variety of Maccaffertium vicarium which produces good hatches on the river where they were collected.