Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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Yellow Drakes
Like most common names,"Yellow Drake" can refer to more than one taxon. They're previewed below, along with 3 specimens. For more detail click through to the scientific names.
Mayfly Species Ephemera varia
These are pretty much always called Yellow Drakes.
This is an excellent hatch of a different character than its Ephemera brethren. Rather than emerging in a flurry of activity within a week, the Ephemera varia hatch may last for more than a month in a single place.
This yellow drake dun hatched out of my aquarium over a month before her brethren in the wild are slated to emerge. She seems a bit small, and that might be the reason.
I found this female spinner ovipositing in a small stream. She came along while I was playing a trout -- every good bug seemed to do that last night! I didn't have my bug net, so I caught the trout in my landing net, released the trout, and caught the mayfly in my landing net. Her wing got a bit messed up from that.
Mayfly Species Anthopotamus distinctus
These are very rarely called Yellow Drakes.