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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 Setvena wahkeena (Perlodidae) (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington
As far as I can tell, this species has only previously been reported from one site in Oregon along the Columbia gorge. However, the key characteristics are fairly unmistakable in all except for one minor detail:
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.
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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Gray-Winged Olive Quills

This common name refers to only one genus. Click its scientific name to learn more.

Mayfly Genus Procloeon

These are very rarely called Gray-Winged Olive Quills.
This genus is not well-known to fly fishers because most of its species were, until very recently, classified as either Centroptilum or Cloeon.

These mayflies may be abundant enough to cause fishable hatches in spite of their tiny size.

It's difficult to discern from previous angling literature exactly which statements now apply to Procloeon, because its species come from other little-known genera and the accounts for them conflict. They were mentioned in combination with other genera, adding to the confusion. So the information below is highly tentative and, where accounts seem to conflict, both have been given.
Lateral view of a Female Procloeon (Baetidae) (Tiny Sulphur Dun) Mayfly Dun from Enfield Creek in New York
This dun of a fairly large Baetidae species was one of only a couple I saw all evening.
Procloeon pennulatum (Baetidae) (Tiny Sulphur Dun) Mayfly Nymph from Murphy Lake in Montana
This fragile nymph is easily damaged during sampling making identification more difficult.

Gray-Winged Olive Quills

Scientific Name
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