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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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.

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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.

Giant Orange Sedges

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

Caddisfly Genus Dicosmoecus

These are sometimes called Giant Orange Sedges.

This is a superhatch in the West. Gary LaFontaine had a self-proclaimed obsession with Dicosmoecus, and he devotes several pages of Caddisflies to stressing the importance of its larvae, pupae, and adults. He wrote:

The question for fly fishermen seeking big trout is: "Which insects provide the best opportunity for catching such fish?" My list would be: Giant Orange Sedge (Dicosmoecus sp.), Salmon Fly (Pteronarcys californica, a stonefly), and the Michigan Mayfly (Hexagenia limbata). Dicosmoecus is the most important -- and the contest is not even close.

His reasons for this judgement are five traits of Dicosmoecus:

Very large size: Adults 30mm long, and thick.

Activity concentrated within 2-3 weeks.

Emerges in the low, clear water of fall.

Active during afternoon and evening.

Abundant in rivers with sea-run trout.

Personally I have only caught a good Dicosmoecus hatch one time, and on a secret desert spring creek. It reminded me of fishing Isonychia mayfly hatches back east, because there weren't enough bugs around to have trout rising consistently, but the presence of a particularly good food source in low numbers for a long time had them on the lookout for imitations. I had big trout cartwheeling out of the water to smash actively-fished imitations.

Female Dicosmoecus atripes (October Caddis) Caddisfly Adult

6 Pictures