Header image
Enter a name
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.

Ventral view of a Hydropsyche (Hydropsychidae) (Spotted Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
With a bit of help from the microscope, this specimen keys clearly and unsurprisingly to Hydropsyche.
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.

Hellgrammites, Dobsonflies, and Alderflies

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

Insect Order Megaloptera

These are pretty much always called Hellgrammites, Dobsonflies, and Alderflies.
Megalopterans can be an important source of food for trout and they're routinely neglected by anglers.

See the Corydalidae and Sialidae pages for details about each of the two families, of which Corydalidae is the most important.
Male Sialis hamata (Sialidae) Alderfly Adult from the  Touchet River in Washington
A fishfly larva. This fishfly (genus Nigonia) is closely related in appearance to Hellgrammites

Artistic view of a Nigronia serricornis (Corydalidae) (Fishfly) Hellgrammite Larva from Salmon Creek in New York

Hellgrammites, Dobsonflies, and Alderflies

Scientific Name
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 (email Jason). privacy policy