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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This specimen keys pretty easily to Onocosmoecus, and it closely resembles a specimen from Alaska which caddis expert Dave Ruiter recognized as this genus. As with that specimen, the only species in the genus documented in this area is Onocosmoecus unicolor, but Dave suggested for that specimen that there might be multiple not-yet-distinguished species under the unicolor umbrella and it would be best to stick with the genus-level ID. I'm doing the same for this one.
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American Springflies
This common name refers to only one species. Click its scientific name to learn more.
Stonefly Species Skwala americana
These are very rarely called American Springflies.
This species represents the earliest and often most important hatch of Large Stoneflies on many western rivers. During the late winter and early spring, its hatches are a welcome relief for the angler tired of squinting at baetids and equally tiny Dark Winter Stones. Trout must feel the same way about them as they often feed ravenously when they appear. See the Skwala genus hatch page for more information and likely photos of this species.