Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata

The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.

Stream photos

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Coleoptera (Beetle) Insect Larva Coleoptera (Beetle) Insect Larva

Lateral view of a Coleoptera (Beetle) Insect Larva from Sears Creek in Washington

6 Recently Added Photos

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.

Scenic Desktop Background Wallpapers

I've packaged some of my favorite photos into convenient zip files you can download and store for use as desktop backgrounds (aka desktop wallpapers). Most of my favorite pictures didn't make the cut, because a good wallpaper one of a few unique properties: either it's simple enough to fade into the background and make it easy to see your icons in front, or it's interesting enough that it just draws you into the scene every time you see it. I thought these qualified.

Payments are handled through Gumroad, a major mainstream payment processor. You will receive the images in the highest resolution available, suitable for large or HD screens, with the Troutnut.com watermark removed. If you have any difficulty downloading, just email me.

Download all collections for a bulk discount: Download all three for $4.99

If you become a Patreon supporter at the Premium level, you can download all of these backgrounds for no additional charge.

Trout Stream & Lake Background / Wallpaper Collection Download for $2.99

This collection includes some of my best trout stream and alpine lake photos. Almost every water body in this collection holds trout, including in total browns, rainbows, brookies, cutthroats, goldens, golden-rainbow hybrids, and Arctic grayling, which are honorary trout as far as I'm concerned.

Golden Trout Creek, known long ago as Volcano Creek, winds through a series of enticing bends in Big Whitney Meadow.

Golden Trout Creek cascades through a bouldery bottom downstream of Big Whitney Meadow.

Upper Titcomb Lake

From Titcomb Basin in Wyoming

Turquoise view of Upper Titcomb Lake

From Titcomb Basin in Wyoming

Outlet stream of Upper Titcomb Lake

From Titcomb Basin in Wyoming

Looking across Island Lake toward the Titcomb Basin—one of the popular crown jewels of the Wind River Mountains

From Island Lake in Wyoming

We were lucky to be able to fish through this storm as it skirted around us to the north, giving us just enough clouds to prompt a BWO hatch but keeping the lighting at a safe distance.

From Slough Creek in Wyoming

Here Oksrukuyik Creek flows away from the Dalton Highway toward the pipeline. It eventually grows into one of the major rivers of the North Slope, and the main drainage to the west of the Sag, but where it crosses the road it's just a small grayling stream.

From Oksrukuyik Creek in Alaska

This little pool in update New York is enjoyed by many tourists every day, and it still holds a few trout -- stockers mostly, but you can't complain about the setting!

From Mystery Creek # 62 in New York

I caught a nice brookie a few weeks earlier in this pool at the junction of a split channel in the stream. The huge fallen tree is great cover.

From the Mystery Creek # 23 in New York

Of all the pools I've fished, this one was most deserving of the colorful little brook trout it held.

From Mystery Creek # 89 in New York

Lone tree on a rock in the middle of Big Lake. Fittingly, Big Lake is the largest of several short wide spots in the upper Brule River.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

The trees were leafing out and the trout were rising on this productive Wisconsin stream

From the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Landscape Scenery Background / Wallpaper Collection Download for $2.99

Somehow, not all of my favorite pictures include water. I've included my best terrestrial landscapes with good "wallpaper" featuers in this collection.

Amargosa Range Mountains in Death Valley National Park

From Death Valley in California

Big sky country!

From Mystery Creek # 237 in Montana

Big snowflakes falling while cutting up the caribou

This is one of my favorite pictures -- I think it really captures the character of the place. This is the view from the south of Sukakpak Mountain, a prominent landmark on the south side of the Brooks Range. The Dalton Highway winds in an arc around Sukapak, providing very different views from different angles.

From Dalton Highway in Alaska

Snowden Mountain in the Brooks Range, viewed here from the north, is one of the most impressive peaks along the Dalton Highway. It's coloration is striking in the evening light out of the west.

From Dalton Highway in Alaska

Trout Stream Insects Background / Wallpaper Collection Download for $2.99

Whether it's next to your fly tying desk or on your work computer in an office full of non-anglers, having a giant insect on your screen 24/7 is sure to make for a good time.

Dorsal view of a Limnephilidae (Giant Sedges) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington

Artistic view of a Hesperoperla pacifica (Perlidae) (Golden Stone) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

Dorsal view of a Claassenia sabulosa (Perlidae) (Golden Stone) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

Female Isonychia (Isonychiidae) (Slate Drake) Mayfly Spinner from the Teal River in Wisconsin

Lateral view of a Female Chauliodes rastricornis (Corydalidae) (Fishfly) Hellgrammite Adult from Devil's Creek in Wisconsin

Artistic view of a Ironoquia lyrata (Limnephilidae) (Eastern Box Wing Sedge) Caddisfly Adult from the Teal River in Wisconsin

Male Nemotaulius hostilis (Limnephilidae) (Northern Caddisfly) Caddisfly Adult from the Teal River in Wisconsin

Lateral view of a Calineuria californica (Perlidae) (Golden Stone) Stonefly Nymph from Holder Creek in Washington

Artistic view of a Female Callibaetis ferrugineus (Baetidae) (Speckled Dun) Mayfly Spinner from Silver Creek in Idaho

Lateral view of a Female Ephemerella tibialis (Ephemerellidae) (Little Western Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Dun from the East Fork Big Lost River in Idaho

Male Acerpenna pygmaea (Baetidae) (Tiny Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Spinner from the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho

Lateral view of a Female Ephemerella excrucians (Ephemerellidae) (Pale Morning Dun) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #249 in Washington

Lateral view of a Male Drunella coloradensis (Ephemerellidae) (Small Western Green Drake) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington

Artistic view of a Male Drunella doddsii (Ephemerellidae) (Western Green Drake) Mayfly Dun from the Gulkana River in Alaska

Male Ephemerella aurivillii (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Dun from Nome Creek in Alaska

Artistic view of a Female Ephemera guttulata (Ephemeridae) (Green Drake) Mayfly Dun from the West Branch of the Delaware River in New York

Large hellgrammite (dobsonfly larva). This nearly two inch long larva from the genus Corydalus is a fearsome predator

Dorsal view of a Corydalus (Corydalidae) (Dobsonfly) Hellgrammite Larva from Paradise Creek in Pennsylvania

Dorsal view of a Isonychia bicolor (Isonychiidae) (Mahogany Dun) Mayfly Nymph from Mystery Creek #62 in New York

Artistic view of a Male Isonychia bicolor (Isonychiidae) (Mahogany Dun) Mayfly Spinner from the West Branch of Owego Creek in New York

Lateral view of a Male Ephemerella subvaria (Ephemerellidae) (Hendrickson) Mayfly Dun from the Beaverkill River in New York

Dorsal view of a Stenonema vicarium (Heptageniidae) (March Brown) Mayfly Nymph from the Beaverkill River in New York

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

Artistic view of a Male Hexagenia atrocaudata (Ephemeridae) (Late Hex) Mayfly Spinner from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Lateral view of a Male Afghanurus inconspicua (Heptageniidae) Mayfly Dun from the East Branch of the Delaware River in New York

Those of us who use multiple desktops or monitors in MacOS, Windows, or Linux can never have too many backgrounds to help keep the different desktops straight. Most operating systems will just let you add the full folder to a photo screensaver, too.

These photographs were mostly taken in the western US, including Alaska, but there are also some from the Midwest, the Catskills, and even New Zealand.

Hex MayfliesHexagenia limbata

Scenic Desktop Background Wallpapers