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Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

Stream photos

Featured on the forum
Re: Trico emergers
In the Mayfly Genus Tricorythodes by Bwoklink (Martinlf replied)
Re: Trico Tips
In the Mayfly Genus Tricorythodes by Martinlf
Re: UV spectrum and trout
In General Discussion by Martinlf
Re: closing the gender gap in flyfishing
In General Discussion by Konchu (Smallflyguy replied)
Re: Fishing Kupa River, Slovenia
In Fishing Reports by Slocum (Fish1 replied)
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.

Updates from January 13, 2004

Updates from January 13, 2004


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Videos by Troutnut from and the Marengo River in and Wisconsin

Dragonfly Nymph Scooting Around

Dragonfly nymphs propel themselves through the water with a miniature jet engine, taking water in below their mouths and shooting it out their back ends. You can see the ripples from the jet out this one's back in this video.

Featuring: Gomphidae Dragonfly Nymph
Shot on Jan 13, 2004
Added by Troutnut on Mar 31, 2006
Ephemera 1

Featuring: Ephemera simulans Mayfly Nymph
Shot on Jan 13, 2004
Added by Troutnut on Mar 31, 2006
Ephemera 2

This little Ephemera nymph swam around for a while and tried to burrow into the sand in my photography tank.

Featuring: Ephemera simulans Mayfly Nymph
Added by Troutnut on Mar 31, 2006

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

7
Pteronarcys dorsata Stonefly Nymph
7
Leptophlebia cupida Mayfly Nymph
5
Isonychia bicolor Mayfly Nymph
5
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
5
Ephemerellidae Mayfly Nymph
4
Cordulegaster Dragonfly Nymph
This is a realy big, dark dragonfly nymph. Notice how "fuzzy" it is--it's covered with small hairs that collect sediment and debris and camouflage the nymph to match its natural surroundings. The greenish cast in some of the photos of this specimen is due to strange lighting during my first night photographing things for this site.
4
Nigronia serricornis Hellgrammite Larva
3
Gomphidae Dragonfly Nymph
4
Belostoma flumineum Giant Water Bug Adult
I haven't seen the imitation of these things stressed, but in August 2003 on one of my favorite rivers the largest brown trout I kept had stomachs full of these things.
4
Acroneuria lycorias Stonefly Nymph
The presence of anal gills, large dark spot in the center of the pale occipital bar point to lycorias.
4
Ephemerella subvaria Mayfly Nymph
These are two common color patterns on Hendrickson nymphs. I suspect that one is male and the other female, but I don't know for sure.
4
Cottidae Fish Adult
Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdi
4
Ephemerella subvaria Mayfly Nymph
4
Baetisca laurentina Mayfly Nymph
4
Baetidae Mayfly Nymph
4
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
4
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
3
Male Caecidotea Arthropod Adult
3
Gasterosteidae Fish Adult
Brook Stickleback Culea inconstans
3
Ephemerella Mayfly Nymph
Morphologically this one looks a lot like subvaria but the color is really different.
3
Tipulidae True Fly Larva
3
Acroneuria lycorias Stonefly Nymph
3
Gasterosteidae Fish Adult
Brook Stickleback Culea inconstans
3
Stenonema modestum Mayfly Nymph
3
Stenonema vicarium Mayfly Nymph
3
Baetisca laurentina Mayfly Nymph
3
Stenonema Mayfly Nymph
3
Epeorus vitreus Mayfly Nymph
I suspect this is an Epeorus vitreus nymph. At the current instar, it's tough to make out the pair of dots on the tergites which signify that species, but with zooming and contrast enhancement they become evident.
3
Baetidae Mayfly Nymph
3
Baetidae Mayfly Nymph
3
Isonychia Mayfly Nymph
This smaller Isonychia nymph was caught with a bunch of bicolor specimens, but it does not have the fluffy spine structure at the base of its gills. This might mean it's Isonychia sayi, or it might just be a bicolor nymph too young to have developed those structures.
3
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
3
Baetidae Mayfly Nymph
This one's tails are chopped off and it's missing a leg.
3
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
3
Baetidae Mayfly Nymph
3
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
3
Ephemerellidae Mayfly Nymph
3
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
3
Ephemerellidae Mayfly Nymph
3
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
3
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
3
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
4
Leucrocuta hebe Mayfly Nymph
This is a very early instar.
3
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
3
Ephemerella Mayfly Nymph
3
Stenonema Mayfly Nymph
3
Stenonema Mayfly Nymph
3
Stenonema Mayfly Nymph
3
Capniidae Stonefly Nymph
2
Cambaridae Crayfish Juvenile
2
Hydrophilidae Beetle Adult
This is a water beetle. It is the hardest object in the world to pick up with tweezers. The second hardest is Mount Everest.
2
Amphipoda Arthropod Adult
2
Gomphidae Dragonfly Nymph
2
Baetidae Mayfly Nymph
2
Taeniopteryx Stonefly Nymph
2
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
2
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
2
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
2
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
2
Leucrocuta hebe Mayfly Nymph
This is a very early instar.
2
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
2
Stenonema Mayfly Nymph
2
Ephemerella invaria Mayfly Nymph
1
Cottidae Fish Adult
Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdi
1
Percidae Fish Adult
Johnny Darter (Etheostoma nigrum)
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