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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.

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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.

Updates from April 23, 2004

Updates from April 23, 2004

Photos by Troutnut

This muskrat swam around me for a while as I fished a caddisfly hatch.

Underwater photos by Troutnut

There's a very well-camouflaged Baetisca laurentina mayfly nymph resting on the twig in the bottom left corner of this picture. Can you spot him?
This is a pretty clear photo of an Epeorus nymph clinging flat against a log. The big mound of debris on the bottom center of the picture, attached to the light rock, is a structure that's been puzzling me. I've found several in one section of the river. It's big, like 2 inches long and maybe 1/2-3/4 inch wide/tall, and hollow, like some sort of coccoon or something. It's clearly a structure built by some sort of little creature, but I'm not sure what.
I'm not quite sure what this is.  It may be an Isonychia nymph hiding under a piece of grass.

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Lateral view of a Male Siphloplecton basale (Metretopodidae) (Pseudo-Gray Drake) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
This one hatched on the same April Saturday that I saw the first Hendricksons of the season.
The wings aren't really yellowish; that's just the color they take on when they've been injured.

Male Ephemerella subvaria (Ephemerellidae) (Hendrickson) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Female Ephemerella subvaria (Ephemerellidae) (Hendrickson) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

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