Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana

Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

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

The "Fountain Flats" stretch of the Firehole was fishable in the morning after an uncharacteristically cold August night.

From the Firehole River in Wyoming

Stream photos

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Skwala (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph Skwala (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Skwala (Perlodidae) (Large Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

This Skwala nymph still has a couple months left to go before hatching, but it's still a good representative of its species, which was extremely abundant in my sample for a stonefly of this size. It's obvious why the Yakima is known for its Skwala hatch.

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.

Updates from July 30, 2004

Photos by Troutnut

This is the smooth tailout of a large, wide flat into a very steep riffle. Fish rise here almost every evening, but it's a difficult place to fool them, with clear water and tricky currents.

This beautiful habitat held some big risers that were too wary for me on one late July morning.

All along this fertile river, cedar sweepers like these shelter small brookies, browns, and rainbows.

A remote, lake-like stretch of a trout river provides refuge for large, reclusive browns.

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Bois Brule River and Miscellaneous Wisconsin in Wisconsin

Polydrusus (Weevil) Beetle Adult

3 Pictures

Artistic view of a Polydrusus (Curculionidae) (Weevil) Beetle Adult from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

This is an iridescent green terrestrial beetle. They're common in northern Wisconsin's forests during the middle of summer, and I found them on the water's surface more than any other terrestrial insect. I saw the trout take a few and caught some trout on an imitation.

Collected July 30, 2004 from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

Added by Troutnut on January 25, 2006

Collected July 30, 2004 from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin and added by Troutnut on January 25, 2006

Female Stenacron (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun

3 Pictures