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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.

Mount Deborah and Hess Mountains. Two of the greatest peaks of the Alaska Range rise behind the braided, glacial Susitna River. These massive mountains are 35 miles north of where I took this picture.

From the Susitna River in Alaska

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Female Sweltsa borealis (Boreal Sallfly) Stonefly Adult Female Sweltsa borealis (Boreal Sallfly) Stonefly Adult

Lateral view of a Female Sweltsa borealis (Chloroperlidae) (Boreal Sallfly) Stonefly Adult from Harris Creek in Washington

I was not fishing, but happened to be at an unrelated social event on a hill above this tiny creek (which I never even saw) when this stonefly flew by me. I assume it came from there. Some key characteristics are tricky to follow, but process of elimination ultimately led me to Sweltsa borealis. It is reassuringly similar to this specimen posted by Bob Newell years ago. It is also so strikingly similar to this nymph from the same river system that I'm comfortable identifying that nymph from this adult. I was especially pleased with the closeup photo of four mites parasitizing this one.

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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 June 4, 2005

Updates from June 4, 2005

Photos by Troutnut from the Marengo River, , and Twentymile Creek in Wisconsin and

A storm recedes over the boggy headwaters of a nice trout stream. I haven't seen any trout in this stretch, but it's a good place to collect burrowing mayfly nymphs.

From the Marengo River in Wisconsin

The Marengo River in Wisconsin

I found this big snapping turtle crossing the road next to the headwaters of a tiny brook trout stream I've never fished.

Twentymile Creek in Wisconsin

Closeup insects by Troutnut and Bnewell from the Marengo River, the Teal River, the Long Lake Branch of the White River, Eighteenmile Creek, the Namekagon River, and Georgetown Lake in Wisconsin and Montana

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Ephemera simulans (Brown Drake) Mayfly Nymph

Ephemera simulans (Ephemeridae) (Brown Drake) Mayfly Nymph from the Marengo River in Wisconsin

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Male Leucrocuta hebe (Little Yellow Quill) Mayfly Spinner

Artistic view of a Male Leucrocuta hebe (Heptageniidae) (Little Yellow Quill) Mayfly Spinner from the Teal River in Wisconsin

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Caenis (Angler's Curse) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Caenis (Caenidae) (Angler's Curse) Mayfly Nymph from the Marengo River in Wisconsin

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Female Baetisca laurentina (Armored Mayfly) Mayfly Dun

Artistic view of a Female Baetisca laurentina (Baetiscidae) (Armored Mayfly) Mayfly Dun from the Marengo River in Wisconsin

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Eurylophella temporalis (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Eurylophella temporalis (Ephemerellidae) (Chocolate Dun) Mayfly Nymph from the Marengo River in Wisconsin

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Rhyacophila (Green Sedge) Caddisfly Pupa

Rhyacophila (Rhyacophilidae) (Green Sedge) Caddisfly Pupa from the Long Lake Branch of the White River in Wisconsin

I collected this pupa and several like it from the same stream and on the same day as this larva. I suspect they're the same species. Every pupa I collected was in a brown casing like the one shown in one of the pictures below. I cut this pupa out of its case after a picture so you can see more details. It is close to but not fully developed.

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Heptagenia elegantula (Pale Evening Dun) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Heptagenia elegantula (Heptageniidae) (Pale Evening Dun) Mayfly Nymph from Eighteenmile Creek in Wisconsin

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Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Stenacron interpunctatum (Heptageniidae) (Light Cahill) Mayfly Nymph from the Marengo River in Wisconsin

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Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Baetidae (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph from the Long Lake Branch of the White River in Wisconsin

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Drunella cornuta (Large Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Drunella cornuta (Ephemerellidae) (Large Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph from the Long Lake Branch of the White River in Wisconsin

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Rhithrogena impersonata (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Rhithrogena impersonata (Heptageniidae) (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph from the Long Lake Branch of the White River in Wisconsin

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Rhyacophila fuscula (Green Sedge) Caddisfly Larva

Dorsal view of a Rhyacophila fuscula (Rhyacophilidae) (Green Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Long Lake Branch of the White River in Wisconsin

I collected this larva and several like it from the same stream and on the same day as this pupa. I suspect they're the same species.

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Rhithrogena impersonata (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Rhithrogena impersonata (Heptageniidae) (Dark Red Quill) Mayfly Nymph from the Long Lake Branch of the White River in Wisconsin

This specimen shows one of two distinct color types of Rhithrogena impersonata nymphs. This type is very reddish, especially in the gills, perhaps a representative of the form formerly known as a separate speciesRhithrogena sanguinea.

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Female Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons) Mayfly Dun

Lateral view of a Female Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons) Mayfly Dun from the Teal River in Wisconsin

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Heptagenia pulla (Golden Dun) Mayfly Nymph

Lateral view of a Heptagenia pulla (Heptageniidae) (Golden Dun) Mayfly Nymph from the Long Lake Branch of the White River in Wisconsin

I used a microscope to positively identify this nymph as Heptagenia pulla. (Edit six years later: I wish I had explained why I was positive about this. It may have been based on color patterns in an angling text, which are not especially reliable for species ID anymore.)

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Ephemerella needhami (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella needhami (Ephemerellidae) (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph from the Long Lake Branch of the White River in Wisconsin

This specimen strikingly resembles another specimen from about 1300 miles away in the Catskills, which I tentatively called Ephemerella aurivillii. This one has much more prominent abdominal tubercles. It may be that they're both the same species and I don't have my identifications straight.

3
Drunella cornuta (Large Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Drunella cornuta (Ephemerellidae) (Large Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Nymph from Eighteenmile Creek in Wisconsin

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Female Attenella attenuata (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun

Lateral view of a Female Attenella attenuata (Ephemerellidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

This dun was badly damaged in transport and all its legs fell off, but I photographed it anyway because I wasn't sure I would fine more and it's an interesting species. Luckily I collected better specimens a few days later.

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Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella (Ephemerellidae) (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Nymph from Eighteenmile Creek in Wisconsin

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Hexagenia limbata (Hex) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Nymph from the Marengo River in Wisconsin

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Ephemerella needhami (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella needhami (Ephemerellidae) (Little Dark Hendrickson) Mayfly Nymph from Eighteenmile Creek in Wisconsin

1
Libellulidae Dragonfly Nymph

Libellulidae Dragonfly Nymph from Georgetown Lake in Montana

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Aeshnidae Dragonfly Nymph

Aeshnidae Dragonfly Nymph from Georgetown Lake in Montana

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