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.
I collected this specimen as a nymph and had it in line to be photographed, but it emerged inside my holding container before I got the chance. However, I was able to get some interesting photos of the very freshly-emerged adult that really demonstrate how strikingly colors can change within a few short hours after emergence. The before-and-after pictures are combined here under a single specimen since they portray the same individual at different times within the same stage.
Based on the identification of another specimen from the same date/site, I'm calling this Hesperoperla pacifica.
This stonefly was collected from the Gallatin River in Montana on July 2nd, 2019 and added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on July 18th, 2019.