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.

Looking across Island Lake toward the Titcomb Basin—one of the popular crown jewels of the Wind River Mountains

From Island Lake in Wyoming

Stream photos

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Ephemerella mucronata Mayfly Nymph Ephemerella mucronata Mayfly Nymph

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.

17 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.

Grout Brook

Al514

Central New York

Posts: 142

Al514 on Oct 7, 2007October 7th, 2007, 3:15 pm EDT

Has anyone in the Central New York area fished Grout Brook? It runs into one of the south ends of the finger lakes, Skaneatles Lake, and from what I have herd gets a nice run of fish in the fall and spring.

Troutnut

Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758

Troutnut on Oct 7, 2007October 7th, 2007, 8:17 pm EDT

I've read good things about it in a few of the books about the area (small and brushy but with a decent population, I've heard) but I never got aroudn to fishing it while I was there. I never got optimistic about any of the lake run fishing around there because the runs were all so scarce, and I'd rather try for choosy insect feeders where I know I can find them rather than searching high and low for something big from the lake to hit a streamer.

Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

Al514

Central New York

Posts: 142

Al514 on Oct 8, 2007October 8th, 2007, 5:56 am EDT

Jason,
What you said is exactly why I haven't fished it either. I went there one time just to check it out and it is a SMALL stream - not as wide as a car in some spots. We are supposed to have a bit of rain this week along with cooler weather, so hopeuflly there will be some fish.