Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata

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.

Stream photos

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Pycnopsyche guttifera (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva Pycnopsyche guttifera (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva

Dorsal view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington

This specimen appears to be of the same species as this one collected in the same spot two months earlier. The identification of both is tentative. This one suffered some physical damage before being photographed, too, so the colors aren't totally natural. I was mostly photographing it to test out some new camera setting idea, which worked really well for a couple of closeups.

10 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.

Question

This topic is about the Stonefly Species Pteronarcys dorsata

This is the largest common eastern stonefly. It's quite abundant in places, but not to the extent of its western counterparts, and since most of its activity is at night it is generally less important. Nevertheless, nymph imitations produce some very large trout, and lucky or very locally knowledgable anglers may find good fishing to the egg-laying adults.

Example specimens

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Pteronarcys dorsata (Salmonfly) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Pteronarcys dorsata (Pteronarcyidae) (Salmonfly) Stonefly Nymph from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

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Pteronarcys dorsata (Salmonfly) Stonefly Nymph

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Pteronarcys dorsata (Salmonfly) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Pteronarcys dorsata (Pteronarcyidae) (Salmonfly) Stonefly Nymph from unknown in Wisconsin

Pteronarcys nymphs live for two years before maturing. This small one is in its first year.

Max29
Posts: 1

Max29 on Jan 29, 2008January 29th, 2008, 10:05 am EST

Are stoneflies and salmonflies the same thing or are they just related because here in the mid west we have the stonfly hatch and if they are related the stonfly could be called the salmonfly and the salmonfly hatch is only in the west because I have trouble because I want to become a better insect identifier when it comes to fishing because i went to other sites that so a stonefly is a stonefly and a salmonfly is a salmon fly but yet you say stonefly nymph but in parenteseses you have american salmonfly so is there really no such thing as a salmonfly but it is rather called a stonefly.

Shawnny3
Moderator
Pleasant Gap, PA

Posts: 1197

Shawnny3 on Jan 29, 2008January 29th, 2008, 10:54 am EST

I think the answer to your question, Max, may be found at the top of this thread - I would trust this site above all other fishing sites when it comes to insect IDs. Jason has made a nice section called "Common Names" (the link is in the menu at the top of the page) in which you can find the sometimes varied species associated with the myriad common names fishermen apply to these bugs. Click around that section for a few minutes and you'll see how nicely Jason has designed it. He's made a very complicated body of information at least easy to navigate.

-Shawn

P.S. One of the things that makes this site so reliable is the number of experts in insect ID who frequent it and offer their expertise to the rest of us for free. Someone knowledgeable to answer your question in 3-2-1...

Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com

Taxon

Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311

Taxon on Jan 29, 2008January 29th, 2008, 12:13 pm EST

Max-

Salmonfly is the common name for family Pteronarcyidae, which is but one of the stonefly families. Perhaps, this can be seen more easily here.

Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com

Falsifly

Hayward, WI.

Posts: 660

Falsifly on Jan 29, 2008January 29th, 2008, 12:25 pm EST

Someone knowledgeable to answer your question in 3-2-1...

Wow- I knew Roger would respond but I didn't think it would be that fast.

Falsifly
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."

Mtskibum
Montana

Posts: 26

Mtskibum on Jan 29, 2008January 29th, 2008, 1:52 pm EST

I took 2 pictures of a handfull of my salmonflies, a couple i tied(poorly) and a couple i bought. The are on a size 4-10 hook, although i currently dont have any of the larger ones, the salmonfly hatch is still about 4-5 months away.