Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.
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.
Several stoneflies of this species were flying around a small stream last night. I tied on a brown drake imitation of about the right size/color to approximate these stones, and was rewarded with a hard-fighting 17-inch brown trout.
Troutnut on Jul 30, 2006July 30th, 2006, 3:49 am EDT
I haven't had time to look through my stonefly keys yet. It's a pretty small yellow fly, so I'm guessing Chloroperlidae, though I have no real reason to rule out Perlodidae.
I've saved it in alcohol to key out under a microscope at some later date, but it'll be a while before I have time.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut on Jul 30, 2006July 30th, 2006, 8:58 am EDT
Ok, I'll move it over to Isoperla for now. According to Swisher and Richards, bilineata is an olive and brown species, so I don't think it's that one. This one is distinctly yellow; the brown accents are exaggerated a bit in the photo processing because it just looks so cool.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist