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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.

Dorsal view of a Zapada cinctipes (Nemouridae) (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
Nymphs of this species were fairly common in late-winter kick net samples from the upper Yakima River. Although I could not find a key to species of Zapada nymphs, a revision of the Nemouridae family by Baumann (1975) includes the following helpful sentence: "2 cervical gills on each side of midline, 1 arising inside and 1 outside of lateral cervical sclerites, usually single and elongate, sometimes constricted but with 3 or 4 branches arising beyond gill base in Zapada cinctipes." This specimen clearly has the branches and is within the range of that species.
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.
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GLF
Posts: 1
GLF on Jul 21, 2009July 21st, 2009, 2:13 pm EDT
I was fishing in west central Indiana on July 18. I was hit with a mid morning hatch of some size 18 or smaller three tailed gray mayflies. It was about 9:00A.M. Does anybody know what these might be?I will post pictures later from my cell. I'm not sure how good the pictures will be though. Thanks.
Martinlf
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Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jul 22, 2009July 22nd, 2009, 4:00 am EDT
They possibly were Blue Quills AKA Paraleps.

See Troutnut Paralep

P.mollis is a summer species of blue quill. P.adoptiva hatches in the spring.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Jul 23, 2009July 23rd, 2009, 6:38 am EDT
GLF,

The possibility that Louis suggests is a good one. At this time of year, (small, grayish) three-tailed mayfly duns that emerge around mid-morning could very well be Paraleptophlebia species, aka Summer Blue Quills. Another possibility might be one of the little ephemerellids of Serratella. Dry flies tied to imitate the duns of either genus would be basically the same.

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