Header image
Enter a name
Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

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.

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.
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.

Trtklr
Banned
Michigan

Posts: 115
Trtklr on Sep 11, 2009September 11th, 2009, 4:39 am EDT
I have seen nothing more beautiful than the sunrise on a cold stream.
Troutnut
Troutnut's profile picture
Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Sep 11, 2009September 11th, 2009, 5:09 am EDT
Wow!
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Shawnny3
Moderator
Pleasant Gap, PA

Posts: 1197
Shawnny3 on Sep 11, 2009September 11th, 2009, 11:51 am EDT
That fish could probably eat the biggest brown I've ever caught.

-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
Troutnut
Troutnut's profile picture
Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Sep 13, 2009September 13th, 2009, 4:28 am EDT
Geez, there's a world record rainbow this week too!

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?id=4466614

It's a very impressive fish, but I'm not sure this one (or the previous record from the same lake) should really count. Both are part of a generation of "triploid" fish farm escapees, which are genetically modified to put all their energy into growth and never spawn. It seems those fish should have their own category.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
JOHNW
JOHNW's profile picture
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452
JOHNW on Sep 14, 2009September 14th, 2009, 12:23 pm EDT
Maybe we should just buy it on e-bay and then brand it with an asterisk a la Mark Ecko with Barry Bond's recors ball. ;)
JW
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
UPTroutBum
Marquette, MI

Posts: 33
UPTroutBum on Sep 14, 2009September 14th, 2009, 5:22 pm EDT
That's great for the tourism in Manistee. Small town a few hours from me, good for Michigan's $hitty economy, possibly bad for the local anglers.

Also check out, our local guide in the Upper Peninsula entertained Bob Clouser.. http://riversnorth.net/fishingreport/
" The true fisherman approaches the first day of fishing season with
all the sense of wonder and awe of a child approaching Christmas." John Voelker
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Sep 14, 2009September 14th, 2009, 5:54 pm EDT
"a real testament of the world class fishery Michigan provides."

What can I say, Michigan is my home state...

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Trtklr
Banned
Michigan

Posts: 115
Trtklr on Sep 15, 2009September 15th, 2009, 4:25 am EDT
we know the rainbow was a triploid and that is what matters. wether it gets reported on much or not. a tree falling in the forest may not be heard but there is still the evidence.
I have seen nothing more beautiful than the sunrise on a cold stream.
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Sep 15, 2009September 15th, 2009, 8:54 am EDT
I have actually heard that the very largest Chinook salmon ever caught were naturally occuring triploids, and I wouldn't doubt this might be true for other species as well. It happens, not just in hatcheries. Perhaps we should be taking DNA samples from future outsized fish (SMALL samples so these giants can be released to grow even bigger) of any salmonid species? I for one would be curious to find out...

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Sep 22, 2009September 22nd, 2009, 5:08 am EDT
Hey fellas...The thing that went unreported in regards to this story is that I had hooked this same fish the day before on a Trico spinner, but my 7X tippet didn't hold...Don't ya believe me?

Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood

Quick Reply

Related Discussions

Topic
Replies
Last Reply
3
May 31, 2014
by Sla9104
3
May 8, 2010
by Canuck
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 (email Jason). privacy policy