Header image
Enter a name
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 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.

Report at a Glance

General RegionWestern Catskills
Specific LocationN/A
Dates FishedJune 22 - 24
Time of Day1:30 - 5:00 pm
Fish CaughtNumerous wild browns 15" - 21"
Conditions & HatchesSulfurs also blanket hatch of #20 Baetis

Details and Discussion

Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Jun 27, 2010June 27th, 2010, 2:27 pm EDT
Don't really know what kind of mayfly it was. If it was a "Sulfur" as some guys said it was a species with which I'm unfamiliar. Light yellow wings, light yellow body, three tails, small red eyes, about a size #15. Blanket emergence!~ So many bugs that the trout just lost interest and stopped surface feeding as I'm assuming there was a subsurface glut of swimming and emerging nymphs.



Anyone know why my images are being deleted - I see it has happened in a number of my older post.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Jun 27, 2010June 27th, 2010, 4:29 pm EDT
Nice fish there Matt! You may have been unfamiliar with whatever bug was on the water, but you did something right! Sweet...

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
2
Mar 21, 2010
by Mfb1978
14
Mar 11, 2015
by Oldredbarn
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2023 (email Jason). privacy policy