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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.

Lateral view of a Clostoeca disjuncta (Limnephilidae) (Northern Caddisfly) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
This one was surprisingly straightforward to identify. The lack of a sclerite at the base of the lateral hump narrows the field quite a bit, and the other options followed fairly obvious characteristics to Clostoeca, which only has one species, Clostoeca disjuncta.
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.

Trout11B
NW Wisconsin

Posts: 20
Trout11B on Jan 26, 2011January 26th, 2011, 12:25 pm EST
Hey everybody,

I took an aquatic invert class at college last spring and while the class itself was fairly dry the actual field work involved and collection of the aquatic insects was fascinating. Having been toying with the idea of starting to collect specimens or at the least be able to identify streamside a little more proficiently I decided to ask the most obvious people around, fly fisherman/entemologists, for a little advice on where to start. Obviously a net and maybe a few jars are in order, and some id guides. Pretty much wondering what I'm getting myself into, haha. Any advice is appreciated since I've found the best way to learn about anything is to learn from someone who knows something about the anything that you want to learn.

Ryan
Balancing school, military, relationships, sports and all the other things in my life with fly fishing.
Konchu
Konchu's profile picture
Site Editor
Indiana

Posts: 498
Konchu on Jan 26, 2011January 26th, 2011, 10:52 pm EST
Here is some info on mayflies that I put together a few years ago. Still needs work in a few places, but it is a start.

http://mypage.iu.edu/~lmjacobu/collecting.html
http://mypage.iu.edu/~lmjacobu/rearing.html
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Jan 27, 2011January 27th, 2011, 3:16 am EST
Pretty much wondering what I'm getting myself into, haha.


If you only knew...My advice would be to run for the hills before the obsessive compulsive thing raises it's ugly head...My wife has a saying when someone, in her opinion, makes the mistake of asking me something about this "bug thing" in fly fishing...She simply says to them "You didn't!"

Wait to you have a party in your newly finished basement and someones wanders over by your fly tying bench and see's some book you have that is filled with close-up pictures of mayflies...Pin-ups they may be able to understand but Hatches II will raise an eyebrow...And earn you the label "Weirdo!"...:)

Unfortunately I have a brother-in-law with serious health issues and he is heavily medicated...We haven't always seen the world through the same lens and I use to bring up "the life cycle of the mayfly" just to watch my soothing baritone drone nod him off in to dreamland...He would sit there in his chair nodding like a junkie in a warm methadone clinic...

My bit of advice...Enjoy your pastime but pretty much keep it to yourself...You are free to express yourself of course, on good old Troutnut, and bask in the knowledge that you are in the same zoo as weirdo's of a similar species...But be careful not to overly excite some of the more excitable denizens here with heated conversation pertaining to aquatic insects...What I'm saying is you are not supposed to feed the animals, especially Konchu, Taxon, & "The Gonzo" when he returns...;) I'm missing the tips from a few of my fingers on my right hand.

I didn't!!!..."He sure did!"

Spence the Prince

Oh...Do not forget the pickle jar lid, the macro lens, the aquarium net, ethyl alcohol, we want to see the underside of the critter, maybe next to a milimeter rule, date & time, temp, a killing jar, maybe a small microscope, a butterfly net, GPS coordinates from where the specimen was taken, sample jars, water proof pen, labels,...etc...etc...and during all this focused observation don't forget your rod & reel laying there on the bank...We are always finding shit poor anglers are somehow leaving behind...There is actually a "Lost & Found" on the Lodges' web page and you wouldn't believe what someone forgot they had with them before they left the river...Good luck kid-o and welcome to the club!



"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
Taxon
Taxon's profile picture
Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311
Taxon on Jan 27, 2011January 27th, 2011, 4:14 am EST
What I'm saying is you are not supposed to feed the animals, especially Konchu, Taxon, & "The Gonzo" when he returns...;)


Animals, you say? Well, I suppose that's at least taxonomically correct.
Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Jan 27, 2011January 27th, 2011, 5:37 am EST
Doing this stuff for a living again, as we speak...

Get a good dissecting microscope and I can recommend some textbooks if you are interested. Beware, "bugology" has it's own unique terminology, but I would be more than happy to answer questions as I am having to refamiliarize myself with the technical language.

Jonathon

P.S. Spence, I am horrified...HORRIFIED...that you neglected to include me in your list of "entomological wierdos" on this site! Must be because I chewed you out unnecessarily during my last rant...which I'm sure you'll get over after I've put you on some nice big crappies after ice-out in March (they just love Woolly Buggers and KBFs).
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 Jan 27, 2011January 27th, 2011, 7:51 am EST
Animals, you say? Well, I suppose that's at least taxonomically correct.


Oops! Roger. I was hoping to sneak this by you...thinking maybe I could slip it through while you were peering down the barrel of a microscope or something... :) I can't slip anything by you can I? I knew that Mr. G was busy elsewhere and I was probably safe there, but I guess I was living dangerously...Konchu lives closer to Detroit than you do and is probably driving down I-94 in my direction as I write this intent on straightening my ass out...Oh no! A vehicle with Indiana plates just pulled in the drive...Gotta go!!!

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
Konchu
Konchu's profile picture
Site Editor
Indiana

Posts: 498
Konchu on Jan 27, 2011January 27th, 2011, 9:30 am EST
I wondered why nobody answered the door: you were on trout nut!
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Jan 28, 2011January 28th, 2011, 1:11 am EST
I was climbing out the window on the back side of the house running for the woods and my life...He, he! Who says entomologist don't have a sense of humor? ;)

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
Trout11B
NW Wisconsin

Posts: 20
Trout11B on Feb 5, 2011February 5th, 2011, 10:50 am EST
Well I had a break from baseball today and the temperature was above 0 so I decided to go to some of the small creeks and try my hand at collecting again. I went out for an hour or so and caught some stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies in nymph and larvae forms...and some isopods and amphipods. Hopefully I can get some pictures or something soon.
Balancing school, military, relationships, sports and all the other things in my life with fly fishing.
Bcvizina
Northern Michigan

Posts: 30
Bcvizina on Feb 5, 2011February 5th, 2011, 5:49 pm EST
I have to take two lab sciences for general education for my degree. I could take an Aquatic Entomolgy course, but it's a 400 level biology elective. My question to the experts here: could a non-biology major withstand the rigor of a 400 level undergraduate aquatic entomology course? I have a pretty strong interest in entomology and I think I could study some before the class, but I'm a little afraid of the language you entomologists use.
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Feb 6, 2011February 6th, 2011, 8:04 am EST
Brent, it's up to you, but if you're a reasonably intelligent individual, you take good notes, and you study the diagrams in the books, you shouldn't have too many problems. You also obviously have an interest in the subject which helps a great deal. And, you can always ask us entomologist types on here for help, I for one am glad to be of assistance as I am now getting back into this field in a big way myself.

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

Posts: 470
Gutcutter on Feb 6, 2011February 6th, 2011, 8:41 am EST
if you "have to" take two courses in the sciences for your general degree, i would recommend a lower lever invertebrate course first, and then the more advanced aquatic entomology.
you have to remember that the aquatic course is advanced (400 level), and the material will be geared towards science majors who have already taken and passed the lower level courses.
not a good way to boost your GPA or to spend those precious tuition dollars, in my opinion.
All men who fish may in turn be divided into two parts: those who fish for trout and those who don't. Trout fishermen are a race apart: they are a dedicated crew- indolent, improvident, and quietly mad.

-Robert Traver, Trout Madness
Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Feb 6, 2011February 6th, 2011, 9:25 am EST
Are you sure your school will even allow you to do that? When I was in school (a little after the Civil War) they wouldn't let me. I was so nuts on the topic that the professor kindly let me monitor it (in those days there was no shortage of seats for a course like this). Back then, I think most of the grant money for the dept. was pest eradication studies and such. I think they were still spraying DDT all over the place! As I remember, the focus wasn't on fishing bugs as much as I had hoped. No way would I have wanted the tests to affect my grade! Gutcutters advice is VERY sound. Anyway that's my 2 cents for what it's worth.
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman

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