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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 Limnephilidae (Giant Sedges) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
This specimen resembled several others of around the same size and perhaps the same species, which were pretty common in my February sample from the upper Yakima. Unfortunately, I misplaced the specimen before I could get it under a microscope for a definitive ID.
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 Feb 11, 2011February 11th, 2011, 8:06 am EST
I have a question about Minnesota's seasons. I've never fished in Minnesota before and never really thought about it until recently when I saw a stream report from Minnesota. So, I went to the dnr website and saw that they have a catch and release season till mid march. It mentioned SE Minnesota specifically. I'm going to River Falls, WI for the weekend and was wondering, since Minnesota isn't to far west of there if the streams close by were open? I'm not looking for exact locations on streams or rivers just general info so I know whether or not I might have a shot at maybe, just maybe wetting a line before May. If anyone could give me a quick geography lesson where exactly SE Minnesota borders are that would be great. I'm not the best at wading through these fishing regs, especially the online versions.

Thanks,
Ryan
Balancing school, military, relationships, sports and all the other things in my life with fly fishing.
Trout11B
NW Wisconsin

Posts: 20
Trout11B on Feb 11, 2011February 11th, 2011, 8:10 am EST
Quick Note, I'd preferably like info for the area somewhat close to River Falls, Wi. Just because I won't have a lot of travel time while I'm there.

Ryan
Balancing school, military, relationships, sports and all the other things in my life with fly fishing.
Dryfly
rochester mn

Posts: 133
Dryfly on Feb 11, 2011February 11th, 2011, 2:32 pm EST
No trout in Minnesota.
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Feb 14, 2011February 14th, 2011, 4:45 am EST
No trout in Minnesota.


Shane...Behave! :) You are starting to sound like that territorial old grump over there in Michigan.

I was told that there is absolutely no drift in the driftless...Could that be? ;)

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
Falsifly
Falsifly's profile picture
Hayward, WI.

Posts: 660
Falsifly on Feb 15, 2011February 15th, 2011, 8:08 am EST
I was told that there is absolutely no drift in the driftless...Could that be? ;)


As you will recall, from high school history, man once traveled in nomadic groups and were called hunters and gatherers or Drifters. Tens of thousands of years ago, during the glacial period, a small group of these Drifters crossed from the Asian Continent to the North American Continent, via the Bearing Strait; which at that time was a small finger of land connecting the two continents. These people drifted throughout North America and happened upon a small glacier-less area which would eventually include what is called Southwest Wisconsin and Southeast Minnesota today. As luck would have it this area was full of spring creeks boiling up through huge limestone deposits and teeming with native trout. Realizing the significance of this discovery, to their daily sustenance, they became trout fishermen and are today considered the earliest known to partake in this activity. Many took root, deciding to stay, hence the term Driftless Area. It is with great reservation that I reveal this little known fact, lest those of you from back east will descend upon our sacred waters, take stand in our pools, and force us to fish shoulder to shoulder, causing us to become Drifters once again.


Spence you are absolutely correct, there is no drift in the driftless….What I think Dryfly is saying is that he would prefer that it remain free from Drifters.
Falsifly
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Feb 16, 2011February 16th, 2011, 3:09 am EST
What I think Dryfly is saying is that he would prefer that it remain free from Drifters.


Allan,

Especially those trying to cross the "border" from the UP, eh?! Those damn Michiganders! I'm still feeling pretty bad about "stealing" the UP from you guys back when we had a little scrum with those Ohioans down Toledo way...We are still trying to work our problems out that we have with each other but now its via the "Big Ten"...Or is it the "Big Eleven", Or "Big Thirteen"?! :)

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
Falsifly
Falsifly's profile picture
Hayward, WI.

Posts: 660
Falsifly on Feb 16, 2011February 16th, 2011, 4:16 pm EST
I'm still feeling pretty bad about "stealing" the UP from you guys back when we had a little scrum with those Ohioans down Toledo way


Stole from us you say? It was given to you by Andrew Jackson in exchange for that measly strip of the Toledo name. You even rejected the offer claiming the UP was worthless, worthless mind you, until bankruptcy forced you into statehood so you could claim redistribution of funds from the US Treasury. My how history has a tendency to repeat itself. It is true that the UP probably would have become part of Wisconsin, upon statehood, had it not been for that war between you and your southern neighbors.

All kidding aside Spence, just between you and I, you’re welcome here any time if you don’t mind reciprocity. Besides, there really is no trout in Minnesota.

PS. In hindsight I think most Michiganders, of the fly fishing sort, got the better deal, no?

PPS. Go Badgers!
Falsifly
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Feb 17, 2011February 17th, 2011, 1:57 am EST
You even rejected the offer claiming the UP was worthless, worthless mind you, until bankruptcy forced you into statehood so you could claim redistribution of funds from the US Treasury.


We are pretty close to being bankrupt again...Wanna make a deal???

Anytime you are up to crossing the Big Mac and want to explore the Au Sable let me know...I know a few big boys that live there by name...:)

We used to have a fish that a few of us dry fly guys called "Mr. Big"...If one of "those-in-the-know" heard that you were fishing down his way they would always ask, "Was Mr. Big feeding?!" There was this downed tree in the river and this large, slow, circling eddy in front of it...Right next to the bank and a nice pile of structure/dead-fall the current was heading upstream and was peppered with the corpses of all the little guys in various stages of hatching or dying...It was difficult beyond belief, no one ever walked by without a long pause, and when he actually showed anglers teared up and pretty much forgot all they had learned...He would just be lying there half tucked up under the crap piled up and the undercut bank pratically on his belly with his dorsal exposed and leisurely sucking the poor trapped critters out of the foam. He was a lazy old pig! Though the area is pretty much washed out there and a decade or so has passed, these old obsessive compulsive anglers can still be seen from time-to-time starring off towards his old home...

Anyway! The only thing this pig would get excited about besides trapped bugs was reproduction...I may not know where Mr Big ended up, but his off-spring and I bump in to each other from time-to-time...I like to tell them, "Hey! Did I ever tell you I knew your dad?" :)

Anytime mister!

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

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