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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.

Lateral view of a Female Sweltsa borealis (Chloroperlidae) (Boreal Sallfly) Stonefly Adult from Harris Creek in Washington
I was not fishing, but happened to be at an unrelated social event on a hill above this tiny creek (which I never even saw) when this stonefly flew by me. I assume it came from there. Some key characteristics are tricky to follow, but process of elimination ultimately led me to Sweltsa borealis. It is reassuringly similar to this specimen posted by Bob Newell years ago. It is also so strikingly similar to this nymph from the same river system that I'm comfortable identifying that nymph from this adult. I was especially pleased with the closeup photo of four mites parasitizing this one.
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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Photos by Troutnut

This muskrat swam around me for a while as I fished a caddisfly hatch.

Underwater photos by Troutnut

There's a very well-camouflaged Baetisca laurentina mayfly nymph resting on the twig in the bottom left corner of this picture. Can you spot him?
This is a pretty clear photo of an Epeorus nymph clinging flat against a log. The big mound of debris on the bottom center of the picture, attached to the light rock, is a structure that's been puzzling me. I've found several in one section of the river. It's big, like 2 inches long and maybe 1/2-3/4 inch wide/tall, and hollow, like some sort of coccoon or something. It's clearly a structure built by some sort of little creature, but I'm not sure what.
I'm not quite sure what this is.  It may be an Isonychia nymph hiding under a piece of grass.

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Lateral view of a Male Siphloplecton basale (Metretopodidae) (Pseudo-Gray Drake) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
This one hatched on the same April Saturday that I saw the first Hendricksons of the season.
The wings aren't really yellowish; that's just the color they take on when they've been injured.

Male Ephemerella subvaria (Ephemerellidae) (Hendrickson) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Female Ephemerella subvaria (Ephemerellidae) (Hendrickson) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

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