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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.

Dorsal view of a Glossosoma (Glossosomatidae) (Little Brown Short-horned Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
I caught this tiny larva without a case, but it seems to key pretty clearly to to Glossosomatidae. From there, the lack of sclerites on the mesonotum points to either Glossosoma or Anagapetus. Although it's difficult to see in a 2D image from the microscope, it's pretty clear in the live 3D view that the pronotum is only excised about 1/3 of its length to accommodate the forecoxa, not 2/3, which points to Glossosoma at Couplet 5 of the Key to Genera of Glossosomatidae Larvae.
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 from the Namekagon River and in Wisconsin and

A black bear cub stares down at me from a large pine near one of my favorite trout streams.

From McNaught Road, near the upper Namekagon in Wisconsin
A black bear cub shimmies down a tree trunk near one of my favorite trout streams.

From McNaught Road, near the upper Namekagon in Wisconsin
A 19-inch smallmouth puts a hefty bend in my 5-weight.

From the Namekagon River below Hayward in Wisconsin
The 5 am mist rises off a classic hole on a favorite river. I'd just spent the last few hours of that moonless night working this hole with big pusher flies in the pitch black darkness, running on caffeine until about 4:15 and adrenaline from that point on, after feeling a whale of a brown trout on my line for about 15 seconds. Unfortunately the fish spit the hook, but it was an unforgettable experience.

Closeup insects by Troutnut from Miscellaneous Wisconsin and the Namekagon River in Wisconsin

Male Heptageniidae (March Browns, Cahills, Quill Gordons) Mayfly Dun from unknown in Wisconsin
Male Hexagenia atrocaudata (Ephemeridae) (Late Hex) Mayfly Spinner from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
I found this spinner and a few of his friends bobbing above the river amidst a snowstorm hatch of white Ephoron flies.

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