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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.
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.

By Troutnut on November 4th, 2011
Winter's already in full swing up here, except that the rivers haven't finished freezing up. The ice here will be 4 feet deep by March.

Photos by Troutnut from the Tanana River in Alaska

The Tanana River in Alaska
The Tanana River in Alaska
The Tanana River in Alaska

Comments / replies

Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Nov 10, 2011November 10th, 2011, 5:46 pm EST
Jasn,

It is in the low 30's here in Detroit at 10:40pm...Even though it snowed here for the first time this season, it looks a bit chillier where you are! :)

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
Creno
Grants Pass, OR

Posts: 302
Creno on Nov 10, 2011November 10th, 2011, 6:49 pm EST
Jason - as usual great pics of great places.
ya gotta wonder how those critters survive - thank whatever for the hyporheic.
creno
Troutnut
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Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Nov 10, 2011November 10th, 2011, 7:31 pm EST
We've had quite a bit of below-zero weather already, although that hurricane in the Bering Sea brought some slightly warmer air (teens) up into the interior today.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Sayfu
Posts: 560
Sayfu on Nov 11, 2011November 11th, 2011, 3:42 am EST

Scary thought to reflect on those pics...went in after my bird dog when taking a walk along the river. She went after a duck sitting in the puddle.
Now we no longer walk along the river in the Winter time.
Jesse
Jesse's profile picture
Posts: 378
Jesse on Nov 12, 2011November 12th, 2011, 12:09 am EST
How beautiful!
Most of us fish our whole lives..not knowing its not the fish that we are after.
http://www.filingoflyfishing.com
Jmd123
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Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Nov 12, 2011November 12th, 2011, 6:00 am EST
BRRRRRRRR...but, beautiful. Any fishies still in those nearly frozen waters, Jason?

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Troutnut
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Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Nov 12, 2011November 12th, 2011, 9:53 am EST
There are burbot in those waters, Jonathan, but they're safe from anglers until the river freezes enough for ice fishing.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Jmd123
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Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Nov 13, 2011November 13th, 2011, 9:38 am EST
Ice fishing is the only other form of fishing I do these days besides fly fishing. I haven't pulled out the spinning gear since 2007, just a personal challenge to see if I can catch everything I want to on fly gear. But, since I'm not much of a steelheader - throwing any significant weight on a fly rod is no fun for me and now BOTH pairs of waders have leaks in them - I will be pulling out the ice-fishing gear in the coming months and drilling some holes in the ice...How about you, Jason?

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Troutnut
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Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Nov 14, 2011November 14th, 2011, 11:37 am EST
I might do some ice fishing, although I'm not sure about burbot. I don't have an auger, just a spud, and it's crazy hard work spudding through 4 feet of ice to set a burbot line out on the river. Half the time, the hole will punch through to solid ground, a slurry of frazil ice, or muddy water, and you have to go somewhere else. I've never had much luck with it. I put a lot of burbot in the freezer this spring running setlines off the bank for a few weeks after ice-out, though.

I'm more likely to do a bit of ice fishing on lakes with friends who have augers. But I don't do all that much of it.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Wfliris
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Lusk, Wyoming

Posts: 1
Wfliris on Dec 24, 2011December 24th, 2011, 12:03 pm EST
Good to see some well composed Winter pix of the Tanana River. I lived in the village of Tanana for 30 years and took many great shots like yours of the Tanana and Yukon rivers. I had a fish camp 20 miles upriver from Tanana on the Yukon and a homestead on the Tozitna River. I used to operate a test fish wheel project at the mouth of the Tanana that counted migrating salmon into that drainage. I found your site while looking for aquatic insect information relative to trout fishing. Thanks for the great site I'm sure to visit it again.

WF
Troutnut
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Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Dec 24, 2011December 24th, 2011, 1:35 pm EST
Hi WF,

Glad you liked the pictures. I'm sure you've got some great stories from your time in the Alaskan bush... feel free to share them here if you like!

Jason
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

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