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.

Turquoise view of Upper Titcomb Lake

From Titcomb Basin in Wyoming

Stream photos

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Female Sweltsa borealis (Boreal Sallfly) Stonefly Adult Female Sweltsa borealis (Boreal Sallfly) Stonefly Adult

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.

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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.

Site updates from October 22, 2011

Closeup insects by Entoman from the Susquehanna River and the Fall River in Pennsylvania and California

Male Heptagenia culacantha Mayfly Spinner

1 Picture

Male Heptagenia culacantha (Heptageniidae) Mayfly Spinner from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania

This photo was provided by guide Eric Naguski along with the following comments, "I took this photo just upstream of Three Mile Island on the east shore of the Susquehanna River just below where the Swatara Creek enters. The Susquehanna is not an easy river to sample for bugs in my opinion. It is very large and pushes a lot of water. Especially in the spring when you would collect mature culacantha nymphs. And I don't believe that there are a ton of these Heptageniids around. Also the people who are doing most of the sampling like myself are doing so for water quality monitoring work so they only take the specimens down to genus-level taxonomy".

Collected October 21, 2011 from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania

Added by Entoman on February 9, 2012

Collected October 21, 2011 from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania and added by Entoman on February 9, 2012

Female Paraleptophlebia debilis (Mahogany Dun) Mayfly Dun

3 Pictures

Female Paraleptophlebia debilis (Leptophlebiidae) (Mahogany Dun) Mayfly Dun from the Fall River in California

Size: 9mm. These photos really highlight the brown pigmentation of the wing venation, but in the hand the wings look to be a uniform smokey gray. - Entoman

Collected October 21, 2011 from the Fall River in California

Added by Entoman on February 4, 2012

Collected October 21, 2011 from the Fall River in California and added by Entoman on February 4, 2012