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.

I caught several wild and colorful 8-9 inch brook trout in the clear little pool below this waterfall.

From Mystery Creek # 89 in New York

Stream photos

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Zapada cinctipes (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph Zapada cinctipes (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Zapada cinctipes (Nemouridae) (Tiny Winter Black) Stonefly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

Nymphs of this species were fairly common in late-winter kick net samples from the upper Yakima River. Although I could not find a key to species of Zapada nymphs, a revision of the Nemouridae family by Baumann (1975) includes the following helpful sentence: "2 cervical gills on each side of midline, 1 arising inside and 1 outside of lateral cervical sclerites, usually single and elongate, sometimes constricted but with 3 or 4 branches arising beyond gill base in Zapada cinctipes." This specimen clearly has the branches and is within the range of that species.

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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.

A good rod for small stream fishing (Tenkara?)

Music321
Posts: 1

Music321 on Jun 3, 2013June 3rd, 2013, 7:12 pm EDT

I'm new to fly fishing, and can cast a fly rod. I have 30 years experience spin fishing, however. I'm wondering what type of outfit to get. As it happens, I have an expensive 4wt 9ft orvis graphite rod, but no other equipment.

I think that this rod might be less than ideal, while being "too much" rod for me.

I can't imagine that I'll be casting much, as I'll be fishing (where I live) streams surrounded by hardwoods, though there are streams in softwood forests up north.

I don't want to go shorter, because then I would have to do much more casting. I'm interested in the Tenkara rods. They're simple and easy to use. The ONLY downsides I can see is that:

1. If I happen to be in the rare situation where I need to make a cast over 22 ft, I'm out of luck.

2. The rod, though it collapses to 22in, is 12 ft long!

Any ideas? thanks.