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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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Millcreek has attached these 6 pictures. The message is below.
March 28, 2014. Mature female nymph. Live specimen. 7 mm (excluding cerci).
March 28, 2014. Immature male nymph. Live specimen. 6 mm (excluding cerci).
March 28, 2014. Immature female nymph. Live specimen. 7 mm (excluding cerci).
February 15, 2014. Mature male nymph. 7 mm (excluding cerci). In alcohol.
February 15, 2014. Mature female nymph. 7 mm (excluding cerci). In alcohol.
February 15, 2014. Mature female nymph. 7 mm (excluding cerci). In alcohol.
Millcreek
Healdsburg, CA

Posts: 344
Millcreek on Oct 3, 2014October 3rd, 2014, 8:39 am EDT
Acentrella insignificans nymphs are abundant in the Russian River from early January through April. Most are found in riffles or at the edge of riffles, also found in lesser numbers in glides. They prefer a substrate of clean gravel and cobble. Large numbers of nymphs are often found on the underside of cobbles.
The nymphs were identified to genus using Merritt, Cummins and Berg (2008). They were identified to species using Morihara and McCafferty's "The Baetis Larvae of North America (Ephemeropttera:Baetidae) (1979). They are listed in this account under the synonym Baetis insignificans. http://www.ephemeroptera-galactica.com/pubs/pub_m/pubmoriharad1979p139.pdf I also used Jacobus and McCafferty's key for North American Acentrella larvae in "A new species of Acentrella Bergsstrom (Ephemeroptera:Baetidae) from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA" (2006).http://www.ephemeroptera-galactica.com/pubs/pub_j/pubjacobusl2006p101.pdf
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein

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