This is the first of it's family I've seen, collected from a tiny, fishless stream in the Cascades. The three species of this genus all live in the Northwest and are predators that primarily eat stonefly nymphs Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019).
My friend and fieldwork crew member Sierra comes from a rural Alaskan family with a strong angling tradition, and they've been spending summers on the Kenai River for a long time. Several times last summer she returned from the long breaks between our research trips describing what fun she had fishing the Kenai for trout and salmon with her family. This year, her dad is starting up a new guiding business: Corsetti's Kenai River Guide Service.
I'm hoping to get down there myself summer. If any Troutnut readers are thinking of heading to Alaska anytime soon, give him a call -- I think you'll have a great experience. His rates are better than what I've paid in the past on the Kenai River, and you'll be fishing with the head guide who has lived in the area and built up many years of experience on the river.
Just a gorgeous rainbow! Has to be at least 24", a fish of a lifetime on a dry fly or mouse pattern. More likely on the big river in the picture it ate a flesh fly, egg fly, or bead.
Pcorsetti on May 5, 2016May 5th, 2016, 5:56 pm EDT
That was 22-24". I cannot remember exactly but the picture turned out pretty good :) Yes, it was a flesh fly or bead in the summer on the Kenai River, Alaska.