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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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Jmd123 has attached these 5 pictures. The message is below.
Well, I did promise my folks I would bring them some fresh trout for Thanksgiving
Almost too big for the net!
Yesterday's catch, this one's in the freezer too
Rainbow trout like the rainbow variant
A log growing a beard??  Hedgehog fungus, Hericium erinaceus
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Nov 5, 2016November 5th, 2016, 1:58 pm EDT
Last year at this time I broke my personal rainbow trout record on this same lake with a 16-incher. This one makes that one look small!! My new record measured 18 1/2" and weighed 3 pounds and took a #6 rainbow KBF with silver-painted lead dumbbell eyes, and fought like hell, jumping several times in the (at least) 5 minutes it took for me to get the net under her (5 very long minutes!). Everything held, but when I got her in the boat I saw the fly was out of her mouth, laying in the net...that was a close call!!! Being a stocker with no hope of reproducing in a lake with no streams, I took her home and found her to be full of eggs, and with some beetles and backswimmers in her stomach, and flesh pink like a salmon. Yesterday brought home a nice 12-incher that took, believe or not, a grasshopper imitation! I also got three other trout today that were 9-10" and so went back in. Also was visited several times by a magnificent bald eagle, and saw a hedgehog fungus on a log on the way in.

Man, I sure can remember some shitty Novembers here in MI, but like last year we are again being gifted with beautiful warm weather, so fly fishing continues until further notice...

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Partsman
Partsman's profile picture
bancroft michigan

Posts: 321
Partsman on Nov 6, 2016November 6th, 2016, 10:04 am EST
Way to go Jonathon, I would just as soon skip winter and go straight to spring. I was up on the rifle a couple of weeks ago, my first skunk and when I got home my left knee was killing me, went to the doc. this week and found out I have a torn ligament. I have a hernia and now this that need to be repaired so I'm going to concentrate on healing for awhile.

Mike
PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Nov 22, 2016November 22nd, 2016, 7:31 am EST
WTG Jonathan!

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