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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.

Dorsal view of a Setvena wahkeena (Perlodidae) (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington
As far as I can tell, this species has only previously been reported from one site in Oregon along the Columbia gorge. However, the key characteristics are fairly unmistakable in all except for one minor detail:
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.
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.

Summer_doug has attached these 3 pictures to this report. The message is below.

Report at a Glance

General RegionBaldwin, MI
Dates Fished1/14/2018

Details and Discussion

Summer_doug
Detroit, MI

Posts: 46
Summer_doug on Jan 16, 2018January 16th, 2018, 11:45 pm EST
As a group of four, we spent the better part of the day swinging streamers and nymphing at the end of the flies-only section of the Pere Marquette.

The day started with temperatures in the single digits and climbed to a high of 21. The resulting warmth of the previous few days cleared out a lot of shelf ice and we witnessed loosening anchor ice; however, we had to battle ice build up the entire day resulting in one broken rod tip (my own when I was too careless).

The loosing anchor ice resulted in a few hits and landing ice trout, but no actual trout were caught. One fish was hooked by a friend using an egg pattern, but was lost almost immediately. The same friend sighted a steelhead, but some disagreement existed in the group. All in all, there were nibbles but the fish were sluggish. (So were we so I can't blame them!)

For two of the four of us, this was not only the first winter fishing experience, but also their first time fly fishing. The casts were looking sharp and it was one of the newbies who hooked the only fish of the day. Thankfully, they want to go again, but I think we will wait until Spring.

Hope everyone stays warm!

Here are some pictures to check out.

Doug
From Michigan
Partsman
Partsman's profile picture
bancroft michigan

Posts: 321
Partsman on Jan 17, 2018January 17th, 2018, 2:21 am EST
Doug, thanks for report and pics, I had hoped to do some fishing this winter, but its been way to cold for this old man! I used to steelhead fish all winter thru may usaually the lower ausable or the Muskegon below croton dam, but I will wait to things warm up a tad.

Mike.
Summer_doug
Detroit, MI

Posts: 46
Summer_doug on Jan 17, 2018January 17th, 2018, 11:06 pm EST
It was too cold for this young man! I'm still waiting on my first steelhead though so I'm going to keep pushing it!

I think my next time out will be near the end of March.


Doug
From Michigan

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