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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.

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.

By Troutnut on June 24th, 2019
I left Seattle in the evening on June 24th with a friend who had flown down from Alaska to join me on a Montana trip, and we drove late into the night to camp along the NF CDA and be ready to fish in the morning as a break in the long drive to Montana. We didn't get to sleep until around 2am, but we still got up fairly early (for me, that's 8am) and hit the water. We fished through a few good pools before any fish stirred, and the action gradually heated up throughout the morning. The campground host later laughed at our early start and verified that it's generally not worth being out there until the sun heats the water at that time of year.

No really big fish showed themselves, but there was fine action on small to mid-sized Westslope Cutthroat, and it was only getting better when we had to tear ourselves away from the water at 2pm to complete the long drive to Yellowstone.

Photos by Troutnut from the North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho

The North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho
The North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho
The North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho
The North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho
The North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho
The North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho
The North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho

Lateral view of a Female Alloperla (Chloroperlidae) (Sallfly) Stonefly Adult from the North Fork Couer d'Alene River in Idaho
These little green stoneflies were the most common bug on a June day fishing the North Fork Couer d'Alene, although the trout never rose more than sporadically to them or anything else.

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