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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.

Dorsal view of a Neoleptophlebia (Leptophlebiidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
Some characteristics from the microscope images for the tentative species id: The postero-lateral projections are found only on segment 9, not segment 8. Based on the key in Jacobus et al. (2014), it appears to key to Neoleptophlebia adoptiva or Neoleptophlebia heteronea, same as this specimen with pretty different abdominal markings. However, distinguishing between those calls for comparing the lengths of the second and third segment of the labial palp, and this one (like the other one) only seems to have two segments. So I'm stuck on them both. It's likely that the fact that they're immature nymphs stymies identification in some important way.
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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Underwater photos from Mystery Creek # 19

Plant life thrives year-round in this spring head, which never dips far below the temperature of the ground water.

From the Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
Plant life thrives year-round in this spring head, which never dips far below the temperature of the ground water.

From the Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
There's a stickleback partially obscured along the bottom of this picture.
The Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
The Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
The Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
There's a pretty nice brookie on the left here, probably 14 inches long.

From the Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
Several brookies gather in a warm tributary to a trout stream in the winter.  This is the same location as many of the other brookie school photos on this site, but it's a couple generations later.

From Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
The Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
The Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
The Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
The Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin
Hundreds of creek chubs and common shiners approach.
There are lots of brook trout here mixed in with a yellow perch at the bottom.

From the Mystery Creek # 19 in Wisconsin

References

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