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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 Grammotaulius betteni (Limnephilidae) (Northern Caddisfly) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
This is a striking caddis larva with an interesting color pattern on the head. Here are some characteristics I was able to see under the microscope, but could not easily expose for a picture:
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
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.

Landscape & scenery photos from the Bois Brule River

Here I'm looking through the sampling net for interesting nymphs, some of which ended up on this site.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
Cedar sweepers line the fertile spring creek headwaters of a famous trout stream.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
Here I'm tying on a fly in the middle of a warm summer day.  Despite the conditions, the trout responded well.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
Gnarled cedars twist out over a nice trout stream.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
This tail end of a large glassy flat holds many nice rising trout most summer evenings, and it's extremely demanding of both stealth and fine casting.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
The Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
Lone tree on a rock in the middle of Big Lake. Fittingly, Big Lake is the largest of several short wide spots in the upper Brule River.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
This colorful brown was my dad's first nice trout on a dry fly.  It was also the best of the day, taken with a nice cast after doing some slightly crazy wading through silt and deep water to get into position.

From the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
Good trout, both browns and rainbows, sometimes reside in the calm pockets alongside roaring rapids like these where most of the canoe traffic shoots quickly past.  Few fishermen stop to cover these areas.

From the Bois Brule River, Little Joe Rapids in Wisconsin
The Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
The Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
The Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

Closeup insects by Troutnut from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin

References

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