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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 Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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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Landscape & scenery photos from the Henry's Fork of the Snake River

The Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
The Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
A short (about 12") but football-fat, hard-fighting Henry's Fork rainbow. This was probably the best fish I caught in a morning of Trico fishing, although I hooked a nicer one--maybe 17"--and couldn't keep it out of the ubiquitous mats of vegetation on a 7X Trico tippet.
Thick clouds of mating caddisflies along the banks of the Henry's Fork.

From the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
The Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
The Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
The Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
The Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
The Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
The Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
Upper Mesa Falls

From the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
Upper Mesa Falls

From the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
Lower Mesa Falls

From the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
The sky darkened along the banks of the Henry's Fork by clouds of morning Trico spinners.

From the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
The Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
Typical view of the upper part of the famous Harriman Ranch section of the Henry's Fork.

From the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho
I was fairly astonished to see a river so wide that could be waded all the way across.

From the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Idaho

References

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