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Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata

The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.

Dorsal view of a Limnephilidae (Giant Sedges) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
This specimen resembled several others of around the same size and perhaps the same species, which were pretty common in my February sample from the upper Yakima. Unfortunately, I misplaced the specimen before I could get it under a microscope for a definitive ID.
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 Gulkana River

The Gulkana River in Alaska
A Bonaparte's Gull perched on a rock.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
The Gulkana River in Alaska
There's a fish-cleaning table right IN the river at this landing.  Driving out on the gravel bar is the norm, too.  It was a good place to field-dress my sockeye salmon.  Tossing the guts out into the river has them devoured by hungry gulls within seconds.  That's illegal in many places, but in Alaska it's the preferred way of dealing with fish waste: these ecosystems are driven by dead salmon and fully equipped to deal with it.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
The fish really turned on Friday morning, and I caught this very pretty 17-incher
The Gulkana River in Alaska
This is my dad's first wild Alaskan rainbow trout.
Closeup of Josh's big rainbow
This isn't quite the size of salmon I was looking for on this trip...
The Gulkana River in Alaska
Turbulent Class III-IV waters.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
The Gulkana River in Alaska
A Bonaparte's Gull cruises low over a rapids.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
Here I'm netting a nice rainbow in the rapids.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
The Gulkana River just below Summit Lake in Alaska
The Gulkana River in Alaska
The Gulkana River in Alaska
The Gulkana River in Alaska
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