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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 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 Gulkana River

These seagulls live at the salmon-cleaning station during this time of year.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
This float trip gave us a couple views of the distant peak of Mount Wrangell, an inactive volcano.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
The Gulkana River in Alaska
The Gulkana River in Alaska
Small lake seen along the boggy hike into the river

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
Typical mosquito coverage on my hat during the hike in

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
Another nice rainbow around 16 inches
Seagulls were perched on the rocks watching for outmigrating juvenile sockeye salmon to get disoriented in the whitewater and bubble up to the surface where they can be grabbed. I caught one of them that hit my fly in mid-air and got hooked in the wing, but didn't get any pictures because I was too focused on releasing it. It was fine.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
Looking upstream

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
My dad scrambles along the rocks at the base of this canyon as an 18-inch, wild Alaskan rainbow gives him the best fight he's ever had from a fish.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
My biggest fish of the trip, a 21-inch rainbow. I caught this one after hooking two others that were at least as big and losing them when they took off downstream through the rapids.
Releasing the big one
Our campsite. Although nobody in their right mind walks the trail we took in to the river, the fishing spot and campsite see quite a bit of traffic from people doing a popular 4-5 day float trip.

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
Josh fishing the tail of a big pool in the rapids

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
The "trail" often disappeared completely into large swaths of muddy marsh grass or peat bogs

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
Josh fishing a good hole

From the Gulkana River in Alaska
A professional photographer (whose name I forgot to get) just happened to be nearby as I finished up my sockeye fishing with this hefty limit of fresh, tasty salmon.  He took several pictures with his good camera, which hopefully he'll be sending me soon, and he snapped this one with my point+shoot camera.
First view of the Canyon Rapids

From the Gulkana River in Alaska

References

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