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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 Glossosoma (Glossosomatidae) (Little Brown Short-horned Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
I caught this tiny larva without a case, but it seems to key pretty clearly to to Glossosomatidae. From there, the lack of sclerites on the mesonotum points to either Glossosoma or Anagapetus. Although it's difficult to see in a 2D image from the microscope, it's pretty clear in the live 3D view that the pronotum is only excised about 1/3 of its length to accommodate the forecoxa, not 2/3, which points to Glossosoma at Couplet 5 of the Key to Genera of Glossosomatidae Larvae.
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 Chena River

Angel Rocks in smoke

From the Chena River in Alaska
The Chena River in Alaska
What a great place for a fly line to be!

From the Chena River in Alaska
The Chena River in Alaska
The Chena River in Alaska
This old grayling had some serious battle scars on its dorsal fin, something I've never seen before catching many hundreds of fish.
The Chena River in Alaska
The Chena River in Alaska
The Chena River in Alaska
This nice grayling (about 17 inches) was the lone resident of a deep, practically still-water pool in a low-flow side channel of the upper river. 

I coaxed it out with a risky sidearm cast into a narrow window under some low-hanging brush, a feat about which I must brag to make myself feel better about my next several attempts at impressive casts, all of which resulted in wading across the river and spoiling the pool to retrieve the fly from a tree.
The Chena River in Alaska
The Chena River in Alaska
My wife's first Arctic grayling... beautiful!  And so is the fish.
The Chena River in Alaska
Flies and fly tying materials converge on a moose's butt.

From the Chena River in Alaska
My wife plays her first grayling.

From the Chena River in Alaska
This pretty little grayling fell for a well-placed beetle imitation.
One of the most common sights on Chena Hot Springs Road is a moose crossing the road.  The next most common sight is somebody taking a picture of the moose crossing the road.

From the Chena River in Alaska
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