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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.

Lateral view of a Psychodidae True Fly Larva from Mystery Creek #308 in Washington
This wild-looking little thing completely puzzled me. At first I was thinking beetle or month larva, until I got a look at the pictures on the computer screen. I made a couple of incorrect guesses before entomologist Greg Courtney pointed me in the right direction with Psychodidae. He suggested a possible genus of Thornburghiella, but could not rule out some other members of the tribe Pericomini.
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 Miscellaneous

On my way to a favorite brook trout stream, I spotted several sandhill cranes in a Wisconsin farm field.

From Rusk County, WI in Wisconsin

On-stream insect photos from Miscellaneous

These caddisflies were thick over the water in the evening on a cold, clear northwoods lake.  They were in many places on the lake, all closer to the shady shore, which also was the shore most sheltered from the wind.  I'm not sure which of those features attracted them.

From Lake Owen in Wisconsin
This is Nectopsyche albida.  Elongate wing connotes female.

From Lake Owen in Wisconsin
Lake Owen in Wisconsin
This spider lives in the rocks streambed of a Catskill trout stream.

From unknown in Wisconsin

Videos from Miscellaneous

Two Phryganeidae caddis larvae fighting over a case

Caddisfly larvae of this family can easily leave and re-enters their cases. I caught two of them playing musical chairs or something with this one... funny!

Hexagenia

This is one of the earliest videos I made, and I was experimenting with a tank and background that didn't work very well.

Water Boatman Rowing

Water boatmen are excellent swimmers, and you can see here how they use their oars to push themselves through the water, a motion easily imitated by the fly fisher.

Closeup insects by Troutnut from Miscellaneous Wisconsin in Wisconsin

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