WHAT DO TROUT EAT ??

These Bugs Are Awesome
Good for Pattern Development

Pteronarcys dorsata
Stonefly Nymph

Not our
Californicus

Courtesy of
Jason Neuswanger
www.troutnut.com

-- The best part of this time of year is the anticipation of fishing Yellowstone Park - less than a month to go. A friend suggested that we review a couple of sites as we awaited the new Yellowstone Park fishing season. An easy and rewarding task.

Courtesy
Jason Neuswanger
www.troutnut.com
Ephemera simulans
Mayfly Nymph
-- The need to find good photography for fly pattern development is always on our mind. The discovery of excellent photography is a joy. The "TROUT NUT, "site ( http://www.troutnut.com/ ) is the best. You will find permanent links in the side bar, and at the bottom of the page. Unlike print publications that are dependent on budgets for 4-color prints, this site is loaded with great color photography. The photos are of bugs that trout eat - some familiar - some not!
-- These are real specimen's taken in a small stream near the fish lab at Cornell University, (Ithaca , New York -SO?) Many of the species will be familiar to western fishermen, others will be new. With the current and accelerating trend in 'realistic' fly tying this is just the ticket. The photography is excellent, the information current, and the enthusiasm evident. Jason Neuswanger is a genuine trout nut.





Courtesy of
Jason Neuswanger

www.troutnut.com

Baetisca laurentina
Male Dun




-- This is a commercial site that is refreshingly subject centered. The advertisements seem almost secondary - how novel! There is a wealth of information here, but it is the photography and diversity that stand out. The site is a bit difficult to navigate, but it can be done with the 'previous' arrow on your browser. Open pages in a new window for archival purposes. There is a promised "new" site in the works and we hope it is easier to navigate.
-- If you're interested in the world that the trout lives in, its food, and neighbors visit this site. If you just fish - too bad.

-- The other site is a delightful, though tedious, place. It is for those of us that truly have become interested in the bugs as well as the fish. It is a taxonomic site for identifying mature flies. Go to: http://www.flyfishingentomology.com/index.html to find the best entomology site for fishermen. This site includes a handy 'adult mayfly identification' matrix with easy to use boxes to fill in. If you are stream side with a mayfly in hand and a computer in your waders, just fill in the blanks and you will know what you have caught. And, what the trout are eating. Try it out to see if your identification matches the answers. It better, or there is some more Latin that you'll have to learn.