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Category: Collecting Aquatic Insects

Family: Brachycentridae caddisfly (Tube-case makers)

Family: Brachycentridae caddisfly (Tube-case makers)

The Brachycentridae (pronounced: bra-kee-sen-tri-dee) caddisfly family includes one of my favorite genera Brachycentrus, referred to by fly fishermen as the American Grannom or Mother’s Day Caddis. In the northern half of Wisconsin this caddisfly hatch occurs shortly after Ephemerella subvaria (Hendrickson) hatch has dwindled. The Brachycentrus caddisfly hatch is amazing to observe and to fish. and definitely gets the trout’s attention. Below are some of the characteristics of the Brachycentridae family. Brachycentrus (The American Grannom / Mother’s Day Caddis) Some…

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Family: Glossosomatidae caddisfly overview

Family: Glossosomatidae caddisfly overview

Glossosomatidae (pronounced: glos-so-so-ma-ti-dee) is a family in the aquatic insect order of Trichoptera (caddisflies). You will usually find the larvae living inside their tiny pebble huts where they scrape plankton and algae off of the rock. Glossosoma nigrior is common in northern Wisconsin’s trout streams. The small, size #18 pupae and adults emerge about the time as Ephemerella subvaria (Hendrickson mayfly hatch). The trout do feed on both the emerging pupae and egg laying female caddis. As the larvaegrow, they…

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Aquatic Insect Studies for Northern Wisconsin Trout Streams

Aquatic Insect Studies for Northern Wisconsin Trout Streams

Northern Wisconsin has had very few aquatic insect studies conducted in either the lotic or lentic ecosystems within our trout streams. This page is to list past aquatic insect studies I have found that are available to download as PDF files from online reliable sources. I have focused on the studies that pertain to benthos in the aquatic insect orders of Plecoptera (stoneflies), Tricoptera (caddisflies) and Ephemeroptera (mayflies). There are a few studies that pertain to other families of aquatic…

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Mayfly & Stonefly Nymph Instar

Mayfly & Stonefly Nymph Instar

For mayfly nymphs and stonefly nymphs to develop from an egg to a mature nymph they go through several instars. Each instar period ends when the nymph sheds their existing exoskeleton. Then over 2-3 days a new exoskeleton hardens, which marks the beginning of the next instar period. Depending on the mayfly nymph species they go through 11-13 instars as they develop from an egg to a mature nymph. Most mayfly nymphs in our trout streams develop over a 1-year…

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What are the trout eating?

What are the trout eating?

You get into your vehicle all excited to spend a day fly fishing for trout. You may have some idea what is hatching that day, or you may not. Even when you get advice from the local fly shop doesn’t mean you will know where to go exactly on the stream or when the hatch will come off. Armed with a little knowledge can really turn a so-so fishing day into a great fishing day. There are several different ways…

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