Troutnut.com Fly Fishing for Trout Home
User Password
or register.
Scientific name search:

Stoneflies

Scientific Name
MatchScientific Name
****Plecoptera


Though less prolific than mayflies and caddisflies, many stonefly species make up for in size what they lack in numbers. Because they emerge by crawling out of the water on land, the hatching adults are not eaten for trout, but their large nymphs are welcome food year-round. In the Western states, where stoneflies are most prolific, trout sometimes feed selectively on the egg-laying adults as they return to the water.


This common name refers to only one order.

Insect Order Plecoptera

These are pretty much always called Stoneflies.
Stoneflies are the largest of the three main types of trout stream insects. While far less important than caddis and mayflies in the East and Midwest where they are mostly thought of as handy nymphs to imitate when nothing much is hatching, it's in the West where this order comes into its own. They can cause outstanding fishing, and on many rivers their hatches are the premier events of the season.

The year begins with the little dark stoneflies of the Capniidae, Leuctridae, and Nemouridae families as some of the only active aquatic insects available to trout. As the year progresses into late Winter and early Spring, the Large Springflies of the Perlodidae family in the West and Willowflies of the Taeniopterygidae are sometimes the first dry-fly insects of the season. When Spring fully arrives, so do the most significant stoneflies for the angler - the gigantic Pteronarcyidae Salmonflies of western legend. The large Golden Stones of the Perlidae supplement these hatches and are more common across the country. Summer brings on significant hatches of the Little Yellow Stones of the Perlodidae family and the little yellow or green Chloroperlidae flies that are common sights.
Pteronarcys biloba (Knobbed Salmonfly) Stonefly NymphPteronarcys biloba (Knobbed Salmonfly) Stonefly Nymph View 17 Pictures
Collected May 6, 2007 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 10, 2007
Paragnetina media (Embossed Stonefly) Stonefly LarvaParagnetina media (Embossed Stonefly) Stonefly Larva View 10 Pictures
Collected March 30, 2007 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on April 2, 2007
Female Acroneuria lycorias (Golden Stone) Stonefly AdultFemale Acroneuria lycorias (Golden Stone) Stonefly Adult View 17 Pictures
Collected May 23, 2007 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on June 4, 2007
Top 10 Fly Hatches
Top Gift Shop Designs
Top Insect Specimens
Miscellaneous Sites