Wild brown trout magic on the summer solstice
Magic happens during quiet late-June evenings on Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park.

Magic happens during quiet late-June evenings on Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park. Ideally, the day has been sunny and warm, with little or no wind. That’s what the bugs like. And the trout like the bugs.

Particular caddisflies called Helicopsyche borealis–tiny moth-like aquatic insects half the size of a pencil eraser with dark gray wings and bright amber bodies–do a mating dance along the river’s grassy banks. The females lay their eggs by crawling into the water from hanging blades of grass, diving to the bottom of the stream, then popping back to the surface, their life’s purpose accomplished. The trout know this and position themselves in places where the current runs deeply enough near the bank so they feel secure while relishing the feast.

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