I have been following the work of this group for some time, just as I have seen the downturn in important hatches for trout such as salmon flies and green drakes. The decline is real. Hot weather, low water, drought and lack of rain/runoff appear to be the culprits. But every summer 200-300 boats a day clog up the Madison River. A lot of them are dragging anchors…lead, steel, tire chains…I even saw one guy dragging the fly wheel from an old Chevy!. Bing, bang, boom…clank, clank, bumpity bump…tearing up the river bottom, beating on the rocks, knocking the heck out of the salmon fly habitat. Does it mean anything? I don’t know. Let’s find out. I do know this…salmon fly nymphs can’t swim. They can only crawl. RB
 October 2025 NewsletterTo our friends and community,We have officially ended our 2025 field season! What a year it has been. We sampled on 9 rivers across 4 states, hosted 5 angler entomology courses, did 7 presentations for the public, and tabled at 3 fly fishing events. We are so proud of the work our organization and amazing volunteers accomplished.Someone recently asked if we get to vacation all winter once field season is over… If only it were that easy. Off-season is actually our busiest time of year. We are already deep in the planning process for next year’s projects, as well as starting to crunch all the data we collected. There are bugs to identify, data to analyze, reports and grants to write, and fundraising to do! We are excited to share our reports as they are published. None of our work would be possible without the generous support from our community – you! Your contributions are essential to our mission of protecting aquatic insects, ensuring vibrant hatches, and safeguarding the safety of rivers and streams for generations to come. Donate HereOctober Highlights:Ogden River Monitoring Project |
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| We finished up our 2025 field season on the Ogden River Basin for our ongoing collaboration with Utah Trout Unlimited. If you’re not familiar with the Ogden, it’s a great little tailwater in northern Utah with some special tributaries that still harbor native Bonneville Cutthroat. The main reason for our project, however, is because anglers have observed severe declines in some species of aquatic insects, particularly of salmonflies. Interestingly, our first two years of data collection show that young salmonflies (year 1-2) have made a resurgence on stretches of the Ogden mainstem and South Fork tributary, likely due to above-average water years during the 2023-2024 hatches. This was our second year monitoring this river, and like last year, we noticed very few (if any) mature salmonfly nymphs, but many small ones that will likely hatch in 2027-2028. This goes to show just how important water quantity is for our hatches. If the Ogden River doesn’t get another good water year soon, we expect that salmonfly nymph populations will again fall back to below detectable levels in 2029-2030. As we track salmonfly nymphs, we hope that our data will spur better water conservation across the Ogden drainage. Thanks to Utah Trout Unlimited for collaborating with us and for the Utah Division of Water Quality (DEQ) for funding this project.Adopt-a-Trout Entomology Event – Jackson, WY  Middle schoolers from the Jackson, WY area participated in Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited’s annual Adopt-a-Trout program, and we were able to be a part of it! Students learned about fish migration, water quality, fish habitat, and macroinvertebrates from local professionals on the banks of the Upper Snake River. What a cool field trip. Teton Conservation District, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the US Forest Service, and our program all participated. It was fun to see many of the students go from screaming in disgust to squealing in delight as they held stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies and learned about their unique biology. Instilling a love of the natural world in upcoming generations is one of the best ways we can conserve our rivers for the future. You can’t protect what you don’t love. Thanks again to Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited for inviting us to take part in this awesome program and to the incredible middle school teachers of the Jackson area.Snake River Drawdown Volunteer Day The Upper Snake River is considered one of the most pristine waterways in the lower 48. But just like other premier trout fisheries, the Snake is still facing lots of changes that are affecting the trout and bugs that call it home. The biggest issue is that of dewatering. Each Fall, about 80-90% of the river’s flow is suddenly halted at Jackson Lake Dam in Grand Teton National Park during the course of several days for water storage. Researchers at Idaho State University – led by Master’s student Alex Stacy and Dr. Colden Baxter – have been studying the effect this severe drawdown is having on local fish and aquatic insect populations.To monitor the impact of the drawdown, we floated the river with other volunteers and documented the severity of fish and bug stranding at different stages of the rampdown. Our observations – along with detailed measurements taken by the ISU team – will help quantify fish and insect mortality and help them recommend more appropriate drawdown rates in future years. For example, if the water was taken out over a greater duration of time, it would give bugs and fish time to move to the middle of the river, helping them to survive the lack of water. We hope this study will help spread awareness and improved resource management on the upper Snake going forward.Salmonfly Project MembershipsDid you know that when you donate to The Salmonfly Project you become a member? We have 6 tiers of membership levels, each with their own unique membership benefits. There is still time to become a 2025 member at salmonflyproject.org/donate.Become a Member    Membership Webinar and GiveawayWe are pleased to announce our first Membership Webinar on November 20th, 2025. These webinars will happen once every quarter and are a great opportunity to learn about the status and results of our projects, learn from guest speakers, and participate in Q&A sessions with co-founders, Jackson Birrell and James Frakes. There will also be a Giveaway for each Webinar. All you have to do is attend (via Zoom), and you will be entered to win a prize. We are so excited to see everyone there!If you have not become a 2025 member yet and would like to participate, it isn’t too late! Join at salmonflyproject.org/donate. Salmonfly Project Webinar -November 20th 20256:30 PM MSTA zoom link will be sent out via email to members next week. Do not hesitate to shoot us an email at conservation@salmonflyproject.org if you have questions. Webinar topic:Learn about upcoming Salmonfly Project events and hear from Executive Director, Jackson Birrell, about aquatic insect declines and the status of salmonflies in Montana and Utah.Giveaway prize: Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag (40 L) (MSRP: $170)Thank you.We recognize that it is through the kindness and generosity of supporters like you that we can continue making a positive impact on our precious streams and rivers. Thank you for your partnership – together, we can save the hatch! Sincerely,James Frakes & Jackson Birrell – Co-FoundersEdit this to insert text. Unsubscribe | Manage your subscription PO Box 216 Missoula, MT 59801 conservation@salmonflyproject.orgThanks to Jason Neuswanger from TroutNut.com for the macro photos of aquatic insects used above. |