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Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana
Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.

I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.

The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.

Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
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Lateral view of a Female Baetisca laurentina (Baetiscidae) (Armored Mayfly) Mayfly Spinner from the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin
Flytyer0423
germansville PA

Posts: 14
Flytyer0423 on Aug 20, 2009August 20th, 2009, 5:32 pm EDT
Jason-

i was wondering if you know about what sized hook these go ono've been tring to make a realistic mayfly for all the mayflies you have on here and i cant find any patterns for this fly so i have nothing to go off of

Thanks-
NatureBoy
(vistit my website @) www.natureboyoutdoors.weebly.com
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Aug 21, 2009August 21st, 2009, 2:02 am EDT
I don't know if this comment will be helpful, but I seem to recall that this hatch is relatively unimportant to fly fishers.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Flytyer0423
germansville PA

Posts: 14
Flytyer0423 on Aug 24, 2009August 24th, 2009, 4:47 pm EDT
well the realistics i tie i dont fish with i just have a glass case with sticks and little trees in it and i put the realistic flies in there and i want to expand the variety of flies in there
(vistit my website @) www.natureboyoutdoors.weebly.com
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Aug 24, 2009August 24th, 2009, 5:37 pm EDT
Oh, well I hope Jason or someone can give you some tips on these. Best of luck.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Flyguy212
pennsylvina

Posts: 5
Flyguy212 on Oct 1, 2009October 1st, 2009, 12:56 pm EDT
i fish the west branch of the Susquehanna river in Clearfield,pa and black lick in Nictown,pa i would use 16-18 size
Flyguy212
pennsylvina

Posts: 5
Flyguy212 on Oct 1, 2009October 1st, 2009, 12:57 pm EDT
i fish the west branch of the Susquehanna river in Clearfield,pa and black lick in Nictown,pa i would use 16-18 size


--flyguy212

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