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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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Updates from November 29, 1999

Updates from November 29, 1999

Photos by Bnewell and Troutnut

Photo by Les Korcala

From the Bitterroot River in Montana

Underwater photos by Bnewell

On-stream insect photos by Troutnut

Lake Owen in Wisconsin

Closeup insects by Bnewell from the Big Thompson River and the Grande Rhonde River in Montana and Washington

Rhithrogena virilis (Heptageniidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Big Thompson River in Montana
A photo showing the minor details on the nymph of this rarely collected mayfly
Female Hesperoperla pacifica (Perlidae) (Golden Stone) Stonefly Adult from the Grande Rhonde River in Washington
Fly fishermen refer to this stonefly as one of "golden stones".

Comments / replies

Martinlf
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Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jan 30, 2016January 30th, 2016, 8:33 pm EST
A bit of Troutnut history. This appears to be one of the earliest Troutnut site updates. It's instructive to visit these to see how the site was built.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Jan 31, 2016January 31st, 2016, 1:41 pm EST
Hello Louis,

Do you know how I can determine the date of my first post or response to a thread? Thanks.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Jan 31, 2016January 31st, 2016, 2:37 pm EST
Hey Matt, I found mine by going to my home page and clicking on "All Posts in XX# Topics (the XX# stands for the number of different topics you have posted in, mine is something like 788). Go all the way back to the last page and your very first post will be on there! Have fun, it was a long time ago...think of how many fish you (and I) have caught since then!

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Troutnut
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Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Jan 31, 2016January 31st, 2016, 5:38 pm EST
Hi Louis,

This isn't really the earliest Troutnut.com content; instead it's a programming glitch of sorts. November 30, 1999 is the default "Date Taken" for content added without a specified date. There's one other update containing pictures Bob added from before I started the site, too. And some pictures I took of small fish previously.

The first "real" Troutnut.com content was January 12, 2004 update. That was when I started photographing bugs, and I decided that February to start putting it together online. There's a bit more on the history of the website in a subsection of my biography about half-way down the page.

It's neat to see some interest in the history of the site!

Matt, Jonathon's directions are right. Currently your earliest posts are here: http://www.troutnut.com/userposts/by-Wbranch/20. Anyone else who's curious about their own earliest posts can just plug their username into that url, cut off the "/20", and go to the highest-numbered page on their list.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Jan 31, 2016January 31st, 2016, 6:28 pm EST
Jason,

Thanks for the "how to" to locate my first post. I did I somewhat differently(but probably couldn't explain to you how if my life depended on it!)

Using your instructions July 22, 2007 was my very first post. That was he same date I came up with using my own process.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Martinlf
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Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jan 31, 2016January 31st, 2016, 8:33 pm EST
Thanks for the clarification, Jason. I got to wondering how long the site had been operational when John and I found it after talking with Lloyd on the Spruce Creek Outfitters site. It's cool to realize we've been sharing info for about 10 years.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Falsifly
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Hayward, WI.

Posts: 660
Falsifly on Feb 1, 2016February 1st, 2016, 2:42 am EST
I got to wondering how long the site had been operational when John and I found it after talking with Lloyd on the Spruce Creek Outfitters site.


Speaking of Lloyd, can anyone give us an update as to what he's up to these days?
Falsifly
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Feb 1, 2016February 1st, 2016, 8:34 am EST
Lloyd is running a ski operation in another part of the state these days which seems to keep him very busy.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

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