Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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This specimen appears to be of the same species as this one collected in the same spot two months earlier. The identification of both is tentative. This one suffered some physical damage before being photographed, too, so the colors aren't totally natural. I was mostly photographing it to test out some new camera setting idea, which worked really well for a couple of closeups.
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Caddisfly Genus Protoptila (Saddle-case Makers)
These very tiny caddisflies (hook size 24-28) are not very important to anglers, because of both their size and the fact that they prefer warmer water. On rare occasions they are abundant enough to be significant.
None of the books I've checked suggest which individual species are important.
None of the books I've checked suggest which individual species are important.
Genus Range
Egg-Laying behavior
Time of day: Afternoon or evening
Larva & pupa biology
Current speed: Fast
Environmental tolerance: Found in warm water or thermally marginal trout streams
Discussions of Protoptila
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References
- LaFontaine, Gary. 1981. Caddisflies. The Lyons Press.
- Swisher, Doug and Carl Richards. 2000. Selective Trout. The Lyons Press.
Caddisfly Genus Protoptila (Saddle-case Makers)
Taxonomy
14 species (Protoptila alexanderi, Protoptila arca, Protoptila balmorhea, Protoptila cahabensis, Protoptila coloma, Protoptila erotica, Protoptila georgiana, Protoptila lega, Protoptila maculata, Protoptila morettii, Protoptila palina, Protoptila talola, Protoptila tenebrosa, and Protoptila viridiventris) aren't included.