Nymphs of this species were fairly common in late-winter kick net samples from the upper Yakima River. Although I could not find a key to species of Zapada nymphs, a revision of the Nemouridae family by Baumann (1975) includes the following helpful sentence: "2 cervical gills on each side of midline, 1 arising inside and 1 outside of lateralcervicalsclerites, usually single and elongate, sometimes constricted but with 3 or 4 branches arising beyond gill base in Zapada cinctipes." This specimen clearly has the branches and is within the range of that species.
Friday I drove from the Seattle area out to Yakima, Washington, where a FEMA-run Covid vaccination clinic has so many extra doses and appointments that they're eagerly offering them to people who aren't yet officially eligible. (Washington is one of the last states to open the vaccine to everybody.) I'm looking forward to being able to safely travel on airplanes again and have at least a couple exciting fishing trips planned for this summer.
For now, I just wanted to catch the first fish of the year on my drive home via the Yakima Canyon.
Action on the Yakima was slow, and I'm consistently frustrated there by the difficult access to good spots from the road-side bank. But I did see one single rise, then caught the fish on a nymph.
My first trout of 2021! Not a big one, but a start.
It's a start!
I also collected quite a few nymphs as an excuse to have some fun with the new microscope I got last fall. The highlight was probably finding a specimen of Heptagenia pulla, which isn't known from Washington or neighboring states.
Troutnut on Apr 12, 2021April 12th, 2021, 4:49 am EDT
Yeah, I've always been disappointed when I try to wade the Yakima, except in the far upper headwaters where the fish are small. It's just a bit too fast and deep to cross in most places, and I haven't found much good water accessible from castable spots of the road-side bank.
Last year on a float I found and remembered one really good spot to walk in and safely wade some nice water, and right now it's off-limits due to some construction.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Martinlf on Apr 13, 2021April 13th, 2021, 7:41 am EDT
Nice photos. Glad to hear you got your vaccination. My second dose of the Moderna vaccine comes Monday. Getting ready to travel and fish! Fishing has been good in Pennsylvania, with olives and grannoms, but we just had some storms that blew everything out locally. Waiting for levels to drop.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
