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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.

Dorsal view of a Setvena wahkeena (Perlodidae) (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington
As far as I can tell, this species has only previously been reported from one site in Oregon along the Columbia gorge. However, the key characteristics are fairly unmistakable in all except for one minor detail:
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.
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.

CaseyP
CaseyP's profile picture
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653
CaseyP on Nov 10, 2007November 10th, 2007, 3:43 am EST
fishing Thursday was cold and quite unproductive until i finally got to my old never-fail pool. tied on a Letort Cricket and a bhpt dropper and bam--first cast a take. was so exited i yanked and lost both flies to the fish, but that was a handsome brown. tied on another kind of cricket and a bhpt and no takers...tried a red midge larva and bam! landed that one; he'd taken the midge. but again, no other fish would. tried a small white streamer...bam! but no other fish wanted it. tried a red midge again. nope. tried a shiny sort of nymph and bam! but only that one fish fell for it. now it was really cold as the sun went down, so i went home.
before now, a successful fly has usually gotten more than one fish. whazzup? i grant you that pool has shrunk to half its size because of a construction project putting sand in the stream, but this is ridiculous--or is it?
there was a thread recently about how many flies you take to the stream--i'm going to get a bigger box...:-)
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
Flybinder
Oregon Coast

Posts: 60
Flybinder on Nov 10, 2007November 10th, 2007, 7:21 am EST
Casey;
I've had this exact same thing happen to me, before, also. Maddening, huh? But, it's why we fish! (I think?).
Anyway, did you spot any other fish, in your pool? Could be this was a personal lie of the one you ticked and of course, HE'S not about to be fooled, twice, again so quickly!
You mentioned that the pool was unusually small, so perhaps this time, it was only large enough to support one nice fish and the one you broke off, "was it"!?! Just a thought.
Flybinder:
"You should'a been here, NEXT week,the fishing's great!"
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Nov 10, 2007November 10th, 2007, 7:40 am EST
Casey, my theory is that the little spotted bastards sit around late into the night playing poker and coming up with new ways to confuse and frustrate us. --Louis
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
CaseyP
CaseyP's profile picture
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653
CaseyP on Nov 10, 2007November 10th, 2007, 9:47 am EST
Flybinder, you may have figured it out. the first two fish i landed were suspiciously similar, and the first was a poster child for quick landing, quick and easy release. the third was a very different one. as for the "big" one i hooked and lost...guess that makes three fish actually seen. last year that pool had 40 fish in it, but it was 8 feet deep, not 2, where the limestone stream comes in, so those fish were hard to catch for different reasons. oh, it's never as good as it was--but then other places get better. thanks for the observation.
Martin, you're right--that's why we fish. was going to take up skeet, but it was noisy and always the same thing.
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
EricStroup
Spruce Creek Pa

Posts: 11
EricStroup on Nov 13, 2007November 13th, 2007, 2:09 pm EST
Casey,
if you couldn't catch em' they must have been snooty!

We've been experiencing much the same, i think it has alot to do with dropping water temps. Just a guess.

Eric
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Nov 13, 2007November 13th, 2007, 3:57 pm EST
Hi Eric,

Hope all is well up your way. I hope to venture that way again some snowy day and repeat my luck this past winter. Tight lines, and tell Bill hello.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
CaseyP
CaseyP's profile picture
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653
CaseyP on Nov 14, 2007November 14th, 2007, 5:24 am EST
hey, Eric--good to see you! yep, the only pickier fish this year were on the west fork of the Ruby...must be the heat--or the cold--or the season...
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
EricStroup
Spruce Creek Pa

Posts: 11
EricStroup on Nov 14, 2007November 14th, 2007, 9:13 am EST
hi Louis and Casey,
WOW! What a great site and source of information. Glad to have found it!
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Nov 17, 2007November 17th, 2007, 6:35 am EST
Hey Eric, is there any chance Spruce Creek Fly Company will get its stream reports site up and running again? That was a godsend to those who fished the J, and good business too, I'd guess.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
EricStroup
Spruce Creek Pa

Posts: 11
EricStroup on Nov 19, 2007November 19th, 2007, 11:37 pm EST
Hey Louis,
just got back from the International Fly Tying Symposium in New Jersey and it was awsome. Lots of great tyers and good conversation. I was fortunate enough to share a booth with one of my hero's in the business, A.K. Best! Great guy and a masterful tier!
At the show, i hired a guy to get my web-site up and running again. i will be retaining the Spruce Creek Fly Co. if you're not aware, i've resigned from TCO and will be guiding on my own, independant of any shops. i will make sure that i have a stream report section on there.
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Nov 20, 2007November 20th, 2007, 10:30 am EST
Great news on the website and the stream reports. If you allow others to post up information the site will be harder to manage, but will give multiple perspectives on what hatches are being seen where, as did the old site. I know there are a bunch of guys who miss that site. Also, I've heard great things about your abilities as a guide and teacher from John (JAD on this site) and I hope to get out with you myself next season. By the way, Jason, who created this site, is the guy I brought in last year during sulphur season to get some advice and some flies. What you told us helped keep us on the section where the bugs were thickest. He said he's never seen so many spinners, and his report is somewhere in this forum's old posts. Let us all know more about your plans and how to be in touch.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
EricStroup
Spruce Creek Pa

Posts: 11
EricStroup on Nov 22, 2007November 22nd, 2007, 1:37 am EST
I will stay in touch Louis. Have a Great Thanksgiving!

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