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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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Report at a Glance

General RegionNorth on PA 325 out of Dauphin
Specific LocationStart of Fly Only No Kill to 3/4 mile downstream
Dates FishedMarch 26
Time of Day11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Fish CaughtNot as many as I expected - three brookies and one brown
Conditions & HatchesWater very cold, thermometer broken so can't give temperature but had to be in low 40's. Great water level! Many runs 2' - 3' deep. Water very clear you can see bottom anywhere water is not ruffled. Very few tan caddis. Even though water was very cold I did see about a dozen rises over the course of the day.

Details and Discussion

Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Mar 26, 2008March 26th, 2008, 11:44 am EDT
Normally I do quite well here in early season. However it is possible that I just never went this early before. Only browns and pretty stocked brookies and a small amount of wild browns. It appeared that the stocking performed early in March left much to be desired. Some sections appeared almost barren of fish and other small areas had little pockets of 5 - 6 12" - 14" fish.

Upstream of the trail from the parking lot there is one large pine tree across the creek that wasn't there last summer. Also lots of blowdowns along creek edge. Well downstream there is a large log jam of about half a dozen downed trees across the creek making it impassable while wading. Any rod longer than 6 1/2' and you'll be testing your patience!

Here is where I started - (summer photo)



Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.

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