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.

I spent more than an hour casting to several rising trout in this pool and caught only two. Its clear water and tricky currents harbor dozens of free-rising, usually very hard-to-catch fish.

From Enfield Creek in New York

Stream photos

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Ephemerella mucronata Mayfly Nymph Ephemerella mucronata Mayfly Nymph

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington

This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.

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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.

Trout for Obama, Page 2

GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681

GONZO on Apr 9, 2008April 9th, 2008, 5:57 pm EDT

Bottoms up, pal. Just don't choke on a pimento!

Falsifly

Hayward, WI.

Posts: 660

Falsifly on Apr 9, 2008April 9th, 2008, 6:03 pm EDT

Good night buddy and sweet dreams.

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."

Troutnut

Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758

Troutnut on Apr 9, 2008April 9th, 2008, 8:07 pm EDT

What are you slackers doing now? It's been 2 hours since the last post in this thread -- get to work! And don't give me any of that "it's 3am, and I am safe and asleep" silliness, either. I can see on my clock plain as day that it's only 11pm!

Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

Martinlf

Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047

Martinlf on Apr 10, 2008April 10th, 2008, 1:52 am EDT

Hillarylarious.

"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

JAD

Alexandria Pa

Posts: 362

JAD on Apr 10, 2008April 10th, 2008, 5:03 am EDT

I like the (Falsifly) olive hatch -- drad I missed that hatch too.:)

John

They fasten red (crimson red) wool around a hook, and fix onto the wool two feathers which grow under a cock’s wattles, and which in colour are like wax.
Radcliffe's Fishing from the Earliest Times,

GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681

GONZO on Apr 10, 2008April 10th, 2008, 5:18 am EDT

John, don't despair. The olive hatch is known to be multi-brooded, meaning that partaking of it can be a season-long affair. On the bountiful gin-clear flow that Falsifly plies, it may well be a year-round encounter. ;)

Falsifly

Hayward, WI.

Posts: 660

Falsifly on Apr 10, 2008April 10th, 2008, 6:34 am EDT

Gonzo- You have come up short on two points. Yes, it is multi-brooded but it is also multi-mooded. And, it is more than a year-round encounter it is a life-time endeavor.

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."

Getyourbone
Baldwin, WI

Posts: 28

Getyourbone on Apr 23, 2008April 23rd, 2008, 5:47 am EDT

Apparently the Fish in PA didn't think the BHO(bead headed Obama) looked good enough to eat. Seems the CCC(Cased Clinton Caddis) Worked better at least on the older rainbows and younger brookies. The Browns still liked the looks of the BHO. I guess something smelled a little fishy with Obama's line. I guess Clinton is a better imitator.

I wonder which one big mouth's would prefer.

By the way, Anyone have photo's of those patterns?

Trtklr
Banned
Michigan

Posts: 115

Trtklr on Jul 17, 2008July 17th, 2008, 10:20 am EDT

I have nothing to say.

I have seen nothing more beautiful than the sunrise on a cold stream.

RleeP
NW PA - Pennsylvania's Glacial Pothole Wonderland

Posts: 398

RleeP on Jul 17, 2008July 17th, 2008, 1:00 pm EDT

I don't think it would be a good idea for Mr. Obama to take up fly fishing. I'm worried if he does, the rest of the Windy City entourage will decide to follow suit. Then we'll have Rich Daley, Rod Blagoy..umm Rod Blagee..umm Rod Blagav...umm the Governor of Illinois, Gary Senise, Joan Cusack, R. Kelly and most worrisome of all, Mike Ditka all roaming around on our streams.

And somewhere along the lines, Ditka is all but certain to run into Joe Humphreys and that'll be like the asteroid Ceres colliding with the 3rd moon of Jupiter

I just don't think it would be good...

GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681

GONZO on Jul 17, 2008July 17th, 2008, 6:51 pm EDT

Scott, it's a wise man who knows when to leave well enough alone--wish I had the knack.

Lee, I wouldn't worry about Mike Ditka...umm, Mike Dyzcko...umm, dat guy dat played wit da Bears. I hear he's busy entertaining at his restaurant, smoking cigars, drinking wine, and (once again) trying to redefine what it means to be a tight end.

Flybyknight
Milton, DE

Posts: 82

Flybyknight on Jul 18, 2008July 18th, 2008, 12:02 pm EDT

I have nothing to say, except perhaps "JOAN WULFF FOR PRESIDENT"!

Dick

Lightly on the dimpling eddy fling;
the hypocritic fly's unruffled wing.
Thomas Scott

Troutnut

Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758

Troutnut on Jul 20, 2008July 20th, 2008, 4:09 pm EDT

Speaking of Ditka, here's a fun bit of trivia: When Obama's Republican opponent for U.S. senate got knocked out of the race by a scandal, and the Illinois Republicans were scrambling to find someone else to run against the new Dem superstar, they apparently asked Ditka to run and he turned them down.

Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist