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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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Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Apr 12, 2008April 12th, 2008, 8:20 am EDT
I'm thinking of making my first trip to my cabin on Tuesday and Wednesday April 22 & 23. Long term forecast is 62 on Tuesday and 63 on Wednesday. I'm wondering if anyone would like to make the trip with me to split on gas and on shuttles? I have a Hyde low profile boat and know the rivers intimately.

It all depends on the weather predictions not changing and water temperatures at least 50 degrees. Flow rates don't mean much to me with the drift boat I can always get to a spot with less flow and find rising fish.

Plan would be to go up early Tuesday to arrive NLT 8:00 a.m. I have to rake leaves for a couple of hours since bugs seldom get going before 1:00 p.m. Float Tuesday, float or wade fish Wednesday, leave NLT 1:00 p.m. on Thursday.

PM me if you are interested. Please no lefty's or studded wading shoes.

Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Apr 12, 2008April 12th, 2008, 7:03 pm EDT
Matt, if I could get free, I'd be happy to join you. Check you after the semester's over.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
JAD
JAD's profile picture
Alexandria Pa

Posts: 362
JAD on Apr 13, 2008April 13th, 2008, 1:46 am EDT
It's too bad we don't live closer , I'd take you up on that, I'd even be your grounds keeper.

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,
Georges
Central MA

Posts: 5
Georges on Jun 19, 2008June 19th, 2008, 10:11 am EDT
WBranch,

Too late for the trip above but my brother has a place on the EBranch. We were down for a week at the beginning of May and couple of weeks over the end of May and first of June. Planning to get back early in July. We've fished the 5 river drainage for 30 years so we know it a little but nowhere as well as you since we don't float. If your going to be around in July maybe we can get together and swap some lies. By the way, how's the,"snot" on the wbranch? We gave up on it on the last trip. One cast and the fly was covered...

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