Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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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.
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.
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LittleJ on Apr 24, 2008April 24th, 2008, 6:31 pm EDT
Hopefully some of you have had better luck than me getting to a river this week. I spent the past 4 days in Ohio (the worst place on this planet to spend warm spring days during the start of hatch season) and am starting to develop a twitch now that it's going on a week of no fishing.(and it's not looking good for me until at least mon.....damn family obligations)
So I would like to here some reports if you have any, and what the bug situation looks like. Has this warm weather brought about any early march brown sightings from the central pa boys.
jeff
So I would like to here some reports if you have any, and what the bug situation looks like. Has this warm weather brought about any early march brown sightings from the central pa boys.
jeff
Smallstream on Apr 25, 2008April 25th, 2008, 11:24 am EDT
actually hit spring creek today after class, caught like 10 or 11 and must have missed 5-6 more, but most were little 4-5 inch dinks, being in state college sure does have its advantages fishing-wise. there were quite a few fish rising, I thought it was caddis but Im not sure, nymphing was the way to go today, those little trout absolutely smashed a small pheasant tail
keepers of the stream
a duck family
caught a lot of tiny trout (4-5 inches) these ones were the trophies of the day lol
keepers of the stream
a duck family
caught a lot of tiny trout (4-5 inches) these ones were the trophies of the day lol
Getyourbone on Apr 25, 2008April 25th, 2008, 12:46 pm EDT
That looks like a beautiful little stream. No covered bridges on the streams I fish here in Wisconsin.
High, fast, and Muddy here so the fishing is not so great. Looks like a couple more days of rain so it may be a while before its any good. The hatch(BWO's?) that was happening today would have made for a fun day if the water had been better. I spent most of the time on the river just watching the insects and birds.
High, fast, and Muddy here so the fishing is not so great. Looks like a couple more days of rain so it may be a while before its any good. The hatch(BWO's?) that was happening today would have made for a fun day if the water had been better. I spent most of the time on the river just watching the insects and birds.
LittleJ on Apr 25, 2008April 25th, 2008, 3:55 pm EDT
looks like you had a good time on spring I have to get back up there soon.
Any day spent on high muddy water is still better than a day spent in Ohio. (If we have an Ohio contigent here please feel free to P.M. and I will stop my relentless attacks...no hard feelings)
Any day spent on high muddy water is still better than a day spent in Ohio. (If we have an Ohio contigent here please feel free to P.M. and I will stop my relentless attacks...no hard feelings)
Aaron7_8 on Apr 27, 2008April 27th, 2008, 3:33 am EDT
Hello everyone;
Just spent yesterday driving to some new water on the Clark Fork river in MT. I found that it was not the day to go downstream as the recent snow melt had turned the normal light green water into something that resembled a cup of espresso with about a foot of visibility. However, it was just too nice of a day to sit at home. So my wife and I hit the water with little success save for a few nice twigs and a couple of submeged logs. The whole trip every place we stopped there were caddis coming off in fishable numbers and quite a few skwala nymphs clinging to everything (and here is the but) nothing rising and no lined tigtened. I figured that I just missed a great skwala hatch and that the caddis just threw me off what was really going on. That is fishing, we will dilligently pursue the trout of on our nearby streams. Tomorrow is another day.
The landscape on the other hand did not disspoint with snow still clinging to the mountain tops all around, and the western meadolarks and robins singing for us it did make the day pleasant. Even saw a bald eagle so all in all a good day spet in the outdoors made humbling by the trout all ready full bellies.
Just spent yesterday driving to some new water on the Clark Fork river in MT. I found that it was not the day to go downstream as the recent snow melt had turned the normal light green water into something that resembled a cup of espresso with about a foot of visibility. However, it was just too nice of a day to sit at home. So my wife and I hit the water with little success save for a few nice twigs and a couple of submeged logs. The whole trip every place we stopped there were caddis coming off in fishable numbers and quite a few skwala nymphs clinging to everything (and here is the but) nothing rising and no lined tigtened. I figured that I just missed a great skwala hatch and that the caddis just threw me off what was really going on. That is fishing, we will dilligently pursue the trout of on our nearby streams. Tomorrow is another day.
The landscape on the other hand did not disspoint with snow still clinging to the mountain tops all around, and the western meadolarks and robins singing for us it did make the day pleasant. Even saw a bald eagle so all in all a good day spet in the outdoors made humbling by the trout all ready full bellies.
Mcjames on Apr 28, 2008April 28th, 2008, 3:42 am EDT
I have enjoyed a wonderful blue quill/adoptiva hatch here in n. westchester, new york over the past ten days or so on a number of streams in the croton river watershed. probably will be replaced by subvaria pretty soon. pics from another post
http://www.troutnut.com/topic/1347#8849
http://www.troutnut.com/topic/1347#8849
I am haunted by waters
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