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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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CamWolf1313
Andover, MA/ Andover NH

Posts: 18
CamWolf1313 on Jun 16, 2008June 16th, 2008, 11:25 am EDT
I was recently reading an article in "On the Water Magizine" and couldn't help but notice an article talking about Salmon. As I read on the article said that people had been catching these salmon since the 1920's but it now is becoming almost impossible to even find any they record that some had been cought in Scituate, MA's North River along with Great Bay, NH's Lamprey River. I did a little research and found out that in british columbia there are streams that have been consistanly stocked with Coho and are now supporting wild populations. Does any body know anything more?
"Clear your mind of everything but the fish and the fly and you will be in the right mind frame to land it"
Billy Berger.
SlateDrake9
Potter County, PA

Posts: 144
SlateDrake9 on Jun 16, 2008June 16th, 2008, 12:40 pm EDT
I've caught them in the great lakes tribs early in steelhead season a few times in the last couple of years. I didn't know that they weren't that common. I've also caught a few pinks in the Erie tribs around the same time of the year.
Fishing with bait is like swearing in church.
-- Slate Drake
Trtklr
Banned
Michigan

Posts: 115
Trtklr on Jun 17, 2008June 17th, 2008, 9:27 am EDT
April first opening day on the Little Manistee saw a coho come up from the depths chasing my offering.
I have seen nothing more beautiful than the sunrise on a cold stream.
Jjlyon01
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse

Posts: 71
Jjlyon01 on Jun 17, 2008June 17th, 2008, 11:03 am EDT
The Salmon River in Pulaski, NY has big runs of Cohos out of Lake Ontario they are often coined with the nickname "King" Salmon though and I have seen them pulled out over 20 lbs. The DEC stocks them and they have a hatchery for wild fish to spawn. I rarely like to fish for them because of all the comotion they cause bringing people who are willing to fight for the fish streamside. I normally wait a few weeks into the spawn and catch the Steelhead and large Browns that follow and feed on their eggs.
"I now walk into the wild"
Jjlyon01
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse

Posts: 71
Jjlyon01 on Jun 17, 2008June 17th, 2008, 11:04 am EDT
There are also strong runs of Chinook Salmon that spawn around the same time as the Cohos.
"I now walk into the wild"
SlateDrake9
Potter County, PA

Posts: 144
SlateDrake9 on Jun 20, 2008June 20th, 2008, 12:48 pm EDT
You actually have that backwards. The "kings" are Chinook Salmon. The Coho is known as the "silver" salmon.
Fishing with bait is like swearing in church.
-- Slate Drake
Jjlyon01
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse

Posts: 71
Jjlyon01 on Jun 21, 2008June 21st, 2008, 7:15 am EDT
I thought so, I always get confused. Thank you for the correction.
"I now walk into the wild"

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