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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This is a striking caddis larva with an interesting color pattern on the head. Here are some characteristics I was able to see under the microscope, but could not easily expose for a picture:
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
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Jjlyon01 on Aug 19, 2008August 19th, 2008, 2:45 pm EDT
My family and I took our trip to Pennsylvania these past few days and my father and I were fortunate enough to fish some of the streams in Elk County. We knew that it would probably be slow fishing since the water would be really warm but we had to try it. The first day here we found ourselves on the main stem of the Clarion River in the special regs area. We fished all day (9 hours) and I only managed a small brownie. The next day we traveled to a small stream and fished for about four hours and I was able to pull 2 nice rainbows (14 and 12) from a small pool on a large wooley bugger. We then drove up to the East Branch of the Clarion River just under the dam. In these tail waters we found a nice riffly area and a beautiful pool (not too mention 52 degree water that does not feel too good in leaky waders after being in Texas all summer). My dad caught a 6 inch brookie out of the riffle on his first cast as I found my way down to the pool below the riffle. I had a 2 fly rig with 2 hare's ears size 18s on 6x tippet and split shot to get it down. A few casts later I was hooked up with a nice sized fish who proceeded to jump and snap my tippet like it was a spiders web. Too bad the 6x tippet was the largest I had because he proceeded to do this 3 more times that night and 5 more the tonight. It would be hard to imagine the same fish playing this game with me that many times but if he is he now has a mouth full of piercings.
"I now walk into the wild"
Shawnny3 on Aug 20, 2008August 20th, 2008, 2:25 am EDT
Nice story, Jamie.
-Shawn
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Wbranch on Aug 27, 2008August 27th, 2008, 6:38 pm EDT
Sounds kind of fishy to me.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Jjlyon01 on Aug 28, 2008August 28th, 2008, 4:46 pm EDT
I think the tippet i was using was old. I ended up tossing it when I got home in frustration
"I now walk into the wild"
Flyfisher06 on Sep 1, 2008September 1st, 2008, 12:03 am EDT
Wbranch what part sounds fishy was it how easily the tippet snapped if that is what you dont believe the pool was only about 15 feet across and filled with very large boulders so every take the fish kept rubbing the tippet on the jagged rocks
IF I am not flyfishing or bird hunting I must be doing something bad like working !!
Wbranch on Sep 29, 2008September 29th, 2008, 8:58 pm EDT
"since the water would be really warm but we had to try it."
Why would any fly fisher fish if they knew thw water would really be warm?
Flyfisher06 - Why would someone continue to use "old" tippet and break off flies in a trout's mouth?
Why would any fly fisher fish if they knew thw water would really be warm?
Flyfisher06 - Why would someone continue to use "old" tippet and break off flies in a trout's mouth?
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
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