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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 Sep 30, 2008September 30th, 2008, 2:14 pm EDT
Deleted.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Chris_3g
Posts: 59
Chris_3g on Oct 1, 2008October 1st, 2008, 1:08 pm EDT
As always, nice trout Matt! He's got a "Don't mess with me!" look about him.

Chris.
Trtklr
Banned
Michigan

Posts: 115
Trtklr on Oct 8, 2008October 8th, 2008, 10:51 am EDT
whats a kype?
I have seen nothing more beautiful than the sunrise on a cold stream.
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Oct 8, 2008October 8th, 2008, 11:55 am EDT
A kype is a growth at the end of the jawbone that results in a hook-jawed appearance in mature males as spawning time approaches. Although it usually reduces somewhat post-spawn, many (especially older) males retain some degree of kype.
JZord
New York

Posts: 14
JZord on Mar 18, 2009March 18th, 2009, 8:55 am EDT
fat fish!!
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Mar 22, 2009March 22nd, 2009, 11:55 am EDT
If any one wants to see more of my "Heads" go to my Facebook and do a search for "Matt Hanist". I also have an album I titled "Hot Bodies".
No, Louis, it's not a porn album.

Here's another -

Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
DOS
Buffalo, NY

Posts: 64
DOS on Mar 22, 2009March 22nd, 2009, 12:11 pm EDT
Added ya up on facebook there WB, looking forward to the "Hot Bodies" lol
Andrew Nisbet

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