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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.

Dorsal view of a Ephemerella mucronata (Ephemerellidae) Mayfly Nymph from the Yakima River in Washington
This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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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GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Oct 28, 2008October 28th, 2008, 11:52 am EDT
It's been my suspicion for quite some time that a good part of the credit given to dorothea for creating the later, lighter-colored "little sulphur" hatch should probably go to the same species (or species complex) that creates the earlier, larger, darker hatch--E. invaria. Many anglers who fish the small suphurs on valley limestone streams in my home state believe (or have been led to believe) that they are fishing the dorothea hatch. Close inspection of the mayfly that causes the activity usually doesn't bear that out. Most of the true dorothea hatches seem to come from mountainous areas where the streams are faster and have rockier bottoms.

All of the specimens in this section are from PA, and this seems to provide a good case in point. This specimen and the nymph (#766) are good examples of dorothea, and they both came from sections of the Brodheads in the Poconos. The other specimens came from big limestoners and appear to be invaria. Notice that all of the dun and spinner specimens, except for this one, have banded tails (dark markings at the segments). As far as I know, this is not characteristic of the Eastern version of dorothea (E. dorothea dorothea), but it is a trait of invaria.
Troutnut
Troutnut's profile picture
Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Oct 29, 2008October 29th, 2008, 12:01 pm EDT
Thanks. That makes a lot of sense.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
TightLine
Missouri

Posts: 1
TightLine on Jul 22, 2014July 22nd, 2014, 5:39 am EDT
We have these little guys in our spring creeks here in Missouri. They are usually about a size 24. Duns are White/opaque in color with the big orange eyes. The hatch is in the evening from May to October with the prime months June to September. A challenging fly to fish with precise presentations necessary.
McCloud Redband
Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Jul 22, 2014July 22nd, 2014, 3:28 pm EDT
Welcome to the forum, Tightline.

While anything is possible, your tiny flies are probably in one of the baetid genera of Little Sulfur Quills. True PMD's are much larger (14 to 18). If you look closely, you may notice they only have two tails and are either lacking hind wings or they are virtually impossible to make out with eyes older than 35. ;)
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman

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