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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PaulRoberts on Apr 6, 2011April 6th, 2011, 4:33 pm EDT
April 6, 2011
A little fishing while my son takes his voice/piano lesson. I could just hear the wavering high notes of his rendition of “Where is Love” emanating from the streamside cabin as I took the path down to the little creek below.
Overcast, snow due in tonight; An icing fog on mountains above, very light misty rain/heavy mist below. Tricaudatus weather! A little late in the afternoon I suppose, but the hours-old memory of those little duns should be enough to interest some trout.
It’s a fast turbulent stretch of pocket water here, not the place I’d choose if I were just fishing. But begger's, and dedicated Dad's, can't be choosers. I spotted a trout right away in the eddy of a cut, up off bottom in active position. “Looks like a spring trout to me”, I thought. “Water’s gotta be cold though.” Id’ve guessed 45 by season and conditions in this stretch (being as out-of-touch as I currently am), but upon seeing that active trout I thought, “Maybe upper 40s?” “Can’t be 50…” -especially with the frost on the trees on the mountains above and the very last remnants of snow in the canyon shadows.
I took a water temperature: 38F! I had a #18 tricaudatus Comparadun tied on. Guess I’m a tad early this year, this far up anyway. Was only playing, killing three-quarters of an hour, so I decided to fish the dry, just to fish a dry after a long winter of tying them. I plied the first cut finding only one decent laminar slick to work, and an entire trout head rose to meet my dun! Pop! And I wrestled in a pretty copper backed, red sided, amber flanked ‘bow. “You are ready to rock I see,” I said out loud as I dug the hook from deep along the inside of its lower jaw; a long snouted male somewhere in the 10inch class; A good average mature trout for this section of this stream.
The next cut yielded a trout nose –a half attempt, or refusal, I couldn’t tell. It wouldn’t come again. A refusal, I thought. “It’s really midges you were expecting, eh?” Two midge varieties were in the air: a #42 WC (“Who Cares”), and a #24 LGB (“Little Gray Bastard”) now dipping to deposit eggs.
The next cut was the one I’d seen the active trout in, and I now knew why: That it was indeed spring, despite the “winter” water temps. I’d marked the rectangular rock below the VW-sized boulder the trout had been holding beside. With the 7ft rod I was using I had to creep all the way to the tail lip, closer than I could have got away with had the sun been higher, and the sky brighter, and I sat on a partially submerged boulder. It was late afternoon, under a deep overcast, in a deep canyon, and the trout rose about 8ft from my rod tip. But it had moved from my mark, into a dead calm pocket about the size of a basketball hoop, surrounded by boiling, seething, dense/viscous, line gobbling turbulence. And I could not get a drift there. I dared not get closer. So, I waited and watched it rise aggressively (for such cold water) pushing the syrup-like water and making a good “smock!” with each rise. Then the pocket was quiet. I pitched back to the rectangular rock and she was there –another 10+inches of copper, red, and amber. I got back to the cabin just in time to hear my son's final refrain, “Where-ere-ere-ere-ere iiissssss llllooooovvvvvvve!”
So there it is. It’s spring! So say the trout –at least the ‘bows in this stretch. I kinda doubt the browns would have been as willing, and I didn’t see any despite the fact that they tend to outnumber the bows in this stream –at least in the warmer months. Mebbe it was the faster turbulent water in this stretch, keeping the browns at bay. But, 38F is mighty cold for dry fly fishing for any species. Everyone is hopeful in April apparently.
A little fishing while my son takes his voice/piano lesson. I could just hear the wavering high notes of his rendition of “Where is Love” emanating from the streamside cabin as I took the path down to the little creek below.
Overcast, snow due in tonight; An icing fog on mountains above, very light misty rain/heavy mist below. Tricaudatus weather! A little late in the afternoon I suppose, but the hours-old memory of those little duns should be enough to interest some trout.
It’s a fast turbulent stretch of pocket water here, not the place I’d choose if I were just fishing. But begger's, and dedicated Dad's, can't be choosers. I spotted a trout right away in the eddy of a cut, up off bottom in active position. “Looks like a spring trout to me”, I thought. “Water’s gotta be cold though.” Id’ve guessed 45 by season and conditions in this stretch (being as out-of-touch as I currently am), but upon seeing that active trout I thought, “Maybe upper 40s?” “Can’t be 50…” -especially with the frost on the trees on the mountains above and the very last remnants of snow in the canyon shadows.
I took a water temperature: 38F! I had a #18 tricaudatus Comparadun tied on. Guess I’m a tad early this year, this far up anyway. Was only playing, killing three-quarters of an hour, so I decided to fish the dry, just to fish a dry after a long winter of tying them. I plied the first cut finding only one decent laminar slick to work, and an entire trout head rose to meet my dun! Pop! And I wrestled in a pretty copper backed, red sided, amber flanked ‘bow. “You are ready to rock I see,” I said out loud as I dug the hook from deep along the inside of its lower jaw; a long snouted male somewhere in the 10inch class; A good average mature trout for this section of this stream.
The next cut yielded a trout nose –a half attempt, or refusal, I couldn’t tell. It wouldn’t come again. A refusal, I thought. “It’s really midges you were expecting, eh?” Two midge varieties were in the air: a #42 WC (“Who Cares”), and a #24 LGB (“Little Gray Bastard”) now dipping to deposit eggs.
The next cut was the one I’d seen the active trout in, and I now knew why: That it was indeed spring, despite the “winter” water temps. I’d marked the rectangular rock below the VW-sized boulder the trout had been holding beside. With the 7ft rod I was using I had to creep all the way to the tail lip, closer than I could have got away with had the sun been higher, and the sky brighter, and I sat on a partially submerged boulder. It was late afternoon, under a deep overcast, in a deep canyon, and the trout rose about 8ft from my rod tip. But it had moved from my mark, into a dead calm pocket about the size of a basketball hoop, surrounded by boiling, seething, dense/viscous, line gobbling turbulence. And I could not get a drift there. I dared not get closer. So, I waited and watched it rise aggressively (for such cold water) pushing the syrup-like water and making a good “smock!” with each rise. Then the pocket was quiet. I pitched back to the rectangular rock and she was there –another 10+inches of copper, red, and amber. I got back to the cabin just in time to hear my son's final refrain, “Where-ere-ere-ere-ere iiissssss llllooooovvvvvvve!”
So there it is. It’s spring! So say the trout –at least the ‘bows in this stretch. I kinda doubt the browns would have been as willing, and I didn’t see any despite the fact that they tend to outnumber the bows in this stream –at least in the warmer months. Mebbe it was the faster turbulent water in this stretch, keeping the browns at bay. But, 38F is mighty cold for dry fly fishing for any species. Everyone is hopeful in April apparently.
PaulRoberts on Apr 7, 2011April 7th, 2011, 10:19 am EDT
Posted in the wrong forum. Can't see how to delete it.
Ah, can't delete the OP I see.
Ah, can't delete the OP I see.
Shawnny3 on Apr 7, 2011April 7th, 2011, 1:53 pm EDT
Nice story, Paul, and well told - gets you in the mood for spring.
Sometimes Jason moves or deletes threads that appear in the wrong place. No big deal if he doesn't catch this one, though.
-Shawn
Sometimes Jason moves or deletes threads that appear in the wrong place. No big deal if he doesn't catch this one, though.
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Martinlf on Apr 9, 2011April 9th, 2011, 9:08 am EDT
Paul, I used to fish while my daughters took art lessons. The stream, where our own Gonzo learned to fish for trout, was about 15 minutes away, and I must admit I was a little late to pick them up once or twice. Great story.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
PaulRoberts on Apr 10, 2011April 10th, 2011, 8:08 am EDT
Ah...I can't be late; His piano teacher has an "evil eye" not to be fooled with. Otherwise I've driven down the road a piece to the much nicer stretches we pass on the way.
PaulRoberts on Mar 6, 2016March 6th, 2016, 2:44 am EST
Thought I'd pull this one up, since it's timely. Seeing that Louis's fish weren't "up" yet -"no bugs, no fish." And because I'm not FF currently having "other fish to fry" lately.
But I've taken water temps religiously over the years in my trout fishing and it's even spilled over into my fishing for warmwater species.
The 'bows in my post above were likely peri-spawners, hence their "unseasonable" activity.
But I've taken water temps religiously over the years in my trout fishing and it's even spilled over into my fishing for warmwater species.
The 'bows in my post above were likely peri-spawners, hence their "unseasonable" activity.
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Apr 7, 2011
by PaulRoberts
by PaulRoberts
