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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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JOHNW
JOHNW's profile picture
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452
JOHNW on Jun 17, 2011June 17th, 2011, 1:09 pm EDT
I love garlic! But, does it have to be raw? No problem, next time I make pesto I'll just add some extra...

Jonathon

Doesn't need to be raw but if you roast it increase the amount to 4 heads to be safe.
I picked this trick up from a fellow I used to work with. He would eat a head of garlic or a raw onion everyday at lunch. He never had an issue with getting "et up" even when spring turkey hunting. The propblem is landscape work is ratehr labor intensive and in 90* heat nobody could stand to be within 30' of him. Since I was loe on the totem pole I got the pleasure. ;)
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
Konchu
Konchu's profile picture
Site Editor
Indiana

Posts: 498
Konchu on Jul 1, 2011July 1st, 2011, 7:44 pm EDT
the "clip on" worked wonders for my wife tonight. we had a control group along who was eaten alive.
JOHNW
JOHNW's profile picture
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452
JOHNW on Jul 3, 2011July 3rd, 2011, 7:12 am EDT
Glad to hear. Now can we get the folks at off to sponsor a filed trial to some god forsaken remote place full of biting insects and trout?!?!
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Jul 3, 2011July 3rd, 2011, 11:01 am EDT
My adventure at Cooke Pond with the smallies on the Hex hatch the other night would have served as a fine trial - I put DEET on at least three times and they still kept coming!! Typical of what I remember from previous "Hexing" experiences, when the Hex are thickest so are the mosquitos! "That's Pure Michigan..."

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...

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