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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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Goose
Posts: 77
Goose on Nov 21, 2006November 21st, 2006, 12:01 am EST
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all who hunt, good luck chasin' bucks.
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Nov 21, 2006November 21st, 2006, 1:18 am EST
I'll second Goose's wishes. When I look around the world, I am very thankful to have landed in the good old USA's Northeast. Those poor blokes in England can hardly find a place to fish; in Germany they have to take a test to fish; and in Iraq I'd guess all the trout are on dinner plates, if at all. Any of you PA posters know a good place to midge near Johnstown? I'll be chowing down there, and my brother-in-law and I usually wet a line spring, summer, and fall. I want to get him to try the little flies this time around.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
JAD
JAD's profile picture
Alexandria Pa

Posts: 362
JAD on Nov 21, 2006November 21st, 2006, 1:50 am EST
Thanks guys, I'll be the third to give thanks this holiday season. I wish you all health and contempment this season and next.The first day of buck will find me in Erie fishing for chromies. Like I told Gonzo (I truly enjoy your posts and am glad you are willing to share your knowledge with Us) And that goes for most on the forum. A special thanks to Jason for setting the forum up, A grand job you have done.

Warm Regards
JaD

They fasten red (crimson red) wool around a hook, and fix onto the wool two feathers which grow under a cock’s wattles, and which in colour are like wax.
Radcliffe's Fishing from the Earliest Times,
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Nov 21, 2006November 21st, 2006, 7:28 am EST
My thanks to all for the interesting chatter and good fellowship. Jason--thanks for creating this asylum, where our fly-fishing obsession is regarded as sane and normal behavior! Happy Thanksgiving!
Troutnut
Troutnut's profile picture
Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on Nov 21, 2006November 21st, 2006, 8:59 am EST
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you too!

I'm thankful for all of you who've been posting here. It's hard to get a new forum off the ground on an Internet where most people already have a "home" forum and the others. You, the first wave of regulars, have made a lot of very unusually high quality posts, and I think that has helped attract a lot of the new signups.

I hope you'll all continue to pass time here during the "tying months" and we'll have an even more exciting level of discussion when trout season comes arond again.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist

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