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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As far as I can tell, this species has only previously been reported from one site in Oregon along the Columbia gorge. However, the key characteristics are fairly unmistakable in all except for one minor detail:
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.
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Gripngrin on Dec 8, 2006December 8th, 2006, 3:42 pm EST
Me with a nice cutt. 24" 8+ lps.
Lower Blue River near Kremmling, Colorado, above the notorious "Jurassic Park" stretch.
Took a green egg pattern. It was WHAM and hang on!
Any other good Grip & Grin pics to share out there?
MS
Lower Blue River near Kremmling, Colorado, above the notorious "Jurassic Park" stretch.
Took a green egg pattern. It was WHAM and hang on!
Any other good Grip & Grin pics to share out there?
MS
Grip'n Grin Mike
GONZO on Dec 9, 2006December 9th, 2006, 4:58 am EST
A spectacular big buck, Mike--congratulations! Now I'm kicking myself for not trying the Blue when I was visiting Steamboat Springs or Winter Park! :(
Troutnut on Dec 9, 2006December 9th, 2006, 5:25 am EST
Heck of a fish Mike!
I don't have too many grip-n-grin pictures because I'm usually fishing by myself. If there's anyone else there to verify, I don't seem to catch any big fish!
I don't have too many grip-n-grin pictures because I'm usually fishing by myself. If there's anyone else there to verify, I don't seem to catch any big fish!
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
GONZO on Dec 9, 2006December 9th, 2006, 6:51 am EST
A likely story, Jason! :) Actually, I sympathize. I have hundreds of fish photos--nearly all of them bad and on old-fashioned print film. Heck, I only recently converted to shooting slide film, which puts me a decade or so behind the digital revolution!
Gripngrin on Dec 9, 2006December 9th, 2006, 10:30 am EST
David, I'm guessing that Cutt was a Colorado Greenback. I don't believe it was not a Snake River, which are more tan/gold with smaller spots. Heck, we thought it was a Brown till we looked on the computer. After fifteen minutes of tug-o-war he was sooo lethargic,.. we made it a quick photo session. Took the photo with a Nikon 990 digital. Loved that camera. I was an early adopter of digital and used it while I was still guiding. Pictures make for happy customers, bigger tips and more return business.
This was a hell of a day. Mid March on private water where big fish occasionally move through. Actually, we were fishing for Browns gobbling milted green eggs below the Bow's. We both caught 50 between us both, all mostly 18 - 20 inchers, with four or five pigs mixed in.
We fondly remember this as the "Day of the Pigs".
A fellow did catch the new state record Cutt downstream from this stretch last summer. Very controversial because he landed it on a private ranch (aka jurassic park) where they stock big fish, feed them, etc. The fish I caught most likely swam upstream from JP. I don't
think there has been a native river cutthroat that big in Colorado for fifty years.
It is good to be the billionaire -
This was a hell of a day. Mid March on private water where big fish occasionally move through. Actually, we were fishing for Browns gobbling milted green eggs below the Bow's. We both caught 50 between us both, all mostly 18 - 20 inchers, with four or five pigs mixed in.
We fondly remember this as the "Day of the Pigs".
A fellow did catch the new state record Cutt downstream from this stretch last summer. Very controversial because he landed it on a private ranch (aka jurassic park) where they stock big fish, feed them, etc. The fish I caught most likely swam upstream from JP. I don't
think there has been a native river cutthroat that big in Colorado for fifty years.
It is good to be the billionaire -
Grip'n Grin Mike
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