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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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.
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.
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CaseyP on Feb 20, 2007February 20th, 2007, 5:34 am EST
recently the purveyor of most of my hooks greeted me with joy: in place of the hard-to-get Partridge klinkhammer hooks, he had some Gamakatsu emerger hooks. they're barbless with a verticle eye, and have a flat section next the eye equalling a third or so of the total length to the point.
most interesting to me, they are made of a much finer wire than the same size of klink hooks. being a heavy-handed beginner, i find it a challenge to avoid pulling the things this way and that as i tie.
ignoring for the moment the possibility that they will not give my klinkhammers the keel they need to land upright, what advantages do such slender barbless hooks have?
i tied a few Hank of Hair flies on them in different colors and if it gets warm enough next week i'll go try them out. the verticle eye was a problem when i cut the hair to form the head. should i just leave it sticking out and cut further back?
last point: that flat bit might make it possible to tie a dry on top "umbrella" style. that's my next task.
most interesting to me, they are made of a much finer wire than the same size of klink hooks. being a heavy-handed beginner, i find it a challenge to avoid pulling the things this way and that as i tie.
ignoring for the moment the possibility that they will not give my klinkhammers the keel they need to land upright, what advantages do such slender barbless hooks have?
i tied a few Hank of Hair flies on them in different colors and if it gets warm enough next week i'll go try them out. the verticle eye was a problem when i cut the hair to form the head. should i just leave it sticking out and cut further back?
last point: that flat bit might make it possible to tie a dry on top "umbrella" style. that's my next task.
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
GONZO on Feb 20, 2007February 20th, 2007, 5:49 am EST
Casey,
You may find that you need to add a wire rib or underbody when tying Klinks on these hooks to get the proper performance. (This is why I like standard wire hooks like the Mustad C49S for hanging emergers.) The up-eye does cause problems with Elk-Hair Caddis type wings (like the Hank of Hair). You might want to play around with inverted versions along the lines of LaFontaine's Dancing Caddis or Louis's USD CDC caddis. You could also try a fold-down style by tying the hair tips forward, and then folding them back before tying the collar to produce a mini-bullethead.
By the way, you can probably eliminate much of the flexing you mention by seating the bend of the hook much deeper into the jaws of the vise than normal. This won't work with emergers, but it should be no problem with flies like the Hank of Hair or umbrellas. When tight wraps are critical and the fly is mounted in the normal fashion, pinch the rear of the hook with your free hand (for added support and stability) as you draw tension on those wraps.
You may find that you need to add a wire rib or underbody when tying Klinks on these hooks to get the proper performance. (This is why I like standard wire hooks like the Mustad C49S for hanging emergers.) The up-eye does cause problems with Elk-Hair Caddis type wings (like the Hank of Hair). You might want to play around with inverted versions along the lines of LaFontaine's Dancing Caddis or Louis's USD CDC caddis. You could also try a fold-down style by tying the hair tips forward, and then folding them back before tying the collar to produce a mini-bullethead.
By the way, you can probably eliminate much of the flexing you mention by seating the bend of the hook much deeper into the jaws of the vise than normal. This won't work with emergers, but it should be no problem with flies like the Hank of Hair or umbrellas. When tight wraps are critical and the fly is mounted in the normal fashion, pinch the rear of the hook with your free hand (for added support and stability) as you draw tension on those wraps.
Entoman on Oct 4, 2013October 4th, 2013, 6:26 am EDT
Those are horrible hooks. Decent fish spring them open quite easily. Old thread so you've probably long since figured this out, Casey - but I had to address this.:)
"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
Sayfu
Posts: 560
Posts: 560
Sayfu on Oct 4, 2013October 4th, 2013, 8:31 am EDT
My two bits...I like down eyed, and wouldn't tie them on an up eye for the reason you mentioned. and I like the Mustad C49S as mentioned. They are the newer, chemically sharpened hooks that compete very favorably with the more expensive Diiachi hooks. But here is a position I have take. I've chosen the very inexpensive EagleClaw caddis/pupa hooks for the klink type emergers IF the hook size is #14, and larger, and all my Klinks are #14's, and larger. I can buy a 100 box of Eagle Claws for what I pay for 25 Diiachi's. And here is a fact about hooks. It is easier for a fish to bend out a longer shanked hook than a short shanked hook. I've landed good sized trout on #14 Eagle claws (1X short) I never worry about sharpness in that small of hook. Anything smaller I use Diiachi's.
Catskilljon on Mar 3, 2014March 3rd, 2014, 1:53 pm EST
most interesting to me, they are made of a much finer wire than the same size of klink hooks. being a heavy-handed beginner, i find it a challenge to avoid pulling the things this way and that as i tie.
That is when I release the vise's grip and throw that hook [and the rest of them] away. If you can flex a hook that easily with 6/0 thread, imagine what your best fish of the year is going to do to it. If there is one thing I learned [the hard way!] its to test all hooks before wrapping thread on them. A little side to side pressure to see how the temper is.
I once bought a bunch of hooks from a fly shop in Roscoe that started stocking them. The owner told me they were new, and he has been tying on them for a week and loved them. They were inexpensive, had a similar look to the Mustads I have been using all along and figured I would give them a shot. I straightened one out on the very first fish I hooked, and not a big fish at that. After a crude strength test on-stream, I decided to never use them again. Every dog-gone one was bending like a paperclip.
Next time at the store I asked him if anyone complained about his flies straightening out and he looked at me deadpan and said "nope". 6 months later he had a different line of hooks hanging on the pegboard!
Long story short, check first, be happy later. CJ
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