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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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Report at a Glance

General RegionWaterton Canyon
Dates Fished3/3
Fish Caughta couple 12" Rainbows
Conditions & HatchesThe flows are very low 20-30cfs
Midges all day with the occasional smattering of the occasional baetis

Details and Discussion

Sundula
Littleton, Colorado

Posts: 35
Sundula on Mar 6, 2007March 6th, 2007, 2:00 pm EST
I have been receiving decent action in the slower deep runs they are very very tenative still. I have also pulled some out of the well oxygenated plunge pools. Flies of choice have been the #22 Mercury RS2, #20 Mercury Blood Mige, #22-24 Mercury Brassie, #22-26 Black Beauty, #22-24 Mercury Midge. The flows are gradually showing an increase in flow along the entire drainage. With all the snow we got so far this year it looks like it will be another great year of trout hunting in Colorado.
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Mar 7, 2007March 7th, 2007, 9:24 am EST
Great to hear. The RS2 olive emerger that I tie has been working here some. Tight lines,
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

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