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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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Troutnut has attached these 2 pictures. The message is below.
Njflytyer
Belvidere.NJ

Posts: 6
Njflytyer on Jun 19, 2007June 19th, 2007, 12:17 pm EDT
Troutnut, Sounds like what I was trying to discribe, sorry I wasn't able to help. Just keep tying and fishing and enjoy yourself. Just by chance have you ever camped at Katskill Campground? I camped there from 1992 - 2000 and you remind me of a guy named Dave. I guess that showes my age. Good Luck on the rest of the season. I'm going to try and get up to the Ausable the beging of July and maybe catch the end of the drakes. Tight Lines, Chris
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Mar 15, 2008March 15th, 2008, 1:34 am EDT
There is a little town in NE PA, about twenty miles north of Carbondale, called Pleasant Mount. There is a PA state fish hatchery there that raises zillions of tiger muskies. There is also a large cylindrical fish tank with windows around it and a staircase to the top where you can go up and look into this tank. It has many species of game fish in it. The tiny little creek coming out of the hatchery does have wild brookies in it and I've been told it is the origin site of the Lackawaxen River but don't know that for a fact.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Oatka1
Posts: 1
Oatka1 on Apr 26, 2008April 26th, 2008, 1:33 pm EDT
Looks great but I would not try to false cast it too much as the wing will definitely cause the tippet to spin, especially if you are down to a 6x in low water conditions. The pattern looks like a good fast water low-light condition fly.
DayTripper
DayTripper's profile picture
Northern MI

Posts: 70
DayTripper on May 11, 2008May 11th, 2008, 10:24 am EDT
What an awesome fly! What did you use for the tails? Thanks!

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