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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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Spud has attached these 4 pictures. The message is below.
Little Gunpowder Falls in northern Maryland
A nice high-gradient wild brown trout stream in northern Maryland
Unidentified spinner
Nice brookie from western Maryland
Spud
Posts: 7
Spud on May 21, 2007May 21st, 2007, 8:11 am EDT
Got an Olympus Stylus710 as a gift and have just started playing around with it. Here are the very first pics I've taken.
Troutnut
Troutnut's profile picture
Administrator
Bellevue, WA

Posts: 2758
Troutnut on May 21, 2007May 21st, 2007, 9:19 am EDT
Nice pics, Spud. That high-gradient mountain stream looks a lot like one I was on this weekend, but in a different state.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on May 21, 2007May 21st, 2007, 9:42 am EDT
Nice streams. Lovely brookie. Good job, Spud.
Taxon
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Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311
Taxon on May 21, 2007May 21st, 2007, 10:25 am EDT
Spud-

Your unidentified mayfly is interesting to me. Is is missing left wing(s), or is that only an illusion? Did it have hind wings? What would you estimate to be its size or length from front of head to end of abdomen? How many tails did it have?
Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
Spud
Posts: 7
Spud on May 22, 2007May 22nd, 2007, 3:19 pm EDT
Taxon,

It had both of its wings and no hind wings, I am just a poor photographer ;). I am short on time right now but will resize and add some more pics shortly. I will measure my rod tas well to try to get you an accurate length measurement.

- Mike
D40
Keswick, Cumbria, England

Posts: 3
D40 on May 29, 2007May 29th, 2007, 9:57 am EDT
Nice pics Spud and you do look pleased with your brookie.
Did the Mayfly crawl or fly onto your rod?

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