Header image
Enter a name
Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

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.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Aszat
Aszat's profile picture
Lincolnton,NC

Posts: 2
Aszat on Nov 4, 2012November 4th, 2012, 5:29 am EST
I have fished South Mountains State Park in NC twice this month and the trout are eating a lot of something small. It's probably emergers of one or another but there are a lot of these small pale yellow flies that remind me of a fruit fly. I think they are micro caddis's but I'm not sure. I have grabed them and my best description would be pale yellow, 1 to 2 mm long (.04-.08"), a oblong stout body, with layed down caddis like wings on either side (same pale yellow color) that are twice as long as the body. when they fly they almost apear as small mayflies and fly slow. Any help would be greatly appreciated and especially any patterns to tie. The fish are feeding mainly on the surface but also under water as from time to time. Thank's
Taxon
Taxon's profile picture
Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311
Taxon on Nov 4, 2012November 4th, 2012, 9:12 am EST
Hi Aszat-

Welcome to the forum. If they are indeed microcaddis, my guess would be Hydroptila, of which you have at least (15) species in NC.
Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
Aszat
Aszat's profile picture
Lincolnton,NC

Posts: 2
Aszat on Nov 4, 2012November 4th, 2012, 1:54 pm EST
Thank's Taxon , I'll check out the site and try and get some ideas for a pattern to tie. I'll also try and get a photo next time.

Quick Reply

Related Discussions

Topic
Replies
Last Reply
4
Nov 12, 2011
by Sayfu
19
Oct 12, 2010
by Motrout
5
Jun 29, 2007
by Taxon
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 (email Jason). privacy policy