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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.

Dorsal view of a Setvena wahkeena (Perlodidae) (Wahkeena Springfly) Stonefly Nymph from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington
As far as I can tell, this species has only previously been reported from one site in Oregon along the Columbia gorge. However, the key characteristics are fairly unmistakable in all except for one minor detail:
— 4 small yellow spots on frons visible in photos
— Narrow occipital spinule row curves forward (but doesn’t quite meet on stem of ecdysial suture, as it's supposed to in this species)
— Short spinules on anterior margin of front legs
— Short rposterior row of blunt spinules on abdominal tergae, rather than elongated spinules dorsally
I caught several of these mature nymphs in the fishless, tiny headwaters of a creek high in the Wenatchee Mountains.
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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Hankaye
Arrey, N.M.

Posts: 1
Hankaye on Apr 18, 2013April 18th, 2013, 8:09 am EDT
Howdy All;
ion of
Still sorta new to fly fishin' and would like to know if their is
any kind of website for the bugs in New Mexico?
I've seen site for the Gunnison River in Colorado, and there is Westfly whichcovers the Northwest States.
Was courious if anyone could point me in the direction of a decient site
to help me identify some bugs that will help me catch some trouts.
Thanks for your consideration.

hank
Striving for a less complicated life since 1949 ...
Taxon
Taxon's profile picture
Site Editor
Plano, TX

Posts: 1311
Taxon on Apr 18, 2013April 18th, 2013, 1:06 pm EDT
Hi Hank,

Listing the "bugs of New Mexico" would be a rather daunting task. So, how about if I simply start by listing the New Mexico mayfly genera (including common names) which are likely to be of some interest to a fly fisher:

Family - Genus - Common Name
Ameletidae - Ameletus - Brown Dun
Baetidae - Acentrella - Bluewinged Olive
Baetidae - Baetis - Bluewinged Olive
Baetidae - Baetodes - Bluewinged Olive
Baetidae - Callibaetis - Speckle-wing
Baetidae - Camelobaetidius - Bluewinged Olive
Baetidae - Centroptilum - Bluewinged Olive
Baetidae - Cloeodes - Bluewinged Olive
Baetidae - Fallceon - Bluewinged Olive
Baetidae - Labiobaetis - Bluewinged Olive
Caenidae - Caenis - Bluewinged Olive
Ephemerellidae - Attenella - Small Buuewinged Olive
Ephemerellidae - Drunella - Slatewinged Olive/Western Green Drake
Ephemerellidae - Ephemerella - Pale Morning Dun
Ephemerellidae - Serratella - Small Western Dark Hendrickson
Ephemerellidae - Timpanoga - Great Bluewinged Red Quill
Ephemeridae - Ephemera - Brown Drake
Ephemeridae - Hexagenia - Big Yellow May
Heptageniidae - Cinygmula - Dark Red Quill
Heptageniidae - Epeorus - Pink Lady/Slate Brown Dun
Heptageniidae - Heptagenia - Pale Evening Dun
Heptageniidae - Leucrocuta - Pale Evening Dun
Heptageniidae - Rhithrogena - Western March Brown
Isonychiidae - Isonychia - Great Western Leadwing
Leptohyphidae - Tricoryhyphes - Trico
Leptophlebiidae - Leptophlebia - Western Black Quill
Leptophlebiidae - Paraleptophlebia - Mahogany Dun
Siphlonuridae - Siphlonurus - Grey Drake
Best regards,
Roger Rohrbeck
www.FlyfishingEntomology.com
Sayfu
Posts: 560
Sayfu on Apr 19, 2013April 19th, 2013, 6:37 am EDT
What is far easier, and more practical is to list the river, or stillwater you plan to fish. Every area/state is going to have a huge disparity in the type of water you will fish, or the river you will fish...spring creek vs. freestone river, high Mt small stream vs. lower elevation big river.

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