Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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This is an interesting one. Following the keys in Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019) and Jacobus et al. (2014), it keys clearly to Ephemerella. Jacobus et al provide a key to species, but some of the characteristics are tricky to interpret without illustrations. If I didn't make any mistakes, this one keys to Ephemerella mucronata, which has not previously been reported any closer to here than Montana and Alberta. The main character seems to fit well: "Abdominal terga with prominent, paired, subparallel, spiculate ridges." Several illustrations or descriptions of this holarctic species from the US and Europe seem to match, including the body length, tarsal claws and denticles, labial palp, and gill shapes. These sources include including Richard Allen's original description of this species in North America under the now-defunct name E. moffatae in Allen RK (1977) and the figures in this description of the species in Italy.
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Report at a Glance
| General Region | Catskills |
| Specific Location | Esopus Creek |
| Dates Fished | July 1 2007 |
| Time of Day | Morning til Noon |
| Fish Caught | A few Browns |
Details and Discussion
Flyfisher06 on Jul 1, 2007July 1st, 2007, 9:57 am EDT
IF I am not flyfishing or bird hunting I must be doing something bad like working !!
GONZO on Jul 1, 2007July 1st, 2007, 10:26 am EDT
Todd,
Where were you on the Esopus? If you were below the Portal, how was the color of the water? That stream used to be a summertime favorite of mine, and I keep hoping for word that it is recovering. The fact that you report browns rather than the wild rainbows for which it was once famous makes me wonder how that recovery is going.
Best,
Lloyd
Where were you on the Esopus? If you were below the Portal, how was the color of the water? That stream used to be a summertime favorite of mine, and I keep hoping for word that it is recovering. The fact that you report browns rather than the wild rainbows for which it was once famous makes me wonder how that recovery is going.
Best,
Lloyd
Flyfisher06 on Jul 1, 2007July 1st, 2007, 1:59 pm EDT
Lloyd,the water was very clear a bit of a bluish green hue we caught some browns that seemed kind of wild with much brighter coloration than i am used to and they fought hard and my son landed one about 14 inches that even took a few leaps out of the water I landed a small wild rainbow and fought a few other rainbows until I lost them we fished both above and below the portal and I cant wait to get back I hope that helps you Lloyd
hope to see you there Todd
hope to see you there Todd
IF I am not flyfishing or bird hunting I must be doing something bad like working !!
Flyfisher06 on Jul 1, 2007July 1st, 2007, 2:01 pm EDT
Oh almost forgot took a few pics I am working on trying to figure out how to upload them
IF I am not flyfishing or bird hunting I must be doing something bad like working !!
GONZO on Jul 1, 2007July 1st, 2007, 2:55 pm EDT
Thanks, Todd. The wild rainbows and "bluish green" water are both very encouraging signs. The last time I fished the Esopus, the water was dirt-brown and thick with silt below the Portal. Here's hoping it will recover its status as one of the most productive wild trout streams in the East. And I'm not surprised that you had some trouble landing a few of the rainbows--even the small ones always fought like demons.
Flyfisher06 on Jul 1, 2007July 1st, 2007, 6:02 pm EDT
hey gonzo if you plan on going to try it yourself let me know its 2and1/2 hours from me maybe I can meet you
IF I am not flyfishing or bird hunting I must be doing something bad like working !!
GONZO on Jul 2, 2007July 2nd, 2007, 6:25 am EDT
Will do, Todd. I've avoided the Esopus for many years because I couldn't bear to be disappointed by a stream that held such fond memories, but your eagerness to return has prompted a similar longing in me. I'll contact you later in the month, and perhaps we can set something up.
Best,
Lloyd
Best,
Lloyd
Mcjames on Jul 3, 2007July 3rd, 2007, 2:23 am EDT
FYI sneaking up to Neversink tomorrow and I talked to a proprietor of one of the Catskill fly shops who said the Esopus is experiencing best fishing of past 5 years
I am haunted by waters
GONZO on Jul 3, 2007July 3rd, 2007, 3:33 am EDT
Hi James,
Thanks for confirming that the Esopus is improving; that's very good news indeed. Have you heard if the hatches are recovering as well? There used to be especially good sulphur and slate drake hatches.
Thanks for confirming that the Esopus is improving; that's very good news indeed. Have you heard if the hatches are recovering as well? There used to be especially good sulphur and slate drake hatches.
Mcjames on Jul 3, 2007July 3rd, 2007, 3:53 am EDT
no I didnt think to ask but here is what he has on his website:
The Esopus is now in good shape. Hatches have been mainly Isonychias, Caddis and some Sulphers (sic!).
http://www.catskillflies.com/stream.html
The Esopus is now in good shape. Hatches have been mainly Isonychias, Caddis and some Sulphers (sic!).
http://www.catskillflies.com/stream.html
I am haunted by waters
Flyfisher06 on Jul 3, 2007July 3rd, 2007, 11:17 am EDT
hey james how long are you going to be there for I am home alone this week and maybe i would come down by the way my son and I left the river at1pm sunday and there was already a good drake and sulfur hatch beginning we really didnt want to leave but we had to todd
IF I am not flyfishing or bird hunting I must be doing something bad like working !!
Mcjames on Jul 5, 2007July 5th, 2007, 2:42 am EDT
hi todd spent the day yesterday (july 4) on the neversink I'll post in "reports"
I am haunted by waters
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