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Lateral view of a Female Hexagenia limbata (Ephemeridae) (Hex) Mayfly Dun from the Namekagon River in Wisconsin
Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata

The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.

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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Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Apr 1, 2015April 1st, 2015, 1:01 pm EDT
It is an awesome vehicle! I don't push it but have taken many corners at 50 mph and a couple of times drifted the ass end out while going around a tight corner. I'm always afraid of getting a speeding ticket so lift my right foot at 100 mph. I'm hitting 85 mph in 3rd gear before it redlines - 4th gear really pulls well, fifth is less potent and 6th is basically an overdrive gear.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Apr 3, 2015April 3rd, 2015, 7:14 pm EDT
If I actually thought my undergraduate degree in psychology was worth anything I might think you were compensating here Matt...passive aggressive or some such...As long as the intent is "friendly" I guess we'll live with it.

:)

Spence

"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Apr 3, 2015April 3rd, 2015, 8:36 pm EDT
I'm always friendly. But since you are throwing it out there what do you think I'm compensating for?
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Apr 4, 2015April 4th, 2015, 7:00 am EDT
It's a friggin joke Matt. I'm just following your new mantra:

I don't like to just go with the flow anymore. If I see some comment that interests me I will possibly respond and maybe with a flip comment. A little friendly friction makes these forums more interesting.


Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Apr 4, 2015April 4th, 2015, 12:40 pm EDT
Okay, friggin lighten up, I thought only I had the droll sense of humor.

I'm going to go back to my old ways no more sarcasm, flipedness, crankiness, or wiseacreness. From now just Mr. Nice Guy. Seriously.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Apr 4, 2015April 4th, 2015, 3:50 pm EDT
I'll tell you what's being compensated for. Lack of fishing opportunities...;) We're almost there!
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Apr 4, 2015April 4th, 2015, 4:50 pm EDT
Yes, thank goodness for the melting snow and slightly warmer days. Before long, I'm thinking very late April, there will be Hendricksons on the Catskill rivers and earlier on central PA waters.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter at church and with our families.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
TKB
TKB's profile picture
Pennsylvania

Posts: 24
TKB on Apr 5, 2015April 5th, 2015, 7:11 am EDT
Mostly meat flys



Catskilljon
Upstate NY

Posts: 160
Catskilljon on Apr 9, 2015April 9th, 2015, 5:58 pm EDT
Some nymphs...Atherton 1's,2's and 3's on long shank hooks...

< />

These nymphs are classic and fish great. CJ
TKB
TKB's profile picture
Pennsylvania

Posts: 24
TKB on Apr 29, 2015April 29th, 2015, 12:53 pm EDT
trying this again....
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Apr 29, 2015April 29th, 2015, 4:55 pm EDT
Pretty. Are they Mustad 9672's? What material are you using for the wing case?
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Apr 29, 2015April 29th, 2015, 8:59 pm EDT
Looks like 9672's and jungle cock on some and mylar on the others. Nice dubbing work.
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Apr 30, 2015April 30th, 2015, 3:05 am EDT
Catskilljon,

Those barbs look like harpoons! I really like those flies. I'd like half a dozen to display in my nymph box.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Apr 30, 2015April 30th, 2015, 4:34 pm EDT
Yeah those old style hooks when overboard with the barbs. Very little barb is needed, if at all. This is true with conventional lures too. I mash down the barbs on all my soft plastics, topwaters and crankbaits. The only lures I keep a barb on are heavier lipless cranks (micro-barbs) and jigs. All my flies are barbless.
Catskilljon
Upstate NY

Posts: 160
Catskilljon on Apr 30, 2015April 30th, 2015, 4:43 pm EDT
They are vintage Herters nymph hooks, #12 around 3X long. The old hooks did have huge barbs! I have some allcock dry fly hooks with barbs as big as the point...those handmade hooks were something else.

The wingcase is kingfisher, from the secondary wing quills. Atherton used kingfisher, and later Darbee recommended blue floss. I like the taper of the wing slips, though they are short and tricky to set right.

Thanks guys, these flies work well, especially that #1 with the JC wingcases. CJ
PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Apr 30, 2015April 30th, 2015, 5:35 pm EDT
Kingfisher... Of course! Mylar? Doh! Apologies CJ! :0
Planettrout
Planettrout's profile picture
Los Angeles, CA / Pullman, WA

Posts: 53
Planettrout on May 2, 2015May 2nd, 2015, 6:18 am EDT
< />

DB AMBER WOBBLE-RITE CADDIS PUPA – Daiichi 1250, #12 – #16… a variation of Paul LaFonte's - the recipe for the original pattern may be found in Solomon and Leiser’s “The Caddis and the Angler” ppgs. #.84 -#.88...

< />

MOLYBDENITE NYMPH (Flav), Daiichi 1560, #12- #16…for a certain Eastern Sierra watershed at about 9,500'...


PT/TB
Daughter to Father: "How many arms do you have, how many fly rods do you need?"

http://planettrout.wordpress.com/
Strmanglr
Strmanglr's profile picture
Posts: 156
Strmanglr on May 31, 2015May 31st, 2015, 5:31 pm EDT
^^^
Nice

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