Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
Featured on the forum
This one seems to lead to Couplet 35 of the Key to Genera of Perlodidae Nymphs and the genus Isoperla, but I'm skeptical that's correct based on the general look. I need to get it under the microscope to review several choices in the key, and it'll probably end up a different Perlodidae.
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
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Troutnut on Jul 21, 2007July 21st, 2007, 7:29 pm EDT
On a note related to the "most interesting topics list," I know people have some favorite quotes/lines from other peoples' posts here, and it would be neat to collect the best ones in a single page of wisdom (or crude jokes -- whatever works).
So, post your favorites below. The syntax to quote somebody is {quote}The quote goes here.{/quote}, but you have to use square brackets instead of curly ones.
So, post your favorites below. The syntax to quote somebody is {quote}The quote goes here.{/quote}, but you have to use square brackets instead of curly ones.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Shawnny3 on Jul 22, 2007July 22nd, 2007, 1:06 am EDT
My vote is this for this one:
I never knew how to do that before, and it always struck me as so cool when someone else did it. Now I feel cool, too. Thanks, Jason.
My second vote (if I get one) is for anything Gonzo's said. But maybe that's a copout.
-Shawn
The syntax to quote somebody is {quote}The quote goes here.{/quote}, but you have to use square brackets instead of curly ones.
I never knew how to do that before, and it always struck me as so cool when someone else did it. Now I feel cool, too. Thanks, Jason.
My second vote (if I get one) is for anything Gonzo's said. But maybe that's a copout.
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
GONZO on Jul 22, 2007July 22nd, 2007, 9:22 am EDT
That is a cop-out, Shawn. Shame on you. ;) (But thanks.)
CaseyP on Jul 22, 2007July 22nd, 2007, 10:52 am EDT
Forum Rules
* No haiku. If you feel the urge to wax poetic, please write a limerick.
nowhere else on the web is this rule necessary.
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
Martinlf on Jul 23, 2007July 23rd, 2007, 1:45 am EDT
and my backcast hooked a truck while fishing from a bridge
JohnW, I can't believe you missed this one. When backcasts begin to fish on their own we have indeed entered a new dimension.
Touche' Gonzo.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
GONZO on Jul 23, 2007July 23rd, 2007, 4:32 am EDT
Well, Louis, I'd have to say that whenever my backcast hooks anything, it is fishing on its own. The truck was unusual. Typically, my backcast seems to like fishing for trees! ;)
Shawnny3 on Jul 24, 2007July 24th, 2007, 7:47 am EDT
Gonzo once said something like, "I always try to present my fly to a fish in a good way before I present it to the fish in a bad way." This idea has really stuck with me.
Trusgt's entire story about hooking a friggin bat is the funniest thing I've ever read on the forum.
Gonzo's calling Louis a "Duck-butt defender" because of his love for CDC, and Troutnut's follow-up bumper-sticker idea, which I'll let Jason mention if he doesn't intend to try to make money from it (I think what makes the idea so funny to me is the same reason it wouldn't make him much money - it's so obscure).
Oh, and I agree with CaseyP - that forum rule is ho-larious.
I'm sure I'll think of others. I'd like to see some others' favorites.
-Shawn
Trusgt's entire story about hooking a friggin bat is the funniest thing I've ever read on the forum.
Gonzo's calling Louis a "Duck-butt defender" because of his love for CDC, and Troutnut's follow-up bumper-sticker idea, which I'll let Jason mention if he doesn't intend to try to make money from it (I think what makes the idea so funny to me is the same reason it wouldn't make him much money - it's so obscure).
Oh, and I agree with CaseyP - that forum rule is ho-larious.
I'm sure I'll think of others. I'd like to see some others' favorites.
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Martinlf on Aug 1, 2007August 1st, 2007, 1:14 pm EDT
I tend to believe that there are a certain number of fish out there whose role is to be the "Mystery Fish" and to be seen, briefly hooked but never brought to hand. --Lee
This is a favorite, along with some already posted.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Shawnny3 on Sep 9, 2007September 9th, 2007, 5:00 am EDT
Louis's digging up that old Mutillidae thread just gave me an old new favorite quote: "They covered the surface of the stream and made it seem a sinuous snake covered with tiny grey scales."
That whole post was a great one, but that quote took it over the top.
-Shawn
That whole post was a great one, but that quote took it over the top.
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Falsifly on Jan 2, 2009January 2nd, 2009, 5:36 am EST
I like to use Lingerie dub (when I can lay my hands on it)---JAD
JAD,
I thought this an appropriate place to enter the quote, a fine one indeed.
Falsifly
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
When asked what I just caught that monster on I showed him. He put on his magnifiers and said, "I can't believe they can see that."
Gutcutter on Feb 25, 2010February 25th, 2010, 7:24 am EST
"i question whether that is even your dog"
falsifly
falsifly
All men who fish may in turn be divided into two parts: those who fish for trout and those who don't. Trout fishermen are a race apart: they are a dedicated crew- indolent, improvident, and quietly mad.
-Robert Traver, Trout Madness
-Robert Traver, Trout Madness
Ericd on Feb 25, 2010February 25th, 2010, 12:04 pm EST
I have had it with these dunner-shucking drakes on this dunner-shucking plane!
-Jason
"dunner shucking" has been one of my logon passwords for work.
Shawnny3 on Apr 25, 2010April 25th, 2010, 2:19 am EDT
You expressed an interest in facts. I'm happy to oblige...;)
A new favorite of mine. Thanks, Lee.
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
Martinlf on Jun 4, 2010June 4th, 2010, 2:24 am EDT
Spence, I have an idea for ya. Get yourself a fly caddy. A big kid on summer break to carry all your flies, floatant, leaders, net, snippers, even your new SD1300 IS camera. Then you can just turn to him and say "I think for this fish I need a #14 ....", and he will immediately replace your fly. He will net your fish and take your hero fish shots too. If you fart in your waders he will have a can of air freshener to make sure you keep smelling fresh. You will be lighter and more energetic, but happy knowing right behind you are all your gazillion flies and other miscellaneous stuff, just in case you need them. No more worries about what you left behind.
Also, since kids are really good with cell phones, you could have him send text messages and photos to the "bug boys" for instant, positive ID'ing of bugs while you are on the stream. What else could a guy want?
Ernie would be proud!
From John, Wiflyfisher. Other quotations in the "When is enough, enough" thread are very funny, but this seems to sum up the essence of the thread.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Martinlf on Jun 10, 2010June 10th, 2010, 6:36 am EDT
Fisherman aren't necessarily an honest bunch.
--Shane, AKA Dryfly
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
Troutnut on Jul 23, 2011July 23rd, 2011, 11:03 am EDT
I'm adding something Konchu wrote in the Taxonomy and DNA discussion to this list:
The whole discussion is a great read, but this is especially succinct and insightful.
People sometimes get frustrated, and rightfully so, for continual taxonomic changes; however, taxonomy is a science, and it is plastic. If a science is static, then it probably is not science at all. Taxonomy sometimes is criticized for a lack of hypothesis testing, but its plasticity shows that hypotheses are tested and refuted all the time. A species or a genus, for example, are in and of themselves hypotheses.
The whole discussion is a great read, but this is especially succinct and insightful.
Jason Neuswanger, Ph.D.
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
Troutnut and salmonid ecologist
PaulRoberts on Jul 23, 2011July 23rd, 2011, 1:40 pm EDT
I thought so too.
Oldredbarn on Jul 24, 2011July 24th, 2011, 8:04 am EDT
Jason,
I don't think anyone could find fault with Luke's wonderful presentation of the "science" side of the argument. Your site may be the fault-line though because it brings together the serious entomologist and the layman, the angler. One side is searching for knowledge for knowledge's sake and the other side is looking to exploit that knowledge to fool the trout.
Maybe when the entomologist is also an angler he feels the pressure from the angling side of it and he may actually listen to the "whining"...The person who was drawn to science first and lives in the so-called "ivory-tower" should just ignore us unless he's trying to sell a book. :)
I think Luke's comment could be applied to other aspects of what we think we know about things in general...When we boil it down, eh!? There are a great many things that are hypothetical and in flux...The soft-lazy-side of the human brain sometimes feels more comfortable with certainties and tradition.
I'm not saying that I think this is good or bad, it just is...I think that science has been fighting with this even amongst its own from time-to-time...It's easy to marry oneself to a pet theory. Especially if it's yours.
I don't think anyone could find fault with Luke's wonderful presentation of the "science" side of the argument. Your site may be the fault-line though because it brings together the serious entomologist and the layman, the angler. One side is searching for knowledge for knowledge's sake and the other side is looking to exploit that knowledge to fool the trout.
Maybe when the entomologist is also an angler he feels the pressure from the angling side of it and he may actually listen to the "whining"...The person who was drawn to science first and lives in the so-called "ivory-tower" should just ignore us unless he's trying to sell a book. :)
I think Luke's comment could be applied to other aspects of what we think we know about things in general...When we boil it down, eh!? There are a great many things that are hypothetical and in flux...The soft-lazy-side of the human brain sometimes feels more comfortable with certainties and tradition.
I'm not saying that I think this is good or bad, it just is...I think that science has been fighting with this even amongst its own from time-to-time...It's easy to marry oneself to a pet theory. Especially if it's yours.
"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
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
GONZO on Jul 24, 2011July 24th, 2011, 9:07 am EDT
I'm not saying that I think this is good or bad, it just is...I think that science has been fighting with this even amongst its own from time-to-time...It's easy to marry oneself to a pet theory. Especially if it's yours.
I think that's probably right, Spence. The scientific debates about classification (practical or theoretical, phenetic or cladistic, evolutionary or phylogenetic) provide examples of this, and fly fishers have certainly been known to "squeeze a fact to fit a theory" (as A. J. McClane once said) at times.
However, grouping the members of this forum (or scientists, for that matter) into two different "sides" seems a bit too polarized to me. I think we share varying degrees of common ground, and this site is more like an intersection than a fault line. That's what makes it so unique and interesting.
Shawnny3 on Jul 24, 2011July 24th, 2011, 10:36 am EDT
Almost no laypeople draw the important distinction that Konchu makes. Even many scientists fail to do so or simply ignore it. Whenever I introduce classification terms to my students, it is always with the warning that people love to put things into little boxes, and that what is usually more important than whether something fits precisely in this or that box is understanding why something fits better in this box or that box, or somewhere in between, or in a new box altogether. In a world based on probability distributions, there are a lot more gray areas than black and white. Appreciating the nuances in those gray areas is often what takes one to a higher level of thinking and understanding.
-Shawn
-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
www.davisflydesigns.com
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