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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.

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.

Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 9:13 am EDT
I was wondering how many Forum contributors are from the Dauphin, Cumberland, and York county area? Is there a large overall PA group?
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Mcjames
Cortland Manor, NY

Posts: 139
Mcjames on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 9:28 am EDT
I grew up in Delaware County PA and have fished a fair bit in Tioga and Lycoming counties. So even though I am a New Yorker now I still think of myself as a Pennsylvanian.
I am haunted by waters
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 9:30 am EDT
Louis and I are in that group. I don't know how large a group we really are, but we sure aren't shy about expressing ourselves. We tend to make up for our insecurity by being loud and boisterous. (Kind of like Penn State football fans during a bad season.)

PS--Hey, James, the NY gang is pretty big, too. And you don't want to incur the wrath of your fellow Empire Staters. (Just say, "But NY is REALLY nice, too!" and I'm sure all will be forgiven.) :)
Shawnny3
Moderator
Pleasant Gap, PA

Posts: 1197
Shawnny3 on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 9:36 am EDT
I'm the opposite of Mcjames - born and raised in Ithaca, NY, and only a recent Pennsylvanian. We love it here, though, and gladly call it our home.

-Shawn
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
Billy
Chester County, PA

Posts: 10
Billy on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 9:56 am EDT
While we're at it, how many denizens of Chester County, PA are among the members of the 1,000+? - Billy
I was born with nothing and still have most of it. . .
GONZO
Site Editor
"Bear Swamp," PA

Posts: 1681
GONZO on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 10:19 am EDT
Are we picking up sides for some sort of regional or interstate dodge ball game or something here? If so, I should warn you that I bruise easily, and I'll be wearing glasses. (:-O)
JOHNW
JOHNW's profile picture
Chambersburg, PA

Posts: 452
JOHNW on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 10:23 am EDT
Born and bredd in PA but a transplant to the Cumberland Valley from the Lehigh Valley.
In a sort of funny twist I moved to the CV for a job and figured I had kissed my "wonderful" trout fiahing in the LV good bye. Boy was I ignorant at that time, Now I realize I have lived in two of the cradels of PA flyfishing and am withing easy striking distance of many other significant areas to the history of the sport.
JW
"old habits are hard to kill once you have gray in your beard" -Old Red Barn
Grannom
Northwest PA

Posts: 87
Grannom on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 10:37 am EDT
I'm from The D.C. area in Maryland, But have lived in Erie County, PA for the past six years, and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. It sure is alot quieter and more relaxed. The fishing's not to bad either :)


Mike
"Be calm - you're there..." "...Tell yourself there's no rush, even if there is."

-John Gierach
IEatimago
Spring Mills, PA

Posts: 97
IEatimago on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 11:28 am EDT
i was born and raised in los angeles but have spent the last 10 years of m life living all over the U.S and now reside in centre county PA.
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 11:44 am EDT
This is pretty cool. I hope everyone will identify her or himself and let us know from where they hale. As Gonzo said, I reside in central PA, though I'm a southern boy at heart who grew up in TN catching smallmouths as a boy.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
IEatimago
Spring Mills, PA

Posts: 97
IEatimago on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 11:56 am EDT
yes and then we will all chip in on a keg of new castleand bbq steaks at my house and add pressure to pressured creek.
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 1:37 pm EDT
Yea, we can all go to Boiling Springs and wail away at the fish that have seen a million sucker spawn and green weenies. Then adjourn to the YB for a quiet and peaceful evening fishing to the White Fly spinner fall.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
CaseyP
CaseyP's profile picture
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653
CaseyP on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 1:47 pm EDT
i'll bring the bhpt's and some brats. we live in VA but fish PA, especially Franklin and Fulton counties. got a little place near a ski hill and needed something to amuse us the other 9 months of the year, so we took up fly fishing. now we fish 12 months and ski about 3 weeks. global warming...
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 2:12 pm EDT
Couldn't you of maybe taken up golf instead of FF as there is already plenty of guys flinging flies?
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
CaseyP
CaseyP's profile picture
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA

Posts: 653
CaseyP on Jul 26, 2007July 26th, 2007, 4:15 pm EDT
golphers can't do it alone...
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra
Shawnny3
Moderator
Pleasant Gap, PA

Posts: 1197
Shawnny3 on Jul 27, 2007July 27th, 2007, 2:02 am EDT
Heh heh. Golf - the other white sport.

-Shawn

P.S. I've got two brothers who are avid golfers, one of whom made a career out of being a teaching pro for awhile, so I like to poke fun at it whenever I get the chance. Sometimes, all you have to say is, "Golf."
Jewelry-Quality Artistic Salmon Flies, by Shawn Davis
www.davisflydesigns.com
Softhackle
Softhackle's profile picture
Wellsville, NY

Posts: 540
Softhackle on Jul 27, 2007July 27th, 2007, 3:39 am EDT
I'm about 11 miles from the PA border, just north of Potter County. I seldom get to fish there, however, but I know a lot of PA fly fishers come here, to the Genesee, to fish.

Mark
"I have the highest respect for the skilled wet-fly fisherman, as he has mastered an art of very great difficulty." Edward R. Hewitt

Flymphs, Soft-hackles and Spiders: http://www.troutnut.com/libstudio/FS&S/index.html
Davez
Pennsylvania

Posts: 59
Davez on Jul 27, 2007July 27th, 2007, 3:52 am EDT
grew up in waterford, pa. i guess its erie or venango county. fished the lake my entire life and the Alleghenies, farm ponds, creeks and steelhead.

we got funny looks as kids flyfishing for steelhead amongst snaggers of cohos back in the mid 80s.

I gave steelhead up. unles sim visiting mom, i don;t make special trips any more.

Now reside In westmoreland county, PA, near the Indiana county line. I'm 2 hours from everything, but alot closer to some prime smallie fishing and I have my very own 2 acre farm pond.
bass and big gills. I fish every day. its a good feeling to build a rod rack in your garage and never take a rod apart!

Im surrounded by turkey huunting, deer hunting, wild berries and grouse. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. I have wild trout pretty close, but not like penn staters do..

I have fished all over the Western US and really know that PA has it all.
and all year round.
Lam
Lancaster, PA

Posts: 81
Lam on Aug 26, 2007August 26th, 2007, 10:25 am EDT
Ok, I'm a little late to this post but I just joined the forum.

I grew up in Potter County, Coudersport, specifically. I return several times per year to visit family and fish.

i now live in Lancaster and my "home stream" is the Donegal Creek, about 10 minutes from my house.

I get up around Harrisburg for my job and often fish the run in Boiling Springs. I also like Clark's Creek.

So much water, so little time.

Bhy the way, Gonzo, I got your book some time ago and love it. It's cool to see some authors and other really knowlegable people posting here.

Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Aug 26, 2007August 26th, 2007, 12:32 pm EDT
IEatimago wrote -

"i was born and raised in los angeles"

I heard that there is a little creek flowing near LA that still gets an occassional wild steelhead!
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.

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