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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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.
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.
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Jmd123 on Sep 1, 2016September 1st, 2016, 9:47 am EDT
Our cooler weather is staying with us and the trout are indeed biting fairly well again. On the Rifle Monday night I pulled in a bunch of little guys and three not-so-little ones, including the one shown below. The hatch dearth is also officially over, with heavy Nectopsyche caddis hatches making it look like snow flurries on the water as it starts to get dark. All fish were hitting EHCs in size 12, light grey at first then all white as it got dark. A #12 Royal Wulff fished into darkness did not yield any strikes.
Yesterday I hiked in, a good mile or more, to some waters I have not yet fished. As luck would have it, Tuesday's heavy rains riled up the water a bit, it was right up to the fringing vegetation and was off-colored (sort of orange-brown). Thinking I might just catch nothing, I still managed to pull out about a dozen fish, not big but likely because of the water situation. Unlike another reach about a mile downstream, this area had excellent trout habitat with plenty of cover - belly-button-deep pools, overhanging vegetation, a few logs, and plenty of undercut banks. Though I didn't catch or see any, it's easily 12-15-inch fish water, and there are plenty of big gravel riffles to provide insect fodder for the fishies. On top of that, at this time of the year this river turns into a wildflower garden and yesterday was no exception, as you can see...gonna focus on this place until the end of the season and then next spring when things reopen, it has good big-fish potential! BTW everything took a #10 hopper, big surprise.
My boss suggested not naming this stream on here to keep the trolls (i.e., baitfisherman) out, although I already saw a piece of fishing line with a split-shot hanging so of course it's not unknown. But Mike (Partsman) and Brandon (TimCat) know exactly where I'm talking about...
Jonathon
Yesterday I hiked in, a good mile or more, to some waters I have not yet fished. As luck would have it, Tuesday's heavy rains riled up the water a bit, it was right up to the fringing vegetation and was off-colored (sort of orange-brown). Thinking I might just catch nothing, I still managed to pull out about a dozen fish, not big but likely because of the water situation. Unlike another reach about a mile downstream, this area had excellent trout habitat with plenty of cover - belly-button-deep pools, overhanging vegetation, a few logs, and plenty of undercut banks. Though I didn't catch or see any, it's easily 12-15-inch fish water, and there are plenty of big gravel riffles to provide insect fodder for the fishies. On top of that, at this time of the year this river turns into a wildflower garden and yesterday was no exception, as you can see...gonna focus on this place until the end of the season and then next spring when things reopen, it has good big-fish potential! BTW everything took a #10 hopper, big surprise.
My boss suggested not naming this stream on here to keep the trolls (i.e., baitfisherman) out, although I already saw a piece of fishing line with a split-shot hanging so of course it's not unknown. But Mike (Partsman) and Brandon (TimCat) know exactly where I'm talking about...
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
TimCat on Sep 1, 2016September 1st, 2016, 1:25 pm EDT
Judging by your pics, it looks like you got a Michigan hat-trick... a brookie, brown, and rainbow.... throw in a creek chub for a grand slam. Ha
"If I'm not going to catch anything, then I 'd rather not catch anything on flies" - Bob Lawless
Partsman on Sep 1, 2016September 1st, 2016, 4:19 pm EDT
Awesome pics, yes I think I know that spot. The beauty of the Rifle is exploring its varied waters and some interesting feeders. I also saw many grouse this spring up in the park, I think I will doing even more exploring this fall! We really are blessed here in Michigan, about an hour and half drive you can be fishing on some kind of trout stream big or small.
Mike.
Mike.
Jmd123 on Sep 1, 2016September 1st, 2016, 5:44 pm EDT
Brandon, it's been a while since I last caught a Michigan Grand Slam (I don't count the chubs! Must be in the Salmonidae!), but I have done so before on this stream. Not many browns in there, once in a while I get one and it's always a surprise. I am always happy to get brookies though, as the rainbows seem pretty dominant in there these days. Not that I mind catching them either, especially when they decide to go airborne!
This place deserves much further investigation, and you are welcome to help me do it! BTW just noticed your quote - I LOVE IT! My attitude exactly. What I love is when people think that having a flyrod is a disadvantage until you start outcatching them 3 to 1 or more (sometimes its downright ridiculous)...
Mike, thank goodness not EVERYTHING closes on September 30th! The Rifle below Sage Lake Road and Reid Lake will be my hotspots after that. Let's hope this fall is as warm and lovely as the last one was.
Jonathon
This place deserves much further investigation, and you are welcome to help me do it! BTW just noticed your quote - I LOVE IT! My attitude exactly. What I love is when people think that having a flyrod is a disadvantage until you start outcatching them 3 to 1 or more (sometimes its downright ridiculous)...
Mike, thank goodness not EVERYTHING closes on September 30th! The Rifle below Sage Lake Road and Reid Lake will be my hotspots after that. Let's hope this fall is as warm and lovely as the last one was.
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Martinlf on Sep 2, 2016September 2nd, 2016, 6:43 pm EDT
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
RiverRocks on Sep 5, 2016September 5th, 2016, 10:25 am EDT
Really pretty picture and really pretty fish. Thanks for sharing.
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