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 one seems to tentatively key to Holocentropus, although I can't make out the anal spines in Couplet 7 of the Key to Genera of Polycentropodidae Larvae nor the dark bands in Couplet 4 of the Key to Genera of Polycentropodidae Larvae, making me wonder if I went wrong somewhere in keying it out. I don't see where that could have happened, though. It might also be that it's a very immature larva and doesn't possess all the identifying characteristics in the key yet. If Holocentropus is correct, then Holocentropus flavus and Holocentropus interruptus are the two likely possibilities based on range, but I was not able to find a description of their larvae.
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Oldredbarn has attached these 20 pictures. The message is below.
Oldredbarn on Dec 15, 2016December 15th, 2016, 5:52 am EST
Just wanted to wish everyone all the best with the upcoming Holidays and the New Year. I know we have had a rough year in 2016 with a contentious election and all the crap going on overseas and at home...But for myself I've had a year that will be hard to top.
I started out the fishing year with Tony and Eric in the Catskills! Visited my home waters up in Grayling. Spent all of August on the road with two of those weeks fishing in Montana.
The fishing was good, but my birding year was over the top...I know we are anglers here on this site, but I decided to share some of my best bird pics of this past year with all of you...I have already shared the fishing ones in earlier posts...
Enjoy! Let's make next year our best ever! Be good to your families, and our beloved streams, and thanks for sharing all your adventures with us TroutNuts!
Spence
I started out the fishing year with Tony and Eric in the Catskills! Visited my home waters up in Grayling. Spent all of August on the road with two of those weeks fishing in Montana.
The fishing was good, but my birding year was over the top...I know we are anglers here on this site, but I decided to share some of my best bird pics of this past year with all of you...I have already shared the fishing ones in earlier posts...
Enjoy! Let's make next year our best ever! Be good to your families, and our beloved streams, and thanks for sharing all your adventures with us TroutNuts!
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
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Oldredbarn on Dec 15, 2016December 15th, 2016, 6:28 am EST
I guess the trick would be, your naming them...:)
Spence
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
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Wbranch on Dec 15, 2016December 15th, 2016, 6:29 am EST
Hello Spence,
Wishing you and you're family a wonderful Christmas and a healthy 2017. I've not seen a single post from Kurt in months. Is he no longer active as a moderator?
Matt
Wishing you and you're family a wonderful Christmas and a healthy 2017. I've not seen a single post from Kurt in months. Is he no longer active as a moderator?
Matt
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Oldredbarn on Dec 15, 2016December 15th, 2016, 6:40 am EST
Yes...It's been a while since we have heard from Kurt...He and I were talking about hooking up for a couple days in Montana last August, but he had other commitments. If I remember correctly it may have been a grandsons birthday? Not sure, but if there's grandkids involved its all over for him! :)
When we ran our insurance agency we had folks retire to AZ or FL, only to return to Michigan when grandkids were born here...They are like little grandparent magnets...
Spence
When we ran our insurance agency we had folks retire to AZ or FL, only to return to Michigan when grandkids were born here...They are like little grandparent magnets...
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
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Millcreek on Dec 15, 2016December 15th, 2016, 8:30 am EST
Spence -
I'll give it a shot.
1. Mountain Bluebird
2. Most of the hawks are just too variable
3. Same as above
4. Clark's Nutcracker
5. possibly immature Pie-billed Grebe
6. Little Blue Heron
7. American Avocet (non-breeding)
8. Mockingbird
9. Black Necked Stilt
10. Great Horned Owl
11. Common Nighthawk
12. Scrub Jay
13. Stellar's Jay
14. Ruddy Duck female ?
15. Western Gull
16. Sharpshin or Cooper's Hawk
17. Herring Gull
18. ?
19. Common Merganser
20. Whooping Cranes
I guess the trick would be, your naming them...:)
Spence
I'll give it a shot.
1. Mountain Bluebird
2. Most of the hawks are just too variable
3. Same as above
4. Clark's Nutcracker
5. possibly immature Pie-billed Grebe
6. Little Blue Heron
7. American Avocet (non-breeding)
8. Mockingbird
9. Black Necked Stilt
10. Great Horned Owl
11. Common Nighthawk
12. Scrub Jay
13. Stellar's Jay
14. Ruddy Duck female ?
15. Western Gull
16. Sharpshin or Cooper's Hawk
17. Herring Gull
18. ?
19. Common Merganser
20. Whooping Cranes
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein
-Albert Einstein
Partsman on Dec 15, 2016December 15th, 2016, 9:41 am EST
Spence, and all the forum members may you have blessed and wonderful Christmas, and I'm hoping a wonderful new year. For my family it is going to be good, as our son and his wife are expecting there first child, a baby boy. I have a beautiful and healthy granddaughter, Charlie and now we have a Henry on the way! Lets get this winter out of the way and have some fun.
Mike.
Mike.
Jmd123 on Dec 15, 2016December 15th, 2016, 10:04 am EST
Here's repeating all of the best Holiday wishes to each and every Troutnut and his or her family. "God Bless us, every one!"
Nerder birder strikes again!! Nice photos Spence, yep, it looks like you did have a good birding year. Every year is a good birding year around these parts!
I had a pretty good year overall. Not financially lucrative...but I did a lot of fishing and caught a LOT of fish, including a personal best and a whole lot of other nice ones. I caught fish on the fly rod from April until November, quitting only for rifle deer season. And it's still not over yet, with our recent frigid temperatures I might well be ice fishing before Christmas! This year I got my first trout of the year through the ice and who's to say I won't get my last one...? I'll be hiking (or skiing!) into Reid Lake next week to check it out...
Happy Holidays to all!
Jonathon
Nerder birder strikes again!! Nice photos Spence, yep, it looks like you did have a good birding year. Every year is a good birding year around these parts!
I had a pretty good year overall. Not financially lucrative...but I did a lot of fishing and caught a LOT of fish, including a personal best and a whole lot of other nice ones. I caught fish on the fly rod from April until November, quitting only for rifle deer season. And it's still not over yet, with our recent frigid temperatures I might well be ice fishing before Christmas! This year I got my first trout of the year through the ice and who's to say I won't get my last one...? I'll be hiking (or skiing!) into Reid Lake next week to check it out...
Happy Holidays to all!
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Wiflyfisher on Dec 15, 2016December 15th, 2016, 11:03 am EST
Spence,
Wishing you and you're family a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thanks for leaving a few trout for me to catch last Fall in Montana. :-)
Wishing you and you're family a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thanks for leaving a few trout for me to catch last Fall in Montana. :-)
John S.
https://WiFlyFisher.com
https://WiFlyFisher.com
Oldredbarn on Dec 16, 2016December 16th, 2016, 2:44 am EST
I'll give it a shot.
1. Mountain Bluebird yes
2. Most of the hawks are just too variable younger Swainson's
3. Same as above older Swainson's
4. Clark's Nutcracker yes
5. possibly immature Pie-billed Grebe yes
6. Little Blue Heron no...White-faced Ibis
7. American Avocet (non-breeding) yes
8. Mockingbird yes
9. Black Necked Stilt yes
10. Great Horned Owl yes
11. Common Nighthawk yes
12. Scrub Jay yes...but see below
13. Stellar's Jay yes
14. Ruddy Duck female ? no...Harlequin Duck younger male
15. Western Gull no...Greater Black-backed Gull
16. Sharpshin or Cooper's Hawk yes...a first year Cooper's
17. Herring Gull yes
18. ? Northern Harrier
19. Common Merganser no...Red-breasted female
20. Whooping Cranes yes
Concerning the Scrub Jay...You get a pass on this one. In July the AOU split the Western Scrub-Jay in two...Now there is a California Scrub-Jay and an interior one called Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay. This gave me an extra ticky mark in terms of Life birds! :) This is the Woodhouse's.
I'm inclined to give you a pass on the Merganser since the females of the Common and Red-breasted look so much alike. We had somewhere over 10,000 Red-breasted on this day...Incredible!
You did good!
Spence, and all the forum members may you have blessed and wonderful Christmas, and I'm hoping a wonderful new year. For my family it is going to be good, as our son and his wife are expecting there first child, a baby boy. I have a beautiful and healthy granddaughter, Charlie and now we have a Henry on the way! Lets get this winter out of the way and have some fun.
Mike.
Now that's a special gift for Christmas!
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
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Oldredbarn on Dec 16, 2016December 16th, 2016, 2:50 am EST
Thanks for leaving a few trout for me to catch last Fall in Montana. :-)
I'd like to take some credit John for being, in general, a nice guy, but I was trying my best to educate them fish! I pounded the water to a froth!
Your Mojo was better than mine this year...;)
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
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
PaulRoberts on Dec 16, 2016December 16th, 2016, 8:20 am EST
Is this a fly-tying thread? Let's see the flies you made from them!
Oh fun!
I'll just use Millcreek's list:
1. Mountain Bluebird
2. Red-tail
3. Broad-winged (Imm)
4. Gray Jay
5. immature Pied-billed Grebe
6. Glossy Ibis
7. American Avocet (non-breeding)
8. Mockingbird
9. Black Necked Stilt
10. Great Horned Owl
11. Common Nighthawk
12. Scrub Jay
13. Stellar's Jay
14. Harlequin female
15. Lesser Black-backed Gull
16. Cooper's Hawk
17. Glaucous Gull
18. Harrier
19. Red-Breasted Merganser
20. Whooping Cranes
Oh fun!
I'll just use Millcreek's list:
1. Mountain Bluebird
2. Red-tail
3. Broad-winged (Imm)
4. Gray Jay
5. immature Pied-billed Grebe
6. Glossy Ibis
7. American Avocet (non-breeding)
8. Mockingbird
9. Black Necked Stilt
10. Great Horned Owl
11. Common Nighthawk
12. Scrub Jay
13. Stellar's Jay
14. Harlequin female
15. Lesser Black-backed Gull
16. Cooper's Hawk
17. Glaucous Gull
18. Harrier
19. Red-Breasted Merganser
20. Whooping Cranes
Oldredbarn on Dec 16, 2016December 16th, 2016, 9:50 am EST
Paul...The italics above are the answers...;)
Greater Black-back Gull has pinkish legs...Your Lesser yellow ones.
#17 is a Herring Gull taken in Cleveland Harbor on Dec 3rd...
Both #2 & 3 are Swainson's taken in Montana/Idaho border.
The Ibis is the White-faced variety taken at the Great Salt Lake.
Otherwise you pass ;) and can tag along with us on the CBC on Sunday morning! The high that day is a whopping 19! -3 at pre-dawn start...Ouch!
A quick story about the Great Horned and the Nighthawk...There is a ranch you can tour on Antelope Island in the middle of the Great Salt Lake...Kit Carson was known to hang there once upon a time.
Lisa and I pulled into the parking lot...We all know that everyone into some hobby wears some sort of uniform that goes along with it...There was a Subaru in the parking lot with two women dressed in tan hiking/birding closes with a field guide open discussing some bird they had seen.
"You two aren't birding by chance?" ;) They directed me to those two birds...I have never seen a Nighthawk save in the air...It was wonderful.
She said to that, "She was going to make my day", and she did.
They had an awesome Hummingbird feeder there as well!
Spence
I should of included the Long-billed Curlew...
Greater Black-back Gull has pinkish legs...Your Lesser yellow ones.
#17 is a Herring Gull taken in Cleveland Harbor on Dec 3rd...
Both #2 & 3 are Swainson's taken in Montana/Idaho border.
The Ibis is the White-faced variety taken at the Great Salt Lake.
Otherwise you pass ;) and can tag along with us on the CBC on Sunday morning! The high that day is a whopping 19! -3 at pre-dawn start...Ouch!
A quick story about the Great Horned and the Nighthawk...There is a ranch you can tour on Antelope Island in the middle of the Great Salt Lake...Kit Carson was known to hang there once upon a time.
Lisa and I pulled into the parking lot...We all know that everyone into some hobby wears some sort of uniform that goes along with it...There was a Subaru in the parking lot with two women dressed in tan hiking/birding closes with a field guide open discussing some bird they had seen.
"You two aren't birding by chance?" ;) They directed me to those two birds...I have never seen a Nighthawk save in the air...It was wonderful.
She said to that, "She was going to make my day", and she did.
They had an awesome Hummingbird feeder there as well!
Spence
I should of included the Long-billed Curlew...
"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
PaulRoberts on Dec 16, 2016December 16th, 2016, 10:17 am EST
Ach! I should have known the Swainson's. Those super long wings. Now I see the chocolate breast too. Fun.
A good friend of my wife's will be here for xmas and she's a serious birder, and bander. We'll most certainly get out some.
Have a nice holiday, folks.
A good friend of my wife's will be here for xmas and she's a serious birder, and bander. We'll most certainly get out some.
Have a nice holiday, folks.
Martinlf on Dec 17, 2016December 17th, 2016, 11:18 am EST
Warmest wishes, Troutnuts. Spence, thanks for the photos.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
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